Thursday 4 September 2014

MOOCs vs Traditional Classroom

The question about the future of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other online classes is one that concerns many educators. No matter your feeling about the role of MOOCs in post-secondary education, the fact is that we’re in the middle of a period where education is undergoing a dramatic change.

Technology is not only changing what teachers do in their classroom, or even if they’re found in a traditional classroom, but the progression is also changing the way that teachers continue their own professional learning. Education continues to be one of the most popular subjects in both MOOC classes and online colleges

Intelligence Squared
, a foundation that holds debates on various policy subjects, recently raised the subject of MOOCs as a debate topic. The panel included Anant Agawal of edX, Ben Nelson who is working on the Minerva Project in support of MOOCs and online education, Jonathan Cole of Columbia University, and Rebecca Schuman from the Chornicle of Higher Education against the expansion of MOOCs.

Is the college of the future online? With the popularity of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and the availability of online degree programs at a fraction of their on-campus price, we are experiencing an exciting experiment in higher education. Does the traditional classroom stand a chance? Will online education be the great equalizer, or is a campus-based college experience still necessary?

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