University of Glasgow teams up with BBC to launch World War One MOOC

The University of Glasgow is one of four UK Universities that will partner BBC in delivering a series of massive open online courses (MOOCs) on World War One, all of which will be available, for free, on the social learning platform, Future Learn. The pilot project, announced yesterday, is part of the BBC’s WW1 season and will see each of the four universities – Glasgow, Birmingham, Leeds and The Open University – deliver a web-based course exploring an aspect of WW1. To create an even richer learning experience, each course will feature material with historical value from the BBC’s vast archive, as well as newly created multimedia content. All four courses will be open to anyone with an interest in learning more about WW1, with no prior qualification required.

The courses are open now for registration, and will begin between October and November 2014.

Professor Christian Tams, Chair of International Law at The University of Glasgow, said:

“The centenary of the outbreak of the First World War is not just an opportunity to study conflict, but also to focus on the process of peace. This truly innovative course will look at some of the key aspects of what happened after the guns fell silent in November 1918 - and at how world leaders at the time tried to make a 'peace to end all wars'. It will discuss the work of the League of Nations, which today is widely (and unjustly) seen as a failure, and which really served as a blueprint for all subsequent attempts at international cooperation. The story is brought up to date when we put the spotlight on the United Nations and how that body has endured for so long. This is an exciting and dynamic course that will offer perspectives on many of the major issues the world faces today - issues that need to be debated widely.”