Faculty ’empowered’ in university’s MOOC rollout

GW faculty have been given control over the university’s approach–learn how

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Faculty members at a host of universities have blocked massive open online course (MOOC) initiatives, criticized the corporate interests driving MOOC adoption, and raised labor union concerns about the long-term consequences on MOOC proliferation.

Meanwhile, at George Washington University, all is calm.…Read More

4 vital tips for using MOOCs for majors

Involvement in massive open online courses (MOOCs) might be the very thing that allows one’s application to stand out from the crowd

moocs-learning-majorIt’s not easy to select a college major, especially when the choices include subjects outside the core curriculum of primary and secondary schooling.

Programming, web design, or entrepreneurship, for example, might sound appealing to students who’ve built a homebrew app or read Steve Jobs’ biography.

But how can students tell the difference between dipping into a subject in their free time and studying it at the college level without the academic equivalent of a preview button?…Read More

Learning from MOOC mistakes, one click at a time

Online education is getting a thorough review–one click at a time for 6.9 million clicks.

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There are reams of data telling educators how students learn best online, what to avoid in designing a web-based course, and what needs to be done before students are consistently engaged. Perhaps none of that data is more detailed than the information analyzed in edX’s release of how 100,000 online students viewed course videos in its massive open online courses (MOOCs).

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) examined the viewing habits of those edX students in what amounted to a second-by-second look at when the online content was most engaging, as first mentioned in MIT News.…Read More

The MOOC metrics we should be tracking

Understanding student demographic factors might help us teach a new generation of learners how to succeed in MOOCs

mooc-experimentAn important technique for understanding what might really be happening in the world is to avoid being bowled over by stunning numbers.

For instance, when Massive Open Online Courses (or MOOCs – free classes offered by some of the world’s best-known colleges and universities) first made news, stories celebrating them as the solution to the planet’s educational ills focused on huge enrollments in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.

But soon critics of this new learning method started taking aim at a different remarkable figure: drop-out rates that typically topped 90 percent.…Read More

An educator’s favorite MOOCs

Kelly Maher, a math and technology teacher, shares her experience with massive open online courses (MOOCs)

moocs-online-learningMOOCs are open access online courses that allow limitless participation. Anyone who has an internet connection and a will to learn is welcome.

The courses offered through MOOCS are numerous and diverse. Some are self-paced, while others have a start and end date.

Many offer choices in cost and involvement. For example, many courses offer a free to audit option, as well as a free or paid for certificate, and sometimes college credit assuming satisfactory work on all required assignments.…Read More

New edX MOOC portal to empower women

edX and Saudi Arabia collaborate on a new MOOC portal to empower women and the disadvantaged

online-learning-saudi-arabiaedX, a nonprofit online platform affiliated with Harvard and MIT, provides open source software for anyone in the world with an internet connection. The courses are free and many countries have adopted edX including China and France.

In November 2013, edX and the Queen Rania Foundation launched Edraak, the first massive open online course (MOOC) portal in Jordan to “open up a world of possibility for intellectually hungry Arab youth,” according to the Queen.

With a booming youth population and rising unemployment, edX is capitalizing on a growing interest in information and online media among Arabic speakers by launching a new initiative with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Labor. This new Arabic online learning platform aims to empower women and the disadvantaged with critical 21st century skills.…Read More

5 great platforms for online learning

If you have ever considered distance learning, these educational platforms may have just what you’re looking for

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There is no denying that online learning has become popular in recent years. Advocates of this alternative educational experience argue that its rise in popularity is closely linked to soaring higher ed tuition costs.

Moreover, in the case of the massive open online course (MOOC), the advantages of a free, quality education which participants can receive in the comfort of their home – provided that they have an internet connection – are very appealing.…Read More

Op-ed: Why we should ease up on MOOCs

MOOCs are not the be-all, but they might just be the beginning

innovation-MOOC-disruptiveIt’s rare that I come across opinions on online learning that aren’t either the same thoughts rehashed or opposite ends of the pendulum. And during a recent interview with a “disruption” expert, I think most people are getting MOOCs all wrong.

On the one hand, you have those who say MOOCs are single-handedly changing the entire meaning of education, bringing with its free online content delivery the same education without any of the debilitating costs of a traditional four-year degree.

On the other hand, you have those who say MOOCs are a flash in the pan that can never equal the quality of face-to-face education, and though they’re “nifty” to attend, they’re not granting degrees or helping attendees land careers.…Read More

Are MOOCs really dead?

Recent studies suggest that MOOCs are very much alive, but are not a threat to traditional higher education

MOOC-educationFor some educators and journalists, the rasping final breaths of massive open online courses (MOOCs) began late last year.

They followed nearly two years of hype and excitement that even the most skeptical of instructors and reporters got swept up in. Many of those who denounced the courses did so in a similarly frantic fashion, writing proclamations and open letters condemning MOOCs, as though they were caught in a great academic war.

Then, suddenly, a blow was struck. And it came from one of MOOCs’ most famous creators.…Read More

How to liberate higher education

U.S.-based institutions must meet the increasing demand as online coursework continues to proliferate, and more international students seek a university education

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Declining enrollments. Increasing competition for students. Sunsetting education models. The doom-and-gloom headlines on higher education pervade mainstream media.

However, an undercurrent of optimism exists as many institutions of higher education evolve to meet these 21st century challenges. As advisors in the space, we’re quite optimistic, as we see university presidents, provosts and trustees employing bold strategies to ensure the viability (and success) of their institutions.…Read More

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