UPEI introduces Experience U

Want to know what university is really about? UPEI is launching Experience U (XPU)-a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) for free, delivered on Facebook, and open to anyone-hopeful new students, supportive parents, high school teachers, or just interested observers who are eager to engage and connect with some of the key concepts that make the university experience unique. XPU provides a platform for students to chat with their peers and faculty members, get answers to their questions, meet great people, and make connections before classes even begin.

XPU is a free, five-week course, organized by current UPEI students and begins on Thursday, April 25. Students can enroll at any time between April 25-May 30. Topics include 'what's a student,' 'what's a syllabus,' 'what's research,' 'how do I succeed at university,' and 'what's a professor'?

'The internet gives us an amazing opportunity to work and learn together. We've been doing that with MOOCs here on campus in one form or another since the first one in 2008. This time we're hoping to get high school students involved,' said Dave Cormier, UPEI's manager of web communications and innovations who is spearheading the XPU initiative. Cormier also coined the term MOOC in 2008.

This open course provides an overview of university, offers a context for the preparations and decisions students need to make, and provides a fun and engaging way to share questions about university. Each week, the course will introduce guest lectures, videos, live Q&A sessions, and some assignments.

As course participants, students will get a window into the UPEI university experience and get a handle on some of the 'ins and outs' of succeeding at the next level. The student organizers will put together discussions based on participant questions and answers to build a survival guide for starting university.

To sign up for the course, or to simply check it out, visit XPU.ca