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New Coursera MOOC, same as the old MOOC

Coursera announced last month the launch of Specializations [1], sequenced courses designed to help students achieve deeper levels of mastery as well as the credentials to demonstrate that mastery.

coursera-moocs [2]At about $200 per sequence, Specializations also provides an alternative revenue stream for Coursera and its partners, which may be why the announcement featured in news outlets like Inc.com [3] and Forbes [4].

I just signed up with Coursera a couple of weeks ago to take my first ever MOOC, a content strategy course offered through Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism.

If I opt in, and finish the six-week course, including a final assignment, I receive a Signature Track [5] credential for about $40.

Departing from the more aspirational mission of “education for everyone” that sparked the MOOC revolution, Coursera’s new venture seems to appeal most to working people looking for a way to hone their knowledge and skills to compete more successfully in today’s job market.

And that’s great. If Coursera et al can deliver what folks need to make even a small difference in their lives and do it for a reasonable cost, I’m all in.

I still see MOOCs falling short of their potential. And a lot of that has to do with that tired and un-trendy word: pedagogy.

There is simply nothing terribly compelling about the MOOC I’m currently enrolled in. And I suspect that my experience in this MOOC is not unique.

Here’s what happens:

There are certainly things that are right about this scenario.

What’s not working well:

Coursera’s new ventures answer some long-standing questions about the future of MOOCs.

But what if we asked different questions of education technology? What if we asked it to do more than automate learning? What if we asked it to promote engaged, sustained, and creative learning? That would be a course worth signing up for.

This blog post first appeared in Bonnie Burns Editorial [6].