One of the OU modules, TM129 Technologies in practice, includes a block on networks, but unlike other modules I tutor, I’ve not done anything professionally with networks. I know a little about them and a little more because I’ve had to tutor them, so I know about addresses and sub net calculations and not much more. However, the OU is rewriting this block on networks and has encouraged its tutors to enroll on a free Cisco module about networks, which leads to a minor Cisco qualification. It will take about four hours a week over six months with a Facebook tutorial once a week, so is a Massive Open Online course or MOOC.
I’ve enrolled and started, discovered I have a skim knowledge of much of the material and am totally ignorant of it in depth. I doubt I’m going to turn out more competent at the later weeks so I’m working hard at it. It’s fun because it includes a practical skills based element that requires running packet tracer software. This makes up for not having a physical laboratory with real routers, switches, PCs and cables to choose. I do have such equipment, but not the variety that a large organisation or a teaching  laboratory would provide me with.
The course includes weekly quizzes, which I do several times until I get a high score. Then I dare take the weekly assessment paper that goes towards the final grade. It’s all rather odd doing these assessments alone, on line, with no human input apart from the friendly face in the FB tutorials once a week. One human helping in a discussion forum answered my plea for how to access the material on my iPad, and closed the discussion for further comments. But the problem isn’t solved, so I’m not happy.
It seems to be taking more than four hours a week, but this might be because my eyes have been difficult recently. Retinal tears and subsequent treatment have slowed me down. The OU has students who can’t see well, worse than my current problem (the OU has about 20,000 students with a disability), so the other thing I’m learning on this MOOC is how to cope with a disability.  Let’s hope I get more competent at learning over the next months.