My First Successful Failure with Online Education


Posted by Steven Harowitz on 20 Jun 2012 / 2 Comments


A few weeks ago I set out to enroll in my first MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). I started a new twitter account (@MashupEducation) to funnel my interest in the topic, part of which were some posts I would write on my experiences in MOOC courses. I perused through Udemy, Udacity, Coursera, and GoodSemester, analyzing their functionality, user interface, course offerings and so on. I felt pretty good about the due diligence I was putting into it all. I picked two courses that I caught my attention and seemed like a good match for my first MOOC. Then I failed.

I failed in the least failure-esque way possible. I tried to dig into the content, I wanted to be interest, I set aside time to invest. Fail, Fail, Fail. I tinkered and procrastinated, then made some bold statements like “I am going to do blah blah blah tonight at blah blah blah and accomplish blah blah blah.” Fail.

Somewhere in the middle of all this glorious failure I found Codeacademy. I bookmarked it and planned to explore after finishing one of the previously chosen courses. And that’s when it happened. I was tinkering with Codeacademy and out of nowhere I was 61% complete with “HTML Foundations” and didn’t even notice. Well played Codeacademy, well played. The genius behind what Codeacademy lies within their user interface, lesson design, and moderate gamification.




The first thing you notice when you go to Codeacademy’s website is the HTML box that invites you to get to know one another. Next to that is a big green box that lets you signup and reinforces the service is free. A few other important tidbits are shown – “program websites, learn with friends, track your progress.” Sign up is simple and it starts you out immediately picking a track that interests you. As I explored the system I was actually completing course work. I looked up and realized that underneath my username I had earned 28 points and 3 achievements (I’m still not sure what that really means). The coursework was simple, fun to do, and I remembered most of it – seemingly everything you’d want in a course.

I was hooked. Screw the other courses I was planning on taking, Codeacademy had me locked down. Well played.

Can we find a way to use gamification in Student Affairs?  What will our role be in MOOCs and online education in the future?

Written by Steven Harowitz

Steven Harowitz is a Coordinator for Student Involvement and Leadership at Washington University in St. Louis where he advises the student programming board and student media groups in addition to overseeing brand development and strategy for the office. Steven loves public speaking and laughing at his own jokes hours after telling them. On the weekends Steven can be found aimlessly wandering through Wal-Mart and playing intense games of pickup basketball against himself.

  • Ronnie

    I have taken quite a few classes online. I really like that I can work at my own pace. I actually attended graduate online school to get my teaching credential. It would have been much more difficult to attend a regular school and deal with child care for my own children. I loved that I could work while they were sleeping, in the early morning or late evening. I now prefer to do almost all of my learning online, but I know many people prefer face to face classes.
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  • http://www.onlinedegreetalk.org/college-brochure-mail/ College Brochures

    Good article, thanks for pointing this out. Fortunately this topic is also presented in your blog, assuring a good coverage. Keep up the good work.

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