University of Burgundy : online wine and vineyard courses

MOOCs, ou Massive Open Online Courses, have received considerable attention since prestigious universities like Stanford, Harvard or MIT have started to organize free online courses in 2011. In less than a year, three million internet users have signed up for Coursera, the main MOOC hosting platform, four times the growth of Facebook in its early days.

The Massive is a rather arbitrary notion, but this means that there is an unlimited number of registrations. The Open comes from Open Registration, i.e. everyone is allowed to register, regardless of age, of his profession, or level of education. Most MOOCs are currently free, but the economic model is not viable, this may change in the years to come — then, enjoy as it's free —.

The MOOC "University of Vine and Wine for All" has already welcomed more than 3000 attendees from around the world — including your faithful Beaux-Vins —. This training allows you to learn online, free, in 5 to 6 weeks. Attendees find engaging video resources, fun and practical activities and can exchange with each other via social networks. And what's really great, is that you can take the course anytime and anywhere. Concretely, the courses will consist of three short videos (5 to 8 min each) at the rate of one theme per week and accompanied by fun and practical activities. But it is well advised 2 to 3 personal working hours per week.

The MOOC #OWU offers a dive into the world of vine and wine, from viticulture to tasting through the terroirs. It was created by teacher-researchers from the University Institute of Vine and Wine (IUVV) from the University of Burgundy. The training is really accessible to all and of very good quality.

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin