By Anelle Mensah
Darden offers a variety of massive open online courses (MOOCs) on subjects such as leadership, management and business strategy. These self-study online courses are taught by Darden faculty on online platforms, like Coursera through which online learners have access to a world-class educational experience anywhere in the world.
Since launching Darden’s first MOOC in 2013, more than 1.1. million people across the globe have accessed and engaged with Darden’s content and teaching online. In February 2017, the Presidential Precinct announced its new partnership with Darden to establish its first online training program. The pilot program began on 27 March and runs for four weeks. One hundred online learners from 42 countries participated in this introductory pilot course titled “Fundamentals of Project Planning and Management” taught by Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne.
Similar to its African Scholarship Cohort program in 2016, where learners took seven courses for Darden’s Business Strategy Specialization, Darden worked with Coursera to provide scholarships to Precinct program alumni to take this pilot MOOC.
Senior Assistant Dean for Degree Programs Michael Koenig shared his thoughts on the partnership: “The Darden School of Business is proud of our growing partnership with Presidential Precinct and advancing the work of educating and inspiring a global generation of leaders. We are especially excited to leverage our world class digital business content as a catalyst for engagement and impact with leaders from across the globe. Importantly, the initiative aligns closely with Darden’s mission to improve the world by developing and inspiring responsible leaders and by advancing knowledge.”
Furthermore, on 20 March, Darden launched a new MOOC titled “Financial Accounting Fundamentals” taught by Professor Luann J. Lynch. The course, which spans five weeks, has already proved to be a success in the short time since its release. An online learner from India who was involved in beta testing this course commented, “Since I enjoyed every bit of it, I completed the course. I really liked the quizzes and [Professor Lynch’s] way of presenting the topics…. [She] presented the topics in a way that makes it easier to understand for beginners in financial accounting.”
Additional courses include the “Pricing Strategy Optimization Specialization” on Coursera, which Darden launched on 27 March in partnership with leading consulting firm The Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Watch a short clip featuring Professor Ron Wilcox about this exciting new opportunity!
Read other MOOC reflections from Darden online learners below:
Design Thinking for Innovation, instructed by Professor Jeanne Liedtka
“The instructor was very articulate in her presentation and the teaching was smooth flowing and well connected among the modules of study. Among the various schools of thought I have learnt in thinking, I find Design Thinking very refreshing, practical and coherent in its structure of understanding and application. I just love the course – very easy to follow and inspiring indeed!
Many thanks to instructor Jeanne – you are a superb presenter!!!!!” –Learner from Singapore
Marketing Analytics, instructed by Professor Raj Venkatesan
“Dear Professor Venkatesan,
I am Thu from Vietnam. I am currently a student from Aalto University in Finland. I want to say thank you to you about the awesome Marketing Analytics course you teach here on Coursera. It is very informative and engaging. I took this course originally because I love marketing, and I don’t have course in Marketing Analytics in my university. That’s why I took this course, and I never regret it. Your course gives me more motivation to delve deeper in the area of Marketing Analytics.
It is also fun learning all the materials with you. Now whenever I want to revise some milestones in Marketing Analytics, I open your online course and skim through it again. It is very useful.
Thank you for making this course happen!” — Learner from Finland
