By LAURA PAPPANO, New York Times
Ray Schroeder, director of the Center for Online Learning, Research and Service at the University of Illinois, Springfield, says three things matter most in online learning: quality of material covered, engagement of the teacher and interaction among students. The first doesn’t seem to be an issue – most professors come from elite campuses, and so far most MOOCs are in technical subjects like computer science and math, with straightforward content. But providing instructor connection and feedback, including student interactions, is trickier. “What’s frustrating in a MOOC is the instructor is not as available because there are tens of thousands of others in the class,” Prof. Schroeder says. How do you make the massive feel intimate? That’s what everyone is trying to figure out. Many places offer MOOCs, and more will. But Coursera, Udacity and edX are defining the form as they develop their brands.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/article?a=991422
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