by Catherine Barnao, GW Hatchet
The University is poised to join its most prestigious peers and offer free online courses available to anyone in the world, but some top administrators are skeptical – which could cause the plans to hit a wall. Across GW’s colleges, there is uncertainty about the courses’ academic potential. Columbian College of Arts and Sciences Dean Peg Barratt said she has reservations about the courses that could potentially be taught to tens of thousands of students from across the globe. She said because of their enormous class sizes, the quality of education may not be up to par. “We in Columbian College spend a lot of time building the partnerships between students and our faculty, and you’ve had a lot of small classes where that is possible and you’ve gotten to know your professors,” Barratt, who leads GW’s largest college, said. “A MOOC isn’t about that.” University President Steven Knapp has shared that sentiment in past interviews, casting doubt on the effectiveness of the large-scale online courses.
http://www.gwhatchet.com/2013/01/21/administrators-doubt-advantages-of-free-online-courses/
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