New York Times has deemed 2012, “The year of the MOOC.” So what exactly is a MOOC? The acronym stands for Massive Open
Online Courses, and many universities and schools have become very interested
in it. They are online courses for
students to take to continue their education. So what is the difference between the MOOC and other online
courses? MOOC is free, but
credit-less classes and apparently it is huge and continues to grow in the
academic world. Students can take
courses that are designed like actual courses in a school, but they do not have
to pay. However, if they want the
credit for the course they take, they then must pay for it. The work is also shared amongst the
students/participants and the facilitator and everyone can keep the work in the
end. MOOC refers to the course as
“participatory,” this sense of engagement with everyone else in the
course. There aren’t any assignments;
the courses are more focused on engaging with one another and building up
network connections.
The courses are distributed, meaning that videos, social
networks, blogs, etc. are all connected and work together to create this shared
network of ideas.
Though MOOCs is becoming more and more popularized within
the academic spectrum, the controversy questioning the validity of internet
classroom connection compared to face-to-face lectures continues to ensue. Can online courses be just as effective
as face-to-face lectures? It’s
difficult to say considering that I have never taken an online class. However, I have known people to take
online courses and they felt that from them, they learned a great deal. There is a discipline needed to be maintained
in a classroom, however, taking an online course requires a particular
different kind of discipline.
Students must keep up with their course, and not succumb to procrastination
and laziness. It is a tough
discipline, one that requires a great want and desire to learn and be a part of
an online, academic group.
So, I wonder, is MOOC the next step in education? Is this the future of education? So many people do not have the time,
money, or drive to attend school, yet they have the thirst for knowledge and to
be a part of a larger community in which they can share that knowledge. MOOC offers that experience and allows
for people to be a part of a growing network of shared information.
As a professional student who is only used to face-to-face interaction
and the occasional blogging for specific classes, I find this source of
education fascinating and will most likely investigate it more, watching as it
continues to flourish.
I am interested to know how you all feel about this growing
phenomenon. Is it a valid source
in the educational field? Will
this replace other online courses?
Will it offer the same challenges that regular school courses offer?
Though face-to-face interactive classrooms will continue to
be an integral part of our education, MOOC seems to offer an alternative for
the accessibility of taking courses online. It will be interesting to watch as this continues to
progress…
Faithfully,
Cristina
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