Beginning of the first MOOC offered by the UB
On Monday 17 November, the University of Barcelona (UB) sets up its first massive online open course, entitled Strategies for winning. Meteorology in a round the world regatta. It is part of the Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus led by Tomàs Molina, professor in the Department of Astronomy and Meteorology of the UB.
On Monday 17 November, the University of Barcelona (UB) sets up its first massive online open course, entitled Strategies for winning. Meteorology in a round the world regatta. It is part of the Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus led by Tomàs Molina, professor in the Department of Astronomy and Meteorology of the UB.
The initiative emerges from the collaboration between the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB) and the University of Barcelona (UB). Its main objective is to disseminate the broad knowledge based on ocean sailing within the rigour and structure of university learning. The Barcelona World Race, the first only double-handed (two-crew) regatta around the world, is the central theme of the five online courses that will be developed. Registration for the course on meteorology is still open.
Meteorology is fundamental for sailing
Through six modules, the course enables to learn about the mechanics of weather on the Earth and the knowledge of this needed by sailors. Moreover, students will learn about the foundations of ocean meteorology, how digital files are generated based on prediction models and how sailors receive these via satellite and then integrate them into high-performance navigation software. This knowledge is useful both in sailing and in other activities conditioned by meteorology across the planet.
In addition, the course examines the meteorological characteristics of the Barcelona World Race, which crosses up to 12 different climate zones where the boats go up against some of the world's most extreme weather phenomena. The regatta takes the yachts through the Mediterranean Sea, the North and South Atlantic, the Indian and South Pacific Oceans. The course indicates students how to use the foundations of climate and meteorology strategy to win a regatta and they will gain insight into how the sailors experience this science first-hand as they race across the oceans. To follow the course it is recommended to have some basic knowledge of meteorology.
Four more courses until May 2015
The Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus continues with four more courses on medicine (Injuries, illness and telemedicine in extreme sailing), nutrition and dietetics (Gastronomy and the high performance diet for a round the world regatta), oceanography (Oceanography: a key to a better understanding of our world) and chronobiology (The brain in a non-stop round the world regatta. Chronobiology and sleep management). Study materials are available in Catalan, Spanish and English. Courses are between six and eight weeks long.
Courses are included in the platform Canvas Instructure, used by more than four million people in the world. Courses are opened to any person interested in them. The University of Barcelona, together with Inlea —an organization specialized in designing online training programmes—, will provide certificates to those students who ask for them. Payment is only required if the student asks for an academic certificate.
MOOC is a learning model currently being used by some of the world's leading educational institutions, disseminating knowledge in the form of online content with open and free access for all. Courses are based on participation, so students will share their knowledge and experiences in order to enrich course contents. Moreover, professionals and experts will profit the campus to further develop their skills and increase their teaching experience.
A pioneering and transversal experience
The Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus is a pioneering initiative in the world of oceanic sailing. For FNOB the campus means an extension of the educational programme of the race which has been a model in bringing knowledge associated to oceanic sailing closer to primary and secondary students.
For the University of Barcelona, the campus is a new initiative because the Barcelona World Race Ocean Campus includes the first MOOC offered by the institution.
Coursesʼ contents have been developed by members of the teaching staff of the University of Barcelona together with members of the Department of Education and the editorial staff of the Barcelona World Race, and experts from the Hospital Quirón-Teknon, the Institute of Marine Sciences of the CSIC, the High Performance Centre (CAR) in Sant Cugat and the UB-Bullipedia Unit. Moreover, prestigious experts participate in every course.