Introduction
Frequent emergence of new technologies from time to time is disrupting the normal ways of doing different things. Mobile devices, internet, and virtual learning environments present examples of disruptive technologies. Previously, learning institutions made use of the internet through websites and emails as mode of communication.
Websites served the purpose of advertising departmental activities and courses offered by the department. Virtual learning environments on their part enabled teachers to upload learning contents and served as a perfect communication tool through blogs. Technology has made a great shift with the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) which has changed the place of technology in the education sector (Waldrop & Magazine, 2014).
Overview of MOOCs
An artificial intelligence course at the University of Stanford was offered online and free as part of experimental courses by the Stanford computer science department. The course attracted a total of 160,000 registered students, 20,000 of these students from 190 countries completed the course successfully, and their tutors Peter Norvig and Sebastian Thrun issued a ‘statement of accomplishment’ to them.
The experience led to invention of Udacity, which delivers numerous online courses free. Harvard University and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the EdX partnership presents one of the most recent proposals to offer massive online courses free. Since 2008, Massive open online courses referred to as connectivist MOOCs have been offered based on the connectivism principle. Research literature and article have categorized the above-mentioned MOOCs as equals (Rodriguez, 2012).
George Siemens and Stephen Downes coined the term ‘Massive Open Learning Course’ after conducting an online course titled CCK08 successfully. The courses represent an emerging method of online teaching inspired by the principle of connectivism whose implementation is dependent on perspectives of both learners and tutors. MOOCs is an integration of social networking, expert facilitation, and a collection of free and accessible online resources.
The term “massive” is drawn from the fact the courses attract huge numbers of students that are engaged in the course at the same time. “Open” is from the fact that the software is open-source and the course is open to anyone (Rodriguez, 2012). Daniel (2012) remarks that “Massive Open Online Courses is the educational buzzword of 2012”, has drawn reaction from the media, and has sparked commercial interests. Against the background of MOOCs and their evolution of the years, we evaluate their pros and cons in the provision of higher education.
Several myths and contradictions surrounding MOOCs stem out from lack of understanding of how MOOCs run. One such myth relate to the teaching methods and quality of learning in MOOCs. Arguments have been raised that the use of university brand is a way of implying quality that lacks in MOOCs. Daniel (2012) argues that this is not the case because many countries have put in place quality assurance measures within the education sector.
One such measure is aimed at assessing the level of course or degree completion to ensure that students are shielded from poor practices. Daniel (2012) further points out that retention and completion are a major point of concern for institutions offering distance learning in higher education. The reported completion rates are low but this can be attributed majorly to the fact that MOOCs is an upcoming idea that has attracted many curious people interested in trying out MOOCs and not in pursuing higher education. Therefore, as people get used to MOOCs, only people interested in learning will engage in MOOCs and thus completion rates are expected to rise.
Advantages of MOOCs
The developers of MOOCs are inspired by its characteristics of massiveness, openness and connectivism. The strategies employed in social networking are evident in MOOCs but they come with an added advantage of facilitation from an expert or experts who coordinate the numerous free online materials.
Students enrolled in these online courses are able to interact with other students from various parts of the world and some are able to organize themselves in smaller groups in line with their learning interests and goals. On this basis, MOOCs come with the advantage of availing education to massive number of students who would otherwise not access the same education. According to Carr (2012), more than a million students have taken MOOCs.
Hence, MOOCs avail higher education to huge numbers of people who would not have accessed such education due to their geographical location, formal requirements to take some courses, financial constraints, and even time constraints to be in a normal learning environment. The artificial intelligence course offered at Stanford University facilitated by Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig attracted 160,000 registered students while 23,000 successfully completed the course. CS101 is yet another course offered at Stanford and attracted 90,000 students who enrolled for the course (Rodriguez, 2012).
MOOCs are designed in a manner that improves and assures students’ engagement to meet the primary goal of MOOCs to improve the student outcome. Trowler and Trowler (2010) stated that “student engagement is the investment of time, effort, and other relevant resources by both students and their institutions intended to optimize the student experience and enhance the learning outcomes and development of students, and performance as well as the reputation of the institution”(p. 2).
