You can take a course from an elite Munich university online as well
As Deutsche Welle reports, three dozen Bavarian universities are participating in the project Virtuelle Hochschule Bayern (Virtual University of Bavaria). Among them are both holders of the "elite" title, such as the Technical University of Munich and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, and less well-known universities – for example, the University of Regensburg, the universities of applied sciences in Augsburg, Coburg, Ingolstadt, and Kempten. On a special online platform, professors from these universities post their lectures and seminars – in German or English.
Until now, lectures and courses from the Virtual University of Bavaria were only available to students of Bavarian universities. The new project Open vhb is open to anyone who wants to improve their German, enhance their knowledge in a specific field, get oriented in choosing a profession, or simply broaden their horizons.
Education for three groups of students
The project has existed since 2000, but now operates in three modes. Virtual courses from the "Classic" section can be attended free of charge by students of all Bavarian universities participating in the project and earn credit points. The "Smart" section offers blended or hybrid learning programs, meaning the student gains knowledge both independently online and in person with an instructor.
And finally, the new format OPEN vhb – a kind of massive open online courses. There are no requirements for applicants. And you don't even have to be a student to attend them. Everything is completely free and accessible to everyone. There are no credit points, but you can get a certificate of course attendance – after passing online tests.
Free courses for everyone
Currently, the platform offers about five dozen such web courses for everyone, but the offering will expand. The topics cover a wide range of scientific fields: from online marketing and financial management to microbiology, genetics, and orthopedics. Here you can learn how to protect yourself on social networks, make your home smart, speak charismatically, cope with stress, and manage the future. There is also room for such trendy phenomena as the Internet of Things, Industry 4.0, and even DJing.
Some courses may be especially useful for foreigners – those who plan to somehow connect their lives with Germany. "German as a Second Foreign Language," "Spelling: Basic Competencies," "Studying in Germany. Introduction to German Academic Life" – also in the program. All for self-study; tutor support is not provided in this format.
Classes are conducted in German or English – this is indicated in advance. Each course comes with a brief description outlining the goals, program, and target audience. There is also specific information about the instructors. If the course is suitable, registration follows. To do this, you need to enter an email and password or register via Facebook.
Virtual courses in Germany
The Virtual University of Bavaria is the first large-scale project involving several dozen higher education institutions. In the field of massive open online courses, Germany still lags behind the USA. German platforms using e-learning technologies and open access can be counted on the fingers of one hand:
• The Iversity platform has existed since 2013, was conceived as an analogue of the American Coursera, but recently significantly narrowed its target audience and is now only available to company employees.
• Opencourseworld – a MOOC platform for private users with a wide thematic range. Several projects in this field have been initiated by individual universities.
• OnCampus – platform of the Lübeck University of Applied Sciences.
• openHPI – web courses in IT offered by the Hasso Plattner Institute in Potsdam.
Some universities, such as the Technical University of Munich, post their courses on American MOOC platforms. There are also individual instructors who upload their lectures to YouTube.