BREAKING NEWS - UNDERSTANDING THE EBOLA VIRUS AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID IT

AFRICA CUP 2015 AFRICA CUP 2015 QUALIFIERS

Moroccan organisers of January's finals have until tomorrow to decide whether they still want to stage the event.

They had expressed fears over hosting the 16-team event because of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in West Africa.

...

A free MOOC is being offered to help educate people on Ebola prevention.

Currently, 10,000 people have taken the Ebola course first offered through ALISON in August.  

UNDERSTANDING THE EBOLA VIRUS AND HOW YOU CAN AVOID IT 

Most have completed the course on a computer, although some are participating on mobile phones, a new platform which allows online education providers to reach learners in rural communities as well as those who do not have sufficient Internet access.

The course, “Understanding the Ebola virus and how to avoid getting it,” explores the history of the disease, including previous outbreaks, as well as the history surrounding the current outbreak. 

The course also discusses how the virus is passed, how it is treated, and occurring symptoms to watch for.  Most people who suffer from Ebola contracted it while caring for an ailing relative.

The course continues with a section on how to prevent the disease, such as placing sick individuals in quarantine, limiting travel, and disinfecting contaminated areas.  Participants must then receive an 80% or higher on a test in order to pass the course.

The whole course takes about 1-2 hours to complete.

MOOC DEFINITION

A massive open online course is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web. 

In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums that help build a community for students, professors, and teaching assistants (TAs). 

MOOCs are a recent development in distance education which began to emerge in 2012.