MOOCs fit into this statement in that the facilitators invest their time in engaging with students and the online courses tend to be more time consuming than the traditional ways of instruction, which may reflect the improved student engagement with their facilitators. MOOCs use a large collection of free online materials as learning resources relevant to the courses they offer. Professors offering the online courses indicate that the outcomes from the online courses tend to be better than the ones from the traditional assessment. This inspired these professors to evaluate the traditional methods while incorporating lessons drawn from offering the online courses (Waldrop & Magazine, 2014).
MOOCs are a guarantee of lifelong learning experiences in that participants get a chance to pursue their own interests while some get an opportunity to further their careers. Given that MOOCs are available for the poor population, they are able to pass education from outstanding learning institutions that the poor would not have afforded.
In this way, MOOCs offer life long learning to those who would not have had it. Employers can develop their employees through the MOOCs by encouraging them to take up online courses as a way of enhancing their higher education. Students taking part in online courses on their own accord and as such they are prone to self-evaluation and reflection of their learning experience. Therefore, in offering higher education through online courses MOOCs guarantee lifelong learning for the participants.
MOOCs have increased the accessibility of higher education across the world and the number of people who are receiving higher education from the leading higher learning institutions across the globe. Thus, many people are receiving education from institutions they would never step in.
The demand for higher education is increasing at a very high rate and the current enrolment rates require massive construction of higher education institutions in every part of the world. The increased enrolment levels have resulted to overcrowding in various universities. MOOCs cannot face the problem of overcrowding because of the vastness of virtual learning environments. MOOCs make use of the wide variety of free online resources that can meet the growing demand without being overstretched. Given that MOOCs register massive students, they present a viable alternative in easing the pressure on the existing institutions of higher learning.
Companies that offer MOOCs have recorded many successes that point to the strengths of acquiring higher education online. For instance, Agarwal’s electrical-circuits in 2012 attracted 7200 students who completed the course among them was a man who was 81 years old, a genius 15 years old and a single mother of two.
Introduction to Computer Science course offered by Udacity is one of the most popular companies, which has enrolled above 270,000 students (Clow, 2013). Thrun, one of the founders of Udacity, points out that companies are aware of the low completion rates and are working on ways of improving the completion rates. The focus remains on reaching to the poor populations that cannot afford higher education through the traditional ways. Further, the companies are utilizing the feedback they are receiving in building better models that will enhance quality of the education they are receiving (Waldrop & Magazine, 2014).
Disadvantages of MOOCs
The effectiveness of MOOCs in boosting higher education has come under criticism from the stakeholders in the education sector. Public Universities in the United States are recording rising debt levels, strained funds, and stagnant graduation rates. Stakeholders in the education sector have raised discussions whether MOOCs are a representation of the required innovation or they present cheapened version of the higher education in United States that has evolved over time.
The argument stems from the fact that the elite education that was available to the lucky few is now available to anyone with access to internet (Kamenetz, 2013). The courses have attracted massive registrations making the argument valid in that what was available to few people is now limitlessly available to many people. Education is available to many, graduation rates with increase, and tuition debts will decrease, but the question that must be addressed is whether this education will carry the same quality as before.
MOOCs demand delivery of courses to a large number of students with diverse learning needs. The students demand different modes of instruction that fit into their own learning styles owing to their diverse backgrounds. Engagement with students, maintaining student’s interest in the course, and customizing the learning environment for each student forms the basis of the challenges that course facilitators face.
Incorporating machine learning is one solution that Carr (2012) proposes in addressing these challenges. Machine learning makes use of computers to gather and analyze data from a learning system to test hypotheses on the way people learn. Having information on how each student learns can aid in the tailoring of a learning environment compatible with learning needs and styles (Carr, 2012). Some critics have raised concern over the use of machine learning because it takes the core component of education, which is the interaction between teachers and students.
