MOOC Terrorism and Counterterrorism launches updated version after three successful years
The MOOC Terrorism and Counterterrorism: Comparing Theory & Practice was one of the first MOOCs of Leiden University to go live back in September 2013. More than three years have passed and the MOOC has attracted over 100,000 people coming from more than 100 countries.
Ready for the next 3 years
Edwin Bakker, Professor of (Counter)Terrorism Studies and Director of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA) at Leiden University has remained enthusiastic about this online learning project. Bakker has also learned a lot from the different perspectives offered by his students coming from all over the world with a wide variety of backgrounds: ranging from high school students to counterterrorism professionals.
In 2015, Bakker used the course material of the MOOC to publish the Leiden University Press book titled 'Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies: Comparing Theory & Practice'. He now uses the MOOC and the book in courses that he teaches at Leiden University in flipped-classroom format.
In 2022, Bakker and De Roy van Zuijdewijn republished a revised version of the book.
Since terrorism and counterterrorism are constantly changing phenomena, Bakker decided to update the MOOC so it would be ready for the next three years to come. To that end, a new module on Foreign Fighters was recorded and various data and examples have been updated. They now include, for instance, the rise of the so-called Islamic State that was hardly anticipated in 2013. Every month, Bakker records an Office Chat to keep his students up-to-date on the latest developments in the field.
The new version of the MOOC will go live on March 6. More information and enrollment can be found on the website of Coursera.