The Minds Behind MOOCs
http://www.developmentoutlook.org/2013/06/the-minds-behind-moocs.html
Today we present to you a guest post and infographic on MOOCs (Massive
Open Online Courses) by Allison Moris. Allison Moris is currently pursuing her
communications degree at University of Illinios at Urbana-Champaign.
The MOOC market is slowly beginning to emerge among Indian students. Over 3 lakh students are currently enrolled in MOOCs. The need for quality education in India is even more pressing; with current government expenditure on education totaling to only 3.8% of its GDP. However with only 3.7% of population having access to internet, the scope for MOOCs at a large scale is still a distant dream. Read further to get a global perspective on MOOCs.
The MOOC market is slowly beginning to emerge among Indian students. Over 3 lakh students are currently enrolled in MOOCs. The need for quality education in India is even more pressing; with current government expenditure on education totaling to only 3.8% of its GDP. However with only 3.7% of population having access to internet, the scope for MOOCs at a large scale is still a distant dream. Read further to get a global perspective on MOOCs.
June 4th, 2013 by Allison Moris
Academia is buzzing about MOOCs. What sounds like genteel name-calling is actually a powerful new medium with potential to transform the education system. Indeed, MOOCs and mooks are simply unfortunate homophones but the former is certainly ruffling feathers because their aim is to make higher education more affordable (free, in fact). These Massive Open Online Courses picked up speed and weight like a freight train, with more than five million learners in locations spanning the whole globe. Academic heavyweights like Harvard, Stanford and MIT back the courses, giving the world of online learning a much-needed boost of credibility.
Academia is buzzing about MOOCs. What sounds like genteel name-calling is actually a powerful new medium with potential to transform the education system. Indeed, MOOCs and mooks are simply unfortunate homophones but the former is certainly ruffling feathers because their aim is to make higher education more affordable (free, in fact). These Massive Open Online Courses picked up speed and weight like a freight train, with more than five million learners in locations spanning the whole globe. Academic heavyweights like Harvard, Stanford and MIT back the courses, giving the world of online learning a much-needed boost of credibility.
In fact, two main players in online platforms, Coursera and
Udacity, were founded by Stanford professors. As tuition rates continue to
skyrocket, outpacing inflation like a Greyhound racing a Chihuahua, professors
have banded together in hopes of making a world where anyone can access the
elusive realm of an Ivy League education. The hurdles remain: Passing rates
hover in the single-digits and completing a course has yet to be recognized for
college credit. However, the appeal of MOOCs for both professors and students
is so powerful it just might change higher education for good.
