Essential Business MOOCs For July

Vanderbilt's David Owens taping one of his MOOC sessions

Vanderbilt’s David Owens taping one of his MOOC sessions

ā€œWhat Iā€™m doing is I am looking for more people to talk to about innovation…because I found my wife and my kids donā€™t want to hear about it anymore.ā€

Well, one familyā€™s loss is the worldā€™s gain.

On July 1st, David Owens will launch his much-anticipated MOOC, ā€œLeading Strategic Innovation in Organizations.ā€ Owens, a professor of Practice Management and Innovation at Vanderbilt University’s Owen School of Management, doesnā€™t write off summer to ice cream, waterskiing, and fireworks. Instead, he views it as a time to confront one of the great paradoxes of business:Ā Why do leaders want to innovate, but not to change?

The Massive Open Online Course, which dovetails with Owensā€™ book, Creative People Must Be Stopped!Ā  Six Ways We Stop Innovation (Without Even Trying), holds the most promise among free MOOC courses starting in July. Here, the former CEO of Griffin Technology reveals why the best ideas are blocked long before a beta. In Owensā€™ research, he has identified that the main culprit begins with a P (and itā€™s not process, payables, or popularity).

Thatā€™s right, itā€™s people. And they often perceive innovation as a threat on many levels according to Owens. How do you overcome resistance when ideas are generated, debated, and executed? Thatā€™s the goal of Owensā€™ course. By understanding where, how, and why ideas fail, innovators can persuasively address those unspoken fears that cause people to tune out or resist. In doing so, they can model a culture that sparks creativity and embraces the best ideas, building buy-in and momentum when itā€™s needed most.

TWO THEMES STAND OUT FOR JULY

In fact, two themes stand out among Julyā€™s MOOCs. First, educators are focusing on changing perceptions. For example, Scott Plousā€™ ā€œSocial Psychologyā€ course, which drew more than 100,000 students (and rave reviews) in 2013, is designed to make students aware of how they process people and phenomenonā€¦and how such perceptions are subject to bias and context. Similarly, Penn State returns with its popular ā€œCreativity, Innovation, and Changeā€ MOOC, which registered over 130,000 participants last year. Using advanced problem-solving and design models, this course also looks to tap into studentsā€™ atrophied creative muscles so they too can be a force for change.

The second theme? Letā€™s just say MOOCs are starting to become a platform for professors to sell more books. Call MOOCs a virtual book tour these days. Youā€™d almost expect Coursera, EdX and Canvas to open each weekly video with a ā€œsponsored by XYZ Publishingā€ tagline (Wait, donā€™t give them any ideas).

Otherwise, this monthā€™s fare includes courses on risk management, foreign banking, the history of American capitalism, brand management, and delivering speeches. To learn more about these courses and enroll, click on the links below:

Leading Strategic Innovation in Companies / July 1 / Vanderbilt University

Risk and Opportunity: Managing Risk for Development / June 30 / The World Bank

Social Psychology / July 14 / Wesleyan University

 

Introduction to Communication Science / July 2 / University of Amsterdam

Economics of Money and Banking: Part 2 / Barnard College (Columbia University) / July 8

American Capitalism: A History / Self-Paced / Cornell University

Networks, Crowds and Markets / Self-Paced / Cornell University

Technology and the Future: Managing Change and Innovation / July 7 / Alfred State University

Projecting Your Brand Through New Media / Self-Paced / Cornell University

Talk the Talk: How to Give a Great Presentation / July 21 / The Open University

Creativity, Innovation and Change / July 14 / Penn State University

Additional Courses

DON’T MISS: THE MOOC REVOLUTION: HOW TO EARN THE EQUIVALENT OF AN ELITE MBA FOR FREE

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