A HKUST Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) entitled “Full Stack Web Development Specialization” was launched in September 2015, taught by Department of Computer Science and Engineering faculty. The course is hosted on the Coursera platform, the world’s largest open online course provider, and is accessible to all who would like to take it. 

 

The course, led by Prof Jogesh Muppala and Prof David Rossiter, helps students to learn the latest knowledge and skills about web development. It covers Javascript-based front-end and serverside technologies, including NodeJS and AngularJS. Know-how related to mobile devices is a particular feature of the course, covering both Cordova and the Ionic framework, Prof Muppala said.

 

Full stack web developers are in high demand in the job market. Coursera recently put out an international call for proposals for a specialized course in this area, and HKUST was one of two universities chosen to provide one.

 

Prof Ting Chuen Pong, Senior Advisor to the Executive Vice-President and Provost (Teaching Innovation and e-Learning), said he was delighted that HKUST had been selected: “HKUST has become a regional leader in e-learning through the development of innovative approaches for offering MOOCs and blended learning courses on campus,” he said.

 

President and Co-Founder of Coursera Ms Daphne Koller also noted HKUST’s contribution to the development of MOOCs, stating that HKUST had been an innovative partner for Coursera from early times. She expected that the Full Stack Web Development Specialization course would reach learners worldwide, “who hope to advance their careers in this high demand field, many of whom would never have had access to HKUST’s high quality instruction”.