MOOCs are mostly free open online courses at various
institutions, including Ivy League schools. As categorized by Stephanie Bonjack (2013), MOOCs are an Ivy League education for the masses. These courses can have a variety of
components such as lectures, quizzes, and are designed to withstand high
enrollment (Bonjack 2013). While some courses may have hundreds and maybe even thousands of
students enrolled, not all students will complete the MOOC. Even if this occurs, the student is not
penalized and does not receive a failing grade as he/she would normally receive
at a higher education institution. In my opinion, MOOCs provide an avenue to
learning and can make an individual more marketable in the job search.
I’m not sure the impact MOOCs will have on higher education
institutions and online degree programs or courses. Look at how Georgia Institute of Technology
has collaborated with Udacity and AT&T to create a MOOC-based Master’s Degree
program costing around $6,600. This will
definitely be an option potential students consider and/or choose as they pursue
advanced degrees. As I think about this,
I have concerns about the quality of content, ability to transfer
courses/credit hours to other degree programs or institutions if one wishes to
pursue a second Master’s or an advanced degree, and how creditable and valuable
will the program/degree be view by potential employers. These are all issues
that make me ponder. Nonetheless, it will be interesting to see how things play
out.
So, one of the requirements for this course is to
participate in a MOOC. I wasn’t sure
what topic I wanted to take. So as I was perusing the course offerings from the
well-known MOOC leaders, I by happenstance found a MOOC titled Learn HTML5 Programming From Scratch.
After watching the introduction video to the course, I decided to sign up for
this one. HTML5 is a hot topic in web
design and while I have some knowledge about it, I’ve always wanted to increase
it. I look forward to participating in this MOOC course and examining how MOOC courses operate.
Sources:
Bonjack, S. (2013). Library love: MOOCs - an Ivy League education for the masses.
Sources:
Bonjack, S. (2013). Library love: MOOCs - an Ivy League education for the masses.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point about the perceived credibility of a MOOC course to employers. As we discussed in our first class meeting, there still seems to be a stigma surrounding online course work in general. This is a bit off topic, but recently I heard a host on College Football Live criticizing Johnny Manziel for not being a “real student” due to the fact that he only took online courses in the spring of 2013! It would be logical that this negative perception would be even greater for MOOCs due to the limited knowledge many people have of these courses. However, it is a very interesting concept being tried by the Georgia Institute of Technology. It’s hard to beat a master’s degree for only $6,000. Good luck with your MOOC!
Ann-Marie
Hi Tasha,
ReplyDeleteThe concern over quality is always there for me even in F2F classes. I guess the greater concern is who is grading and assessing the student learning outcomes. And, I too believe there is still an idea in general that online education is not as rich as the F2F. I perceive the OL to be much more interactive and one-on-one.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI think you mention several of the most pressing concerns requarding MOOCS. They are a thought provoking phenomenon, but now we must decide how we can offer students credit for participation. I think that if MOOCS are to become more widel accepted this is necessary. However, at that juncture is when MOOCS are less likely to be offered for free. I am interested to see how it all plays out.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteYou addressed several issues. First, you mentioned that not all students will complete the MOOCs with no penalty. Can students re-enroll in a MOOCs that was not completed? You also mentioned the cost associated with the Master's Degree program. Do you know what the cost is related to?
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI think the viewpoint you mentioned about the value of the credit or degree get from MOOC is really an important problem or a big challenge for MOOC. It is also a big difference between traditional course and MOOC. I also mentioned it in my blog.It is really worth of discussion.