In some ways I’m torn between the idea that MOOCs may be disruptive to higher education. From one view, I see how MOOCs can enhance learning, add rigor, and encourage educators to develop courses that allow students to be creators of knowledge and not just receivers. On the other hand, I see the potential for MOOCs to explode and be very challenging to higher education institutions. This view is strengthened by the fact that some institutions (University of Maryland University College, San Jose State University, George Washington University) are partnering with Coursera and Udacity to offer and accept MOOC courses for credit. George Washington University Provost, Dr. Steven Leman, looks at MOOCs as opportunities and not as threats. He further believes that MOOCs forces the university to re-evaluate what makes MOOCs different from online, face-to-face, or any other course at their campus.
At that same discussion, another speaker, Dr. Doug Guthrie, spoke about why he doesn’t currently support MOOCs as it relates to learning and the School of Business where he serves as the Dean. He argues that online education should be interactive, build community, and be customizable. And in some ways, this is why I don’t see MOOCs as being disruptive to higher education. Can we truly say that students build or feel a part of a community in a MOOC? Are there interactivity built into each course? Maybe a cMOOC? What about an xMOOC? How is learning customize for each student? These are all concerns that I ponder. However, I’m also left with the question; do online courses include these same components? If not, the argument arises, why not a MOOC? Just a thought provoking question.
As I think about MOOCs and contemplate if they are disruptive to higher education, my thinking shifts to how do students learn? Sean Morris and Jesse Stommel (2012) challenged our thinking about learning by stating learning is not in the hands of academics, administrators, institutions, or corporations. But they believe along with Rosemary Stewart that learning is in the hands of each individual. Rosemary believed that learning happens anywhere life happens. The chaos, unfamiliarity, and input of life caused learning to happen in her opinion. So if that is the case, is there a need for institutions, professors, etc.? In my opinion, I still believe there is. But I think true learning takes place when I can take the knowledge gained, create and apply it to real life situations. There, I find valuable application and full understanding (or confusion) of what I was taught.
I think MOOCs have the potential to be disruptive to higher education. And if it becomes a threat, universities may want to look for ways to embrace and incorporate MOOCs into their curriculum. I do believe that it will benefit higher education and universities with online courses to see what MOOCs are offering and how MOOCs techniques and strategies can benefit online learning.
Sources:
Department of Academic Technologies (2013). MOOCs: The future of higher education? George Washington Today.
Morris, S., & Stommel, J. (2012). A MOOC is not a thing: Emergence, disruption, and higher education. Hybrid Pedagogy.
Stewart, R. (2012). Where does learning happen? – for MOOC MOOC.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteIn their theoretical disruption, when you mention the possibility of institutions embracing and incorporating MOOCs, what do you think that will look like? Specifically, if they start credentialing on a larger scale, how much of a degree would you expect institutions to allow as MOOC credit at reduced rates? Even then, I am curious as to who the contingent of people utilizing that option would be.
Jim
Jim,
DeleteTo be honest, I don't know. I consider MOOCs to still be relatively new and the idea of thinking about credits and obtaining a degree still makes me wonder. I certainly believe that students should be required to experience the University community (meaning take courses oncampus), but I'm just not sure how much is sufficient. Since Georgia Institute of Technology has implemented there $6,600 MOOC degree program, it will be worth reviewing what worked and what didn't. This will give us (and institutions) a better idea of how to progress with or without MOOCs.
Hi Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI thought about the threat aspect after reading your posting. It does seem that as we see numbers decline to a new format, we are more open to that new platform. I see a parallel to online education and degrees related to those that are willing to explore to those not so willing or against the new platform. Earlier I had noted the push and pull related to the MOOCs debate and I believe this relates to perceived threat to real threat. I still seem to be unsure as to what the future holds.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteGreat point about the nature of MOOCs (“Can we truly say that students build or feel a part of a community in a MOOC? Are there interactivity built into each course? Maybe a cMOOC? What about an xMOOC? How is learning customize for each student?”). It seems nearly impossible to customize a MOOC that is being taken by thousands of people, just as it seems unlikely that those thousands build a real learning community with everyone else in the course. These pedagogical concerns may prevent MOOCs from becoming truly disruptive to higher ed as much as logistically issues.
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we could see MOOCs evolve into another area of distance education that is offered by virtually all Universities. Once this happens, it becomes a business, and the altruistic nature is gone.
HI Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI'm really interested in the idea of community too. I think it may depend on how we define community. A neighborhood may be a community for example, or a group of five people who go to lunch may be a community. So perhaps it's easier to build community in a class of 15, but does that mean that it can't be done in a massive course? Or maybe there can be one loose community with many more tightly knit communities within that. At any rate, thanks for the food for thought! I think it's one of the really interesting questions about moocs, their quality, and how they might or might not develop over time...
Tasha,
ReplyDeleteI think Jim and I are viewing MOOCs as a disruption in a similar perspective. If MOOCs become a disruption to higher education, how will universtities determine how many MOOCs courses can be justified for a degree program?