Universities have started giving for free their content free as “massive open online courses”, with the satisfyingly ridiculous acronym mooc (I challenge you to assert it thrice with a straight face).
Eleven top UK universities recently announced they were joining the Open University to launch FutureLearn, in a bid to meet up with the elite US institutions which have led the manner in teaching huge numbers online.
It all sounds great for those that, for one reason or another, can’t visit a standard university. But do moocs have anything to supply students already studying at a bricks-and-mortar institution People like me, who hate the niggling feeling that they would be missing out on a bargain
Well, I’ve signed up for a mooc in microeconomics. I did it because I’m excited about whether to do a masters, and what to check. I’m testing my resolve: if I enjoy it enough to check in my very own time, maybe I’m ready for masters. Better to determine before I surrender the cash.
Why else would a school student consider a mooc It’s worthwhile to use it to lift CV – it shows you’re motivated, you’ve a number of interests and you are not scuffling with your workload. Although before you subscribe to 10 (I mean, they’re free, right) have a read of Leonie Veerman’s blog on why you should not live to your CV.
And before you should use an internet course that can assist you get a task, employers must learn what they’re and respect them. University is not only about what you learn but proving you realize it. The sole proof you probably did your mooc is which you clicked on “I promise to not cheat” at the honour code. Here is changing though: some of the biggest mooc organisers, Coursera, is trialling facial recognition software to watch students, and charging a small fee for verification.
Moocs are extra tuition from an extra perspective. Dreading that compulsory class you recognize you’ll suck at, the only with the 50% fail rate Mooc to the rescue. Free preparation: better than failing and suffering the results in your grade point average and student loan.
Do moocs pose a threat to old-fashioned universities Should we fear that, before we’ve even paid them off, traditional university degrees will go the way in which of floppy disks
Probably not. As Patrick McGee writes, they’re a good distance from able to replace traditional degrees. A mooc v trad uni mega-battle to the death is unlikely – instead online courses offer an alternative choice on higher education’s menu of delights.
Moocs still have teething problems. A Coursera course – oh so ironically about planning online courses – crashed recently, unable to deal with the thousands of scholars attempting to join online discussions. Moocs are limited to subjects which might be assessed with multiple choice exams, marked automatically. Written any essays for your degree Your professor’s critique of them cannot be replicated by a mooc – yet.
As for me, despite not creating a single friend in a cohort of 37,000, I revelled within the chance to be informed what i used to be eager about, by myself terms. Moocs are a brand new tackle education – and we traditional university students needn’t miss out.
