Many of the arguments around course completion in MOOCs are, I have argued, category mistakes, based on a false comparison with traditional HE, semester-long courses. We should not, of course, allow these arguments to distract us from making MOOCs better, in the sense of having more sticking power for participants. This is where things get interesting, as there have been some features of recent MOOCs that have caught my eye as providing higher levels of persistence among learners. The University of Derby ‘Dementia’ MOOC, full title ‘Bridging the Dementia Divide: Supporting People Living with Dementia’ is a case in point.
Unfortunately, most massive open online course (MOOC) platforms still feel like drafty lecture halls instead of intimate seminar rooms. The majority of online learning environments are no more than video-hosting platforms with quizzes and a discussion forum. These default features force online instructors to use a style of teaching that feels more like shouting to the masses than engaging in meaningful conversations.
This presents a challenge and an opportunity: How can we design online learning environments that achieve scale and intimacy? How do we make digital platforms feel as inviting as well-designed physical classrooms?
Global and regional alliances of colleges offering online programs can help higher education institutions navigate the future, Mark Lester writes.
Four liberal arts colleges teamed up to work together on MOOCs. Their paths diverged, but the experience was far from a waste of time and energy.
How Massive Open Online Courses are maturing into useful tools.
Students are creating ‘multiple personalities’ to cheat on MOOCs. How do they do that? What are its implications?
One selling point of MOOCs (massive online open courses) has been that students can access courses from the world’s most famous universities. Th
Takethiscourse provides Massive Online Open Courses from the world’s best universities, including Michigan, Stanford, Alberta, Hong Kong, University of London and many more.
In Oct 2011, a few Stanford professors offered three online courses which were completely free. The strong public interest in these courses caugh
