Who actually gets access to MOOCs? And what are they getting access to?
[1]Claims about increasing access to higher education are at the heart of arguments for MOOCs, and rightly so; expanded access and greater equity in educational opportunity must be at the heart of any discussion about the future of higher education.
But access is a complex, even slippery, term. It means much more than the mere opportunity to enroll in a course just as access to the middle-class dream of home ownership meant much more than the opportunity to get a loan and move in for a while.
For access to be meaningful—and not just an empty advertising slogan—students must have a real chance, if they work hard, to succeed in getting a quality education.
How MOOCs measure up to their access claims can only be assessed by asking specific questions about the access they provide: Who is getting access to higher education through MOOCs? And to what?
It is in a close consideration of these questions that we find our best starting place for a more meaningful conversation about the value of MOOCs and the claims so often made about them.
[*Editor’s Note: This article is part of our new online forum called Symposium–where higher education professionals explore topics of urgency and controversy with their peers, often in a point-counterpoint format. In our first Symposium, our contributors address what might be called the “irrational exuberance” around online learning. We encourage you to visit the Symposium forum here: ecampusnews.eschoolmedia.com/symposium [2]. We are also eager to read your brief thoughts and opinions, so be sure to leave your comments with any/all responses.]
Read more and contribute your thoughts at: ecampusnews.eschoolmedia.com/symposium [2].