By B. Spencer-Robertson, NDG Special Contributor
Perhaps you have heard of the latest phenomenon in online education called a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course). Massive increases in the cost of tuition have created an unintentional byproduct called the MOOC. Not quite the intended result, but the creature is here and must be reckoned with.
Years ago, online teaching expanded the opportunities for continued education on a grand scale. Institutions of higher learning increased enrollment numbers by accommodating paying students worldwide. Non-traditional students could take a class at 3:00 am if need be. It was a win-win. More students, and more money for the institution, and no limitations of the face-to-face classroom for the students are factors, which appeal to the schools. How do you make a great thing better? Make it free! What could possibly go wrong?
Who is for it? (Pros)
MOOCs are for anyone who is interested in life-long learning, continued education, taking courses from highly esteemed academic institutions, (Harvard, Stanford, and MIT to name a few) often in a self-paced environment, completely online, and for FREE! “Early this year, several well-known professors broke away from Stanford University to create two for-profit MOOC providers.” (Chronicle of Higher Education http://chronicle.com/article/Massive-Excitement-About/134678/)
Who has concerns? (Cons)
MOOCs are primarily offered without academic credit. Students take the course, put out the same effort but do not receive any type of transferable credit. There is also an undercurrent of rumblings about how MOOCs impact faculty status. If students do not pay for higher education, where will faculty salaries come from? Scholarly publishers could possibly lose a significant client base of a built in market. Employers who seek graduates with degrees from accredited institutions have not embraced the MOOC graduate as yet; therefore, students are still deciding if it is a valuable use of their time.
Who has MOOCs?
MOOCs: Top 10 Sites for Free Education With Elite Universities – This site is hosted by the Black Data Processing Associates Detroit Chapter includes a Top 10 list, and a video that captures the essence of what a MOOC is
Mooc’s Predecessor- Open Educational Resources (OER)
http://www.oercommons.org/courses/material_types/full-course
OER could be the original seed planted that eventually morphed into the MOOC. OER began around 2008 and provides over 3,000 “no strings attached” courses in all disciplines.
Interesting MOOCs
Learning Chinese: A Foundation Course in Mandarin – Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Management Communication for Undergraduates MIT
Intensive Introduction to Computer Science – Harvard
http://www.extension.harvard.edu/open-learning-initiative/intensive-introduction-computer-science
Black Matters: Introduction to Black Studies
MIT History Courses http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/history/index.htm
Open Access is a hot topic in the academic community. Discussions continue in the following publications:
eCampus News “Why MOOCs won’t revolutionize higher ed” http://www.ecampusnews.com/around-the-web/why-moocs-wont-revolutionize-higher-ed/
Inside Higher Ed “State Systems Go MOOC” http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/30/state-systems-and-universities-nine-states-start-experimenting-coursera
B. Spencer-Robertson is a Librarian at the University of North Texas at Dallas.
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