Assessment of student performance poses the major challenge to MOOCs according to Rodriguez (2012) while Carr (2012) points out that cheating in online assessments is a major challenge that online education faces. Moreover, how to authenticate original work to fight plagiarism is hotly discussed challenge of online education. Udacity and EdX employs test centres for online assessment but the cost per student presents a major hindrance to this solution. Software that detects plagiarism and machine learning are some of the proposed remedies.
MOOCs are open and free for participants but the cost to the institutions implementing them remain significantly high. Course development and management carry the human resource needs for these courses that demand a lot of time in addition to the already existing professional duties from course facilitators. The initial cost of offering an online course is high and incremental costs are incurred each time the course is offered. Some institutions remain cautious in adopting MOOCs citing that they do not present clarity on how they help more students succeed and that MOOCs contradict the institutional mission, which remains superior to any other philosophy.
Conclusion and Recommendations
Technological innovations continue to revolutionize distance learning and MOOCs present a new outlook to traditional education but it is at its initial stages of development. A recent move by Udacity to shift from offering higher education course to corporate training raises questions of a failing endeavour. Schuman (2013) argues that the visionary endeavour by Thrun has failed to meet its purpose of providing free higher education to poor masses and that the quality of the courses was compromised.
Other than meeting the objective of offering free education to the poor, Udacity provided education to those who would afford it. Schuman (2013) points out that successful education demands personal interaction and accountability. Therefore, the move by Udacity raises the question of accountability in offering online courses. Udacity though attracted high enrolment levels but the completion rates remained below 10%. The fact that one of the pioneers of MOOCs has agreed to its failure and has walked out on it, it may point to the need for better approach to MOOCs.
One core reason for adoption of MOOCs is to improve the learners’ learning experience. International users of the MOOCs are adopting a new approach where they are making use of courses that fit into their local cultures and communities. The communities have adopted a new model of education where they are combining face time and screen time. The blended model is proving a great success where the learning environment is improved and students are able to competent on a level ground. The communities are describing their experience with MOOCs positively in that they are getting a feel of the world-class education (Kamenetz, 2013).
Over the recent past, higher education has received criticism based on affordability, accessibility, and use of technology. MOOCs present an opportunity for cost effectiveness, accessibility, and efficient use of technology but quality of the courses remains a major challenge.
Caution in adopting MOOCs is called for but before dismissing MOOCs higher education institutions should evaluate the costs and benefits that MOOCs present. The primary goal of MOOCs remains to complement rather than to compete with the traditional education. A blend of MOOCs and face time as pointed out earlier has recorded success. Therefore, MOOCs combined with face time with students may point the needed future approach.
References
Carr, N. (2012, September 27). The crisis in higher education. MIT Technology Review. Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/429376/the-crisis-in-higher-education/
Clow, D. (2013). MOOCs and the funnel of participation. In: Third Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge (LAK 2013), 8-12 April 2013, Leuven, Belgium.
Daniel, J. (2012). Making Sense of MOOCs: Musings in a Maze of Myth, Paradox and Possibility. Journal of Interactive Media in Education.
Kamenetz, A. (2013). Exporting Education. Online courses are taking off in developing countries, but there’s a major downside. Retrieved on 21 May 2014 from http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2013/11/developing_countries_and_moocs_online_education_could_hurt_national_systems.html
Rodriguez, C. O. (2012). MOOCs and the AI-Stanford Like Courses: Two Successful and Distinct Course Formats for Massive Open Online Courses. European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning.
Schuman, R. (2013). The King of MOOCs Addicates the Throne. Sebastian Thrun and Udacity’s “pivot” toward corporate training. Retrieved on 21 May 2014 from http://www.slate.com/articles/life/education/2013/11/sebastian_thrun_and_udacity_distance_learning_is_unsuccessful_for_most_students.html
Trowler, V. & Trowler, P. (2010). Student engagement executive summary. The Higher Education Academy. Retrieved from http://eprints.lancs.ac.uk/61684/1/ Student_Engagement_Project_Executive_Summary._Nov_2010.pdf
Waldrop, M. M., & Magazine, N. (2014). Massive open online courses, aka MOOCs, transform higher education and science.