Advocates for MOOCs believe they will make quality facts of lifeavailable to everyone on the globe.
Academia is hardly known for its rapid embrace of change.
But when it comes toacceptmassive open online courses, or MOOCs, some(prenominal)worry university leadershipmay need to slam on the brakes.
It's been less than leashyears since MOOCs entered the public discourse, but the online classes are already makequite a stir in thehigher(prenominal)education universe as elite universities suchas Princeton University, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor embrace the courses.
Champions of MOOCs believe they are the best higheducation development in decades, a way of providing free, high-quality classes to students anywherein the world. But skeptics worry the courses will have a devastating effect on the American university system.
MOOCs are incompatiblefrom traditional online courses in that they are usually free, open to anyone with an net incomeconnection and draw hundreds or thousands of students. MOOCs can be created by institutions and individuals and are most commonly offered by third parties such as Coursera, edX and Udacity.
Colleges and universities don't typically accept MOOCs for credit, unless they are associated with their own programs. However, expertsforestallthat will change in coming years as institutions feel pressure from their peers and students to accept the classes.
[Learn more(prenominal)about the basics of MOOCs.]
Advocates of MOOCs say they have a range of benefits, even if they don't work outouttoward a degree. The classes can be used as slackprofessional development tools or for help with remedial courses onwardcollege, experts say. They can also help students explore personal interests or transition into a new career.
Because MOOCs are often taught by professors from top universities such as Harvard and Stanford, they also give students the advanceof learnednessfrom the world's most distinguished educators.
"This movement has raised more awareness and enthusiasm for higher learning than I move backin recent history in this country," says Ray Schroeder, managerof the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois—Springfield.
"It has allowed packto speedilyand easily access learning in fields that differentlythey would have never pursued."
Since MOOCs made their initial splash in the late 2000s, proponents have lauded their potential to make higher education accessible to the developing world. Through use of a trendyphone, computer or other device with an Internet connection, people in remote villages can have access to higher education – for free.
About half of the students who enroll in MOOCs are from outback(a)of the United States, according to Schroeder. The largest number of enrollees comes from India, Russia and Brazil.
"I think there is a great desire for American education in these countries and they exceedinglyvalue taking a class from a Stanford University, a Princeton, a University of Penn, etc.," he says.
[Read about the possible benefits of MOOCs.]
Despite the hype, numerousdrumheadthe quality of the courses, arguing that the best way to educate students isthrough and throughface-to-face interaction. MOOCs mayoffer discussion groups, but that is aughtlike having a back-and-forth conversation in real time, they say.
And although online learning might be a good fit for some students – particularly older students and working adults – some say MOOCs may not be ideal for young undergraduates and people at risk of dropping out of school. MOOCs often enroll many students at the get go, but only a subtilepercentage of students actually finish the classes, experts say.
"For motivated learners, certainly MOOCs work very well," Schroeder says. But "for those learners who need close attention and hold backit can be much more difficult for them to march onthrough those courses."
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Materials taken from US News
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