MOOC?

By Ricky Tsang on September 16, 2013

MOOC. No, it’s not the sound a consonant-loving cow emanates. An acronym, MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course.

MOOC Quick Facts

Massive – The median enrollment is 33,000 per course

Open – Most courses are offered free of charge (save for e-book or examination fees in some instances) to most countries globally

Online – Courses are delivered online and often involve video lectures, participation in discussion boards, and peer evaluation(s)

Course – Though often not as intensive as traditional university courses offered at a brick and mortar institution, MOOCs model distance education courses and involve a learning community

Photo by: nyuhuhuu from Flickr

MOOCs offer keen leaners an opportunity to explore topics and interests they might not otherwise have the opportunity to pursue. An engineering major with an interest in the classics may choose to tackle a course in Greek Mythology while an Arts student might undertake an introductory HTML course. Most students enrolled in MOOCs are degree holders and/or professionals, though a significant number of high school students participate to “sample” university-level topics. Overall, the successful completion rate is an anemic 7%-9%, as students focus on exploration over completion.

While correspondence studies and multimedia-mediated learning (think: Rosetta Stone) have enabled students to embrace learning beyond traditional boundaries, never before in history have educational materials been made so widely available to individuals from all walks of life. To some extent, this widespread availability is one of its greatest strengths though many – including university instructors and professors – argue it to be a major weakness. Uniquely crafted answers in response to student questions are a challenge, considering an average of 33,000 students enrolled in each course. Most courses make extensive use of multiple-choice assessments though others may also involve peer grading, participation in discussion forums, and in rare instances, proctored final exams.

At present, three major education technology companies exist on the market: EdX, Coursera, and Udacity. EdX was formed as a collaboration between MIT and Harvard, and currently offers courses from it’s founders, McGill, University of Toronto, UC Berkeley, Cornell, and more. At present, Coursera is the largest provider of MOOCs with over 70 university partners and the widest range of course offerings, ranging from the humanities, medicine, computer programming, business, and physics. Udacity is the smallest of the “Big 3,” offering less than 30 courses in a handful of subjects, though it’s flexible structure is of great appeal to some. All three providers offer certificates of completion to students who successfully complete the course with a minimum (passing) grade.

So what’s the point? What’s in it for me? Should I take a MOOC?

The value and sustainability of the MOOC has been a hot button topic among education professionals. Many claim this so-called “McDonaldization” of education detrimental to students, while others simply believe MOOCs to be overhyped and financially-unsustainable for higher education providers. It is estimated that instructors typically spend a minimum of 20-30 hours assembling course content prior to release, an additional 4-8 hours/week monitoring discussing boards and recording video lectures, and up to 4-6 hours/week from TAs for maintenance and responding to inquiries. With such substantial monetary and time investment from outstanding institutions and instructors, MOOCs offer a fantastic opportunity to expand horizons and satisfy an inquiring mind. And as with all courses, the adage of “you get out of it what you put into it” applies. Don’t expect to be provided all the answers without inquiry, discussion, and reading. Ultimately, it’s up for the individual to determine the value of MOOCs and whether or not to pursue a course. If a particular topic peaks your interest and you have access to a computer and reasonable internet connection speeds, there’s little reason why you shouldn’t take a plunge and try your hand at a MOOC considering most courses are offered free of charge and there is no obligation to complete a course in it’s entirety. After all, how often do you have the opportunity to engage simultaneously in discussion with individuals from Philadelphia, Madrid, Shanghai, and Coal Harbour?

by www.dontwasteyourtime.co.uk