Peer Review

Global Perspectives on Industrialization

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Apr 15, 2019 by Sociology

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:

This course will focus on the emergence and evolution of industrial societies around the world. It begins by comparing the legacies of industry in ancient and early modern Europe and Asia and examining the agricultural and commercial advances that laid the groundwork for the Industrial Revolution. It then follows the history of industrialization in different parts of the world, taking a close look at the economic, social, and environmental effects of industrialization. By the end of the course, the student will understand how industrialization developed, spread across the globe, and shaped everyday life in the modern era. This free course may be completed online at any time. See course site for detailed overview and learning outcomes. (History 363)

Type of Material:

Online Course.

Recommended Uses:

Self-Paced or supplemental instructional material.

Technical Requirements:

This course is delivered fully online. You will be required to have access to a computer or web-capable mobile device and have consistent access to the internet to either view or download the necessary course resources and to attempt any auto-graded course assessments and the final exam.

To access the full course including assessments and the final exam, you will need to be logged into your Saylor Academy account and enrolled in the course. If you do not already have an account, you may create one, free of charge. Although you can access some course resources without being logged into your account, it's advised that you log in to maximize your course experience. For example, some of the accessibility and progress tracking features are only available when you are logged in.

Identify Major Learning Goals:

Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

identify key ideas and events in the history of industrialization;
identify connections between the development of capitalism and the development of modern industry;
use analytical tools to evaluate the factors contributing to industrial change in different societies;
identify the consequences of industrialization in the 19th and 20th centuries in different societies;
critique historical interpretations of the causes and effects of industialization; and
analyze and interpret primary source documents describing the process of industrialization and life in industrial societies.

Throughout this course, you'll also see related learning outcomes identified in each unit.

Target Student Population:

College-level.

Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:

Time management. The modules list the estimated time to complete (8-11 hours). This is a reading intensive course that assumes a college-level or graduate level student.

Content Quality

Rating:
Strengths:: Very impressive comprehensive course on industrialization -- development, spread and impact. The modules offer multiple readings that guide the students in studying various aspections of industrialization. It includes ten units. The unit descriptions and objectives are easily identified. Each module in the units is similarly defined. The linked readings/videos are relevant and interesting. There is an assessment at the end of each unit.
Concerns:: Once you get into the modules and the learning resources, there are very brief description about what the student should learn from the resource. It is a passive learning strategy -- read and test. You must have an account to access the assessments.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

Rating:
Strengths:: This course is very nicely organized and it is easy to locate information -- course/unit descriptions and objectives. This course is set up as a series of readings that would be appropriate for upper-level college and graduate students. Students could use this as a text or as supplemental resource for a variety of courses interested in the development, spread and impact of industrialization including a variety of theories. There is a wide breath of material.
Concerns:: The estimated time for completion of units (8-11 hours). Although this is an appropriate amount for an online course, some students will not engage in the material.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

Rating:
Strengths:: The site is very easy to navigate and allows for finding information quickly. The description and learning objectives are always apparent. The site is actively maintained. The breath of coverage is impressive.
Concerns:: instructor will need to guide students through the material.

Other Issues and Comments:: Really an online textbook only partially related to sociology, though it could be adapted. The site uses cookies.
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