Group MOOC set to ignite global social change

MONTREAL, Aug. 31, 2015  /PRNewswire/ --The world's first GROOC – a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) for groups – co-created by internationally renowned management expert Henry Mintzberg will be launched by McGill University and edX, the nonprofit, open-source online learning destination founded by Harvard and MIT, next month. The course 'Social Learning for Social Impact' aims to inspire social change through global collaboration of like-minded people working to create positive, sustainable impact.

The course is inspired by Mintzberg's latest book Rebalancing Society, which addresses current crises in our environments, societies and in ourselves.

Mintzberg, Professor at the Desautels Faculty of Management at McGill, says: "There are millions of people around the world working on social initiatives. We need millions more. This GROOC will provide an important platform to begin answering this need."

The GROOC's unique design will revolutionise online learning in several ways -

• The curriculum maximizes group learning, not just individual learning.  
• The course will provide ongoing learner feedback from a dedicated team of trained facilitators.
• Individuals will form groups through a unique edX match-making process—they will be paired with others who have interests in tackling similar problems or themes.
• The themes for social change will be determined by the participants themselves (i.e. a bottom-up approach that reflects the nature of successful social movements).

More than 20 leading scholars and practitioners in the field of social innovation, including Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, join Desautels' Henry Mintzberg, Leslie Breitner, Anita Nowak and Carlos Rueda, the co-creators of this ground-breaking GROOC.

Registration is now open. Students from more than 125 countries have already joined from all educational backgrounds. Established groups with agreed social goals are encouraged to sign up to develop their projects further. Individuals will form groups by joining with others who have interests in tackling similar problems or topics.

To find out more or sign up, visit: https://www.edx.org/course/social-learning-social-impact-mcgillx-groocx

SOURCE McGill University

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