Online Learning with Penn’s School of Arts & Sciences

Innovation, entrepreneurship, and a love of knowledge form the foundation of the Penn spirit and informed the creation of The Arts & Sciences Learning Commons, the University of Pennsylvania’s platform for online learning. The Arts & Sciences Learning Commons enhances the student experience by combining online access with Penn’s distinguished faculty and course rigor, enabling greater flexibility for Ivy League education as well as increased student engagement and retention.

During Summer 2011, The Arts & Sciences Commons hosted 13 online courses available to students worldwide. Offerings included Math, Music, Classics, History and Writing. Live, synchronous sessions allowed students direct interaction with Penn faculty and created a rich learning environment across great expanses.

The Arts & Sciences Commons also hosts communities of practice. These online communities are created specifically for the students, faculty, and staff of a specific program, providing a space for collaboration, socialization, and orientation. Features include discussion boards, blogs, course or program information and streaming video.

Please watch for more information and an expanded list of offerings as we build and expand this program. For more information and details, visit http://www.sas.upenn.edu/commons or contact the online learning team at upenn-commons-team@groups.sas.upenn.edu.

Two New Online Communities!

New for Fall 2011, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies will debut online communities specifically designed for students in the two programs:  Pre-Health and Earth & Environmental Sciences.  These online communities provide a private, Penn-created space where students can learn from each other, discuss their coursework and their ambitions, network and investigate future opportunities. These discussions are supplemented by content directly from the program directors and faculty, including videos of events and workshops that students may be unable to attend.

Penn is working to make communities on the Arts & Sciences Learning Commons a central hub for all program related content; the communities will be a destination for not just registration questions and answers, but peer collaboration, networking on field experiences, and faculty developed syllabi and video.

For more information about online communities, please contact Jake Landis at jalandis@sas.upenn.edu.