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You can ask question of the instructor in a MOOC setting and it's actually much more efficient. If several students have the same question, which is likely, th
by DataWorker 14y ago
You can ask question of the instructor in a MOOC setting and it's actually much more efficient.
If several students have the same question, which is likely, then rather than having multiple individuals show up separately at office hours, a single post in a forum will answer that question for everyone, even those who didn't think to ask. This is a huge benefit to struggling students.
In general, MOOCs level the playing field in terms of socio-economic barriers to higher education. I believe this is the primary reason for their criticism. They erode the function of higher education in separating the haves from have-nots.
- antiterra 14y agoA post in a forum is nowhere near the same thing as an actual interaction. Maybe something like webchat office hours would come close, but there are going to be people who are much more receptive to in-person learning.
- DataWorker 14y agoGiven the extensive body of literature in education research perhaps you can provide a citation?
- jacalata 14y agoIn the last MOOC I took, I didn't see answers on the forums. I saw the same questions asked over and over, people asking for sample solutions to the assignments once the due date was passed, people asking for answers to the quizzes once the due date was passed, and nothing. If MOOC's are going to be so great then the people running them need to put in a little effort. (Am I the only one who sees 'MOOC' and pronounces it /moose/ in my head?)