by Jamar Thrasher, Policy Mic
In an attempt to chart this phenomenon — known as massive open online courses — The Chronicle, attempted to reach every professor who has taught a MOOC (massive open online class). The online questionnaire was sent to 184 professors in late February, and 103 of them responded. The trend doesn’t look like it will stop anytime soon. Last year, Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced edX. “Online education is not an enemy of residential education,” said Susan Hockfield, president of MIT about edX. According to the article, “most professors who responded to The Chronicle’s survey said they believed that MOOCs would drive down the cost of college; 85 percent said the free courses would make traditional degrees at least marginally less expensive, and half of that group said it would lower the cost “significantly.” As far as awarding formal credit is concerned, most professors do not think their MOOCs are ready for prime time. Asked if students who succeed in their MOOCs deserve to get course credit from their home institutions, 72% said no.
Share on Facebook