I’m fairly skeptical about the value, future, and hype related to MOOC’s, massive open online courses. My feelings are that they could be useful for the most highly-motivated learners, but, even with that constituency, I have concerns.
Here are some articles and posts I’ve found helpful on the topic, and I hope you can suggest others:
The Year of the MOOC is from The New York Times and provides a decent introduction to the topic.
I’d say Larry Cuban’s blog has contained some of the most thoughtful reflections on MOOC’s. Here are links to a few of those posts:
MOOCs and the Mechanization of Education: Widening the Gap Between the Haves and Have-Nots
MOOCs and Pedagogy: Teacher-Centered, Student-Centered, and Hybrids (Part 1)
“Irrational Exuberance”: The Case of the MOOCs
Study: Online Courses May Be The Worst For Minorities And At-Risk Students is from TechCrunch.
I’ll finish-up with some wisdom from Jon Becker:
MT @jonbecker:if you’re anti-MOOC, but still teach large classes with lectures+tests+textbooks, I’m having trouble reconciling that.
— Larry Ferlazzo (@Larryferlazzo) February 22, 2013
The Plusses and Pitfalls of Teaching Online is by Dan Ariely.
MOOCs of Hazard Will online education dampen the college experience? Yes. Will it be worth it? Well… is from The New Republic.
Why online education is mostly a fantasy is from Pando Daily.
Laptop U: Has the future of college moved online? is from The New Yorker.
Higher Education in the Digital Age is by Richard Kahlenberg.
Whither MOOCs? is by Larry Cuban.
Much Ado About MOOCs is from The Boston Review.
The MOOC Racket is from Slate.
Unequal Classrooms: What Online Education Cannot Teach is from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
The MOOC ‘Revolution’ May Not Be as Disruptive as Some Had Imagined is from The Chronicle of Higher Education.
All Hail MOOCs! Just Don’t Ask if They Actually Work is from TIME.
MOOC bandwagon shows signs of slowing down is from The Hechinger Report.
Let Them Eat MOOCs is from The Harvard Business Review.
U.S. Teams Up With Operator of Online Courses to Plan a Global Network is from The New York Times.
For MOOCs to Work, We Need to Talk is by Keith Sawyer.
Are MOOCs Missing the Mark? is by Anthony Cody.
Quote Of The Day: “Godfather” Of MOOC’s Says They Don’t Work For Students From “Difficult Neighborhoods”
The King of MOOCs Abdicates the Throne is from Slate.
The Audacity: Thrun Learns A Lesson and Students Pay makes some good points.
After Setbacks, Online Courses Are Rethought is from The New York Times.
What Are Online Courses Good For? is from Alexander Russo.
Moving Forward without a Backward Glance: MOOCs and Technological Innovations is by Larry Cuban.
Via Tablet or Smartphone, Learning With MOOCs is from The New York Times.
5 Things Researchers Have Discovered About MOOCs is from The Chronicle Of Higher Education.
Will Free Online Courses Ever Replace a College Education? is from The Atlantic.
MOOC’s For English Language Learners & Teachers
Will MOOCs be Flukes? is from The New Yorker.
Demystifying the MOOC is from The New York Times.
New Research Shows Free Online Courses Didn’t Grow As Expected is from NPR.
Changing Distributions: How Online College Classes Alter Student and Professor Performance is from Stanford.
Another Study Finds That Learning By Doing Works….
Whatever Happened To MOOCs? is by Larry Cuban.
Remember the MOOCs? After Near-Death, They’re Booming is from The NY Times.
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Hey Larry,
Thanks for linking to my article. There are so many strong responses to MOOCs coming out nowadays. Here’s a few I’d recommend:
http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/429376/the-crisis-in-higher-education/
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/03/07/thomas-friedman-wrong-about-moocs-essay
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/01/inequality-in-american-education-will-not-be-solved-online/267189/#.UPf9nxQnWbs.twitter
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2011/10/06/neem_essay_on_limits_of_online_education_in_replicating_classroom_culture
Hi Larry,
I certainly appreciate you’re skepticism about MOOCs. We’re a little more enthusiastic about them at MOOC News and Reviews, but we’re always glad to hear different perspectives. To answer the appeal in your headline, we like to think readers can find pretty good commentary at our site, which focuses on helping students choose good MOOCs and get the most they can out of the experience. I hope you’ll consider adding us to your list of resources.
I also think you’d make a great contributor yourself. We’ve had several pieces advising students that they need to find their motivation in order to do well in a MOOC, but it would be great to give more specific counsel about how to do that, and it looks like you’d be a good person for it. Please be in touch if developing a piece like that for us interests you.
Yours,
Robert McGuire
Publisher and editor, MOOC News and Reviews.