Will massive open online courses (MOOCs) change college education as we know it?

How is Columbia participating in this new online education world?

Did you know you could take free online courses taught by Columbia's finest professors?

To answer these questions and others, the Columbia Alumni Association of Boston invites alumni and guests for a reception and presentation by Maurice Matiz, Director and Co-Founder of the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning, on Wednesday, November 19 at the Algonquin Club on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston.

Buy your tickets soon. Early purchase discount ends on November 13.

Maurice Matiz will discuss Columbia’s online initiatives and its partnership with Coursera and edX, including Columbia Professor Eric Foner’s new MOOC series, Civil War & Reconstruction. Boston alumni will get a special preview of the second course in the series, which will premiere on December 5th and begins with the start of the war  in 1861. Maurice will also discuss upcoming exclusive Columbia alumni engagement opportunities. A trailer for Prof. Foner’s course is here:

Although not required, bring your smartphone or tablet for this interactive and informative session.

Event Details

Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Venue: The Algonquin Club, 217 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston

Schedule:

• 6:00      Networking & Reception with hors d'oeuvres & cash bar
• 7:15      Maurice Matiz Presentation with Q&A session
• 8:15      Post-talk gathering

About the Speakers:

Maurice Matiz received a B.S. (1979) and M.S. (1984) in Computer Science from Columbia University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.  In 1999, he co-founded the Columbia Center for New Media Teaching and Learning (CCNMTL) where he is currently the director, overseeing a staff of 35. For 15 years, CCNMTL has worked with faculty to enhance teaching and learning through the purposeful use of technology and new media, producing close to 300 projects, including the new MOOCs
as part of Columbia’s experimentation in this new online learning space.

Maurice will be joined by CCNMTL colleagues Peter Kaufman and Michael Cennamo, who are helping shape the MOOC initiative at Columbia, and by Melanie MacFarlane, edX's program manager for Columbia.

About the Venue:

This will be our latest event at the Algonquin Club, a beautiful, historic building on Commonwealth Avenue. Founded in 1885 by active and high-achieving individuals in civic life, business, the arts, education and the professions, the Algonquin Club
continues today as a leading institutional citizen of Boston. The Columbia Alumni Association of Boston is designated an affiliate of the Algonquin Club, and Columbia alumni are eligible for Affiliated Dining Membership and other special privileges at the Algonquin Club. For more information, please contact Stephen Kane (C.’80; L’83, P ’08) at [email protected] or 617 556-3827.