Massive Open Online Courses - 1349 Words

MOOC is an acronym for â€Å"massive open online course†; these MOOCs have had a far-reaching influence on the way education is perceived today. For the moment, MOOCs are almost always free, as students pay no fees to register or take the course. Enrollment is high, ranging anywhere from thousands to hundreds of thousands. While enrollment, and perceived interests may be high, course completion rates are extremely low; frequently, no more than five or ten percent of students who register go on to finish the course. 1 The mission of MOOCs is to increase access to higher education globally, reduce costs and reinvigorate teaching and learning. 2 MOOCs have spread like a wildfire; the number of students taking at least one online class is now†¦show more content†¦5 The missionaries did not see education as an end, but as an aid to the spreading of the gospel. Every schoolchild was expected to become a convert to Christianity, but many parents were opposed. 5 The missionar ies’ prerogative in setting up the Western educational system was purely religious; it will be seen that ulterior motives play a major theme in the education of the child. In the Philippines, as a result of western colonization, indigenous peoples have developed an ideal type of human development in which Western education is core and is identifiable with progress or civilization. 16 They thus perceive indigenous knowledge as obsolete or inferior. Formal education, as promoted by the state, has contributed to the marginalization of indigenous knowledge. 16 Currently in Africa, educational programs typically adopt traditional Western models of education, with an emphasis on math, science, language, and social studies. 11 These programs allocate scarce resources to topics like Greek mythology, prime numbers, or tectonic plate movement—topics that may provide intellectual stimulation, but have little relevance in the lives of impoverished children. 11 While many scholars hold that indigenous education and knowledge has a transformative power that can be used to foster empowerment and justice7, westerners assume that their type of system is best, in every corner of the world. Online higher education is a western education withoutShow MoreRelatedMassive Open Online Courses1029 Words   |  5 Pages Introduction Massive open online courses (MOOCs) is a platform or model where learning or any other content is made available online to any one who is interested to learn or acquire information without having to be physically present in a learning set up.A good number of people have written articles and some have given talks on MOOCs;Among the Contributors include Aaron Barlow, Sià ¢n Bayne, Nick Carbone, Kaitlin Clinnin, Denise K. Comer, Glenna L. Decker, Susan Delagrange, Scott Lloyd DeWittRead MoreMassive Open Online Courses2277 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction to MOOCs Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, have recently come into the public eye as a topic of interest. Whether as an alternative to traditional education, a way to enhance skills in the work-place, or as a way to make education freely available to everyone, many teachers, institutions and students are currently participating in MOOCs. However, as with any new technology, MOOCs are not yet fully understood, in terms of their impact, quality, and effectiveness. In this vein, theRead MoreMassive Open Online Courses1020 Words   |  4 PagesMassive open online courses (MOOC) were introduced in 2008 by Dave Cormier. The original aim of MOOCs was to open up education and offer free access to University education for as many students as possible. They are generating a considerable attention and high interest from higher education institutions. They are viewed as an extension to current online approaches in terms of access (Hoxby, C 2014). The focus of MOOCs is to provide free, cutting edge education that reduces the cost of UniversityRead MoreMassive Open Online Courses957 Words   |  4 PagesMassive Open Online Courses, shorthanded as MOOCs, are courses that offer the opportunity for students and learners everywhere the chance to take part in an online classroom that often are composed of video lectures, and online assessments. There are no restrictions on who can join the courses providing an incredible accessibility to learning for people all over the world. However, as is common with many central issues, there are a large range of opinions for and against MOOCs. Audrey Watters, aRead MoreMassive Open Online Courses (MOOC)512 Words   |  2 Pagesstudents, taking part in a class at such an elite institution. I choose this course to prepare myself for a course I’ll take when enrolled in Rutgers next semester. This course was one of UCLA distant learning courses (MOOC) offered to adults no prerequisites or experience required. Massive Open Online Course s, MOOC for short are online courses offered by some colleges and Universities mostly tuition free. All MOOC courses are via the internet, but some have a chat room component giving studentsRead MoreWhat Is The Massive Open Online Course?1576 Words   |  7 Pagesdevelopments in the education space within the last several years, with regard to leveraging online spaces, is the advent of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). GXM proposes to conduct a pilot MOOC focused on Technology Transfer with one of the Nation’s leading MOOC providers, HarvardX. Harvard will partner with Hyperion Technologies to draw technology from Federal Labs and share it with thousands of online participants in the MOOC to determine alternative avenues for collaboration and transitioningRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Current Trends in Technology Based Learning1210 Words   |  5 Pages app learning, open content, massive open online courses (MOOCs), virtual education, video conferencing, Web 2.0, district based e-learning, personal learning environments, blended learning, proctored exams, bundled platforms, cloud computing, object-oriented content, interactive whiteboards, documents cameras, wireless labs, and bring your own device. The first article Massive Open Online Courses: Should Educators Worry? by Gita Bajaj concentrates on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and theirRead MoreFriedman Vs Head On The Effectiveness1193 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿ Friedman vs. Head on the Effectiveness of Online Writing *** ----- ----- The Effectiveness of Online Writing Courses (MOOCs) Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are one of the revolutionary trends in education across the world. Many controversies surround it with some education stakeholders viewing it as very costly but of little value. In addition, other critics consider it a cheaper model of teaching especially in higher education (Vimeo, 2014). Cheaper in the sense manyRead MoreMOOCS and the Future of Education Essay502 Words   |  3 Pagesin everyone’s hands, and even wireless internet in business we go to everyday. It doesn’t seem too farfetched now, just like online courses for college students who wish to attend without leaving the comfort of their own home for the price of internet and perhaps a book. As crazy as it sounds, it is completely true and it is becoming a huge hit. Massive Open Online Courses, MOOCS, are a popular up and coming platform in the education community. Various think tanks and academic institutions call MOOCSRead Morefggfg1486 Words   |  6 PagesEDITORIAL Learning about learning and teaching online The Babson Survey Research Group, in partnership with the United States College Board, has just released their tenth annual report on the state of online learning in United States (US) higher education (Allen Seaman, 2013). The report titled, Changing Course: Ten Years of Tracking Online Education in the United States, is part of a series of reports on online learning known as the Sloan Online Survey (see http://www.onlinelearningsurvey