When I found out I would be teaching the
first AP Computer Science course in my district, I was a little concerned. It had been two years since I had taken a
computer science course; technically
I did know how to program in Java, but I wasn’t confident I could pass the AP
test. I needed a way to re-master the
content so I could focus on planning my lessons. Luckily, I found the Introduction to Java
class on Udacity, a popular MOOC, or Massively Open Online Course. After completing the class, I was prepared to
teach my own Java course.
MOOCs
like the Java class I found on Udacity offer many benefits to users. By definition, these classes are free and
have no admission criteria (McGuire, 2014).
That means that any student with Internet access can participate and
learn. MOOCs also give students flexibility;
many open online courses allow students to complete the work at their own pace. Finally, MOOCs give students freedom to
select classes based on their own interests.
This freedom leads to students that are self-motivated and interested in
the class material, unlike traditional required courses that many college
students half-heartedly sit through.
The most important
element of MOOCs, I think, is that they give everyone with Internet equal
access to education. MOOCs have “no admissions requirements … so anyone with Internet access
can get started” (McGuire, 2014).
Students who dropped out of high school can take courses they regret
missing, while people interested in switching careers can take online classes
to learn new skills. Most universities
have “improved access and outreach goals” (Kassabian,
2014). The courses are almost a form of
advertisements for universities, showing people their level of excellence when
it comes to education. The benefits to
users, however, is that anyone can
take the class, regardless of high school GPA, SAT scores, location, age, or financial
situation. I think it’s fantastic that
so many people can take high level classes if they want to learn new skills and
information.
Of course there are setbacks to the open
online courses. The classes have no free
one-to-one option, so students that need interaction with a professor might not
do well in MOOCs. Skeptics have also
pointed to the low number of students who complete the courses as evidence of
their ineffectiveness. “The for-profit MOOC companies have down-played course
completion rates, which tend to be less than 20 percent” (Means, Bakia, and
Murphey, 2014, p. 64). The low
completion rates are probably due to students that sign up just to see what the
site has to offer.
While many MOOCs are
aimed at college level learning, there are many applications for MOOCs in the
high school setting. I have actually
recommended the Udacity programming class to students who were unable to take
AP Computer Science with me this year.
MOOCs can be used to supplement course work, or replace brick-and-mortar
classes when scheduling becomes a conflict.
MOOCs could also be a great tool in a work experience class or
club. Many of the courses offered online
are designed to prepare learners for future careers. A work experience club could be a place for
students to take MOOCs in their field of interest to see what might be right
for them. If they finish classes, they
could even get certificates, making them more marketable when they look for
jobs. These are just some of the many
uses for MOOCs in high school.
Sources:
Kassabian, D. W. (2014).
The value of MOOCs to early
adopter universities. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/value-moocs-early-adopter-universities.
Means, B., Bakia, M., & Murphy,
R. (2014). Learning
online: What research tells us about whether, when and how. New York: Routledge.
McGuire, R. (2014)
The best MOOC provider: A review
of Coursera, Udacity, and Edx.
Retrieved from http://www.skilledup.com/blog/the-best-mooc-provider-a-review-of-coursera-udacity-and-edx/.
In thinking about course completion rates, I feel it comes down to what is motivating the student. In your case the use of Udacity was a workplace generated need. I think I would love to take a computer programing course so I can design the next big thing is education software, but then again what will motivate me to do this? What would motivate students to take courses like these? I wonder if that is why we see these organizations moving toward legitimacy through providing certifications. Will people be motivated to participate? Will the courses be limited to retirees who have the time and interest. In my busy life I certainly can not see voluntarily enrolling in a MOOC unless I really needed to or unless it would provide additional financial security for me and my family. Typically, I am a strong advocate of lifelong learning, but right now the teaching and learning of my children takes precedence over my interests if only for the fact that I just do not have the personal time to pursue an interesting course.
ReplyDeleteVery true. Not many people have time to take an optional course seriously. Certain people have the self motivation to take and complete courses just because they find them interesting. Others might be motivated by money (as you stated) or work related needs. I think the certification is a great carrot to get more students taking the online courses.
ReplyDeleteI found you use of MOOCs in your own professional development to be awesome. I think that many of us could use MOOCs as a tool to "freshen up" on topics that we may not be 100% up to date on.
ReplyDeleteI think a big drawback to the completion rate in regard to MOOCs could be, what benefit is there to completing the class from start to finish. In my mind, I think that individuals would use MOOCs to obtain the knowledge they are looking for and personal satisfaction, but not actually seeking course completion as it has little to offer. Being able to say that you complete a MOOC could not exactly be a resume builder, a criteria for graduation, etc. I find the value in MOOCs that you mentioned such as equal access, interest area, flexibility to outweigh the actual "completion" aspect.
Hello Meghan,
ReplyDeleteThe prominence of technology tools such as MOOCs is proof that technology is increasingly becoming an important way of supporting collaborative learning (Palloff & Pratt, 1999). However, one of the many challenges of using MOOCs is creating a sense of community where students can engage in high quality interactions, not only with their peers but also with the content. Even though MOOCs, cMOOCs, and xMOOCs provide access to education, educators need to ensure that courses or training programs in MOOCs do not lose sight of desired objectives for the course or program. Palloff and Pratt (1999) suggest that creating a course online should not be any different from traditional, face-to-face classes. The authors recommend that course or program activities must be designed with the recipients in mind, that is, to find ways of linking the topics with life or professional experiences. Doing this will help participants continue to think about how this program is relevant to their personal or professional goals. In conclusion, the overarching idea is to always remember that technology is a supplemental resource that cannot replace the intended goals of the course and the needs of all that are involved - students, faculty, administrators, and designers (Palloff & Pratt, 1999).
Reference
Palloff, R. M., & Pratt, K. (1999). Building learning communities in cyberspace: Effective strategies for the online classroom. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Meghan,
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea for the use of MOOCs in a Work Experience course! At our school we have a "J-Term" where students take classes interesting to them during a three week period. As teachers we work to create classes that will be engaging for students but I don't think we are doing our best to make this time individualized. I think the next step for our school would be to let students design the courses so we know we are meeting their needs! I think you hit the nail on the head when you discussed the opportunity for MOOCs to be used at a high school level. I think these would be a great way for students to study in their passion areas and begin to build their resumes and portfolios! Now if we could only get them HS credit for taking the courses.... :)