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Looking at free MOOCs only is indeed cherry-picking data. Instead, one interesting example is remedial math at San Jose State University: a class students paid
by kaitai 12y ago
Looking at free MOOCs only is indeed cherry-picking data. Instead, one interesting example is remedial math at San Jose State University: a class students paid for and needed for college, implemented by Udacity. It went so poorly that the experiment was stopped [1]. The pass rates and test scores were so low that the university couldn't, in conscience, continue.
There were some implementation problems, which have been addressed in a summer 2014 implementation [2]. It's worth noting that SJSU let 40% of students drop the summer course, which really increased the pass rate!
[1] http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23688069/mooc-mashup-san-jose-state-university-udacity-experiment http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_23688069/mooc-mashup-san-jose-...
[2] http://www.informationweek.com/software/mooc-math-students-beat-on-campus-pass-rate/d/d-id/1111335 http://www.informationweek.com/software/mooc-math-students-b...?
- ceejayoz 12y agoThey tried a MOOC for remedial classes? That's really baffling to me.
- kaitai 12y agoYes :( Unfortunately, a lot of politicians and administrators figure MOOCs are best targeted at the classes that have vast herds of students coming through, like remedial math and writing, rather than those little upper-level classes for advanced students (that profs love to teach!). But you can see the problem: the major predictor for success in a MOOC is study skills + maturity. The major predictor for being in a remedial math class? The lack of effective study skills. If these kids had great math self-teaching ability, they would have taught themselves out of remedial math a while ago (like half the kids in calculus).