From PCJ Editor Wayne Senville: we received this announcement which, we think, will be of interest to a number of planning commissioners. I’ve met Jennifer Evans-Cowley and have also heard her speak. Based on that — and on the material the course will delve into — I’ve already signed up. Hope you’ll consider participating in what promises to be a fascinating four-week exploration.
The Ohio State University will offer a free online course, Technicity (http://www.coursera.org/course/techcity), as part of the University’s new Coursera offerings.
The four-week class will explore how the increasing availability of networks, sensors and mobile technologies allows for new approaches to address the challenges that our cities face. It will cover how cities are changing, how technology is used to engage with the public to support decision-making, tools for analyzing the city, the infrastructure that makes the real time city possible, and how creativity can spawn technological innovation.
TechniCity is being taught by Jennifer Evans-Cowley, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Engineering and professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State, and Tom Sanchez, professor of urban affairs and planning at Virginia Tech. This course is geared to a wide range of people. “We are hoping to engage a global audience of people who care deeply about the future of their communities. Our initial enrollment has people from more than 30 countries, with many interested in how they can use technology in their own cities,” Cowley noted.
Sanchez notes that “cities are undergoing transformative technological change. It is an incredibly exciting time to examine these changes and image a bright future.” The instructors envision the course as an active “virtual salon,” or discussion forum, where participants can engage in reasoned debate and polite conversation, while offering criticisms of current technology issues facing the world’s cities. Participants will hear technological innovators and thought leaders about course topics, complete assignments and engage in a peer evaluation project of their choosing.
Here’s a short video clip in which Evans-Cowley provides an overview of the course:
Ohio State University partnered with Coursera in fall 2012 to offer free online courses. Formed by two Stanford University professors, Coursera offers high-quality college-level courses online for free, creating new worldwide learning opportunities. Coursera courses can be taken for free by anyone who signs up by providing an email address. Visit www.coursera.org for more information.
Questions? Contact: Jennifer Evans-Cowley, 614-292-0479, cowley.11@osu.edu
