MOOCs, Hype, and the Precarious State of Higher Ed: Futurist Bryan Alexander

Does it continue to make sense to go to college when the sticker price of a college education is soaring, the amount of debt college students are taking on – even for the non-elite universities and what were formerly affordable public universities – is severely constraining their choices post-graduation, and job prospects for new graduates are dismal?
 
Howard Rheingold's recent video interview and blog post at: http://dmlcentral.net/blog/howard-rheingold/moocs-hype-and-precarious-state-higher-ed-futurist-bryan-alexander

Andy Kessler: Professors Are About to Get an Online Education

In The Wall Street Journal, Andy Kessler says Georgia Tech's new Internet master's degree in computer science is the future of education.
"Education is going to change, the question is how and when. Think about it: Today's job market—whether you're designing new drugs, fracking for oil, writing mobile apps or marketing Pop Chips—requires graduates who can think strategically in real time, have strong cognitive skills, see patterns, work in groups and know their way around highly visual virtual environments. This is the same generation that grew up playing online games like Call of Duty and World of Warcraft, but who are almost never asked to use their online skills in any classroom."

Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324659404578504761168566272.html

Forget the learners, how do I measure a MOOC quality experience for ME! By Dave Cormier

Dave Cormier is an educational activist, researcher, online community advocate and the Manager of Web Communications and Innovations at the University of Prince Edward Island. He has published on o...

See it on Scoop.it, via Studying Teaching and Learning

MOOCs do not represent the best of online learning

Thus far little attention has been paid to the quality of MOOCs. Quality in online learning can be defined in many ways: quality of content, quality of design, quality of instructional delivery, and, ultimately, quality of outcomes. On the face of it, the organizing principles of MOOCs are at odds with widely observed best practices in online education, including those advocated by my organization, the Quality Matters Program. Many of the first MOOCs are providing quality of content, but are far behind the curve in providing quality of design, accountable instructional delivery, or sufficient resources to help the vast majority of students achieve a course’s intended learning outcomes.

Read more: http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/04/25/moocs-do-not-represent-best-online-learning-essay#ixzz2RvFIy3ZL ;
Inside Higher Ed

Are Massive Open Online Courses Massive Opportunity or Massive Hype?

Do MOOCs offer massive opportunity to move past the limited physical constrains of the developing world's universities?
Or are MOOCs just the latest fad in moving from the tried and true in-person relationship between professor and student? Do they replace in-depth analysis and learning with superficial glances at complex topics? Will MOOCs dilute the university degree even more, reducing higher education to just another certificate of perseverance instead of an indicator of intelligence?

Read more: http://www.ictworks.org/news/2013/04/19/are-massive-open-online-courses-massive-opportunity-or-massive-hype/

5 MOOCs Teachers Should Take As Students

MOOCs may or may not save higher education, and if they save it they may further widen the gap between elite and lesser-known schools. They may also reinforce existing achievement gaps for students. As massive open online courses continue to evolve, however, educators need to know what they are and how they are changing the education landscape.
In fact, teachers and professors could be well served by trying out MOOCs for themselves. After all, the classes are free and full of information. Providers such as Coursera, edX and Udacity offer catalogs of subject- and skills-organized options for new MOOC-takers. For anyone working in education, though, the best first stop might be “Education” category at Coursera.

Read more at: http://edudemic.com/2013/03/5-moocs-educators-should-take-as-students/

MOOCs and online learning: Research roundup

2013 selection of recent research on massive open online courses (MOOCs).

At the January 2013 World Economic Forum in Switzerland, global leaders were dazzled when a 12-year-old Pakistani girl, Khadija Niazi, testified that she had been able to receive free, college-level instruction through MOOCs — massive open online courses. Initially offered through independent providers such as Udacity and Coursera, they’re now being produced and shared by long-established universities as well. MOOCs differ from earlier online learning programs in their open, social nature: They’re available to anyone and students are encouraged to discuss content together.

Read more at:  http://studentforce.sharedby.co/share/SF1loP

Rush to log on to online courses

Edinburgh University reports a 50% rise in people signing up to their new online courses within two months.

For each of the 30,000 students on campus, another 10 are virtual students taking part in the free Massive Open Online Courses called MOOCs.
No entry requirements are necessary for the part-time taster courses covering subjects such as philosophy, equine nutrition and astrobiology.
The courses are offered as part of the wider Coursera consortium, set up by US academics to provide web-based undergraduate-level courses to anyone who wants to do them.

See on bbc.co.uk

Mobile Learning MOOC: Online Course

See on Scoop.it - Studying Teaching and Learning

“Make your own podcasts, powerful presentation graphics, and screencasts. Make the best use of your Learning Management System. Engage students and peers with collaborative applications on the cloud. Write documents of e-Publication. You’ll learn all this and more.”

See on wiziq.com

via Tumblr Mobile Learning MOOC: Online Course