So, the concept of MOOC's (Massive Open Online Course) has interested me for awhile, so I decided to see what they're all about. I recently completed one through Coursera by Case Western Reserve University in International Law, and sprung the $49 for the certificate. I'm now in the middle of one through EdX in the Psychology of Criminal Justice from the University of Queensland (Australia). These observations are limited to the courses I've taken or are taking, but looking through the syllabi of other courses, it seems to be fairly standard. Coursera - You have one instructor for the entire course (in my case, Michael Scharf from the CWR Law School), and the video lectures are one lengthy (45-60 minutes) video for each module. The videos pause at certain points to have a quiz on the material, which is instantly graded, and the correct answer explained. At the end of the course, there's an online test that gives you 3 attempts to pass. The certificate isn't diploma quality, that's for sure, but it's not incredibly cheap-looking, either. The name of the school (in my instance, Case Western Reserve University) is prominently displayed, with the instructor's signature. EdX - There seems to be multiple instructors for one course, with the video lectures being broken down to 5-6 shorter ones (8-14 minutes), often with different instructors for each video. There is an online quiz at the end of each module, rather than during the lectures like with Coursera, and an online test at the end of the course, as well. The certificate for this one is more pricey ($99), and since I haven't received it yet, I can't offer an opinion on the quality. Coursera also offers programs that consist of a sequence of courses that result in a more formal qualification. Especially of interest to this group is an online teaching program that consists of 4 courses and a capstone, offered by the University of California-Irvine Extension. So, what are the value of these? For me, they're extremely interesting, and I learned a ton about International Law, a subject that interests me, that I didn't know. The Psychology of Criminal Justice course so far hasn't been as engaging, since I have formal training in both areas already, but the international flavor has had interesting moments. Also, having a brand name like Case Western Reserve or University of Queensland in the resume certainly can't hurt. Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/ EdX - https://www.edx.org/
EdX has just recently closed a Micro-Masters program in Supply Chain Management with MIT. There was some controversy over this from current 100% ground-based students because a high passing mark in the online program gives students admission to the full master's degree program and a pretty dramatic discount.
Oh, I forgot to mention; both Coursera and EdX make you take a picture of your face, as well as of your government-issued ID card, for verification purposes. Certainly not foolproof by any means, but there is some sort of safeguard against chicanery. As for using a MOOC for course credit, I've heard that's an option for some schools, but I don't know which ones, or the process. Having taken numerous CLEP and DANTES exams for my undergrad program, I can confidently state that the International Law course would adequately prepare me for one of those exams in the subject. When I have time, I'm going to take one of the courses for which I did take the CLEP (Intro to Psychology, won't bother with the certificate) and I'll have a better grasp of how well it prepares one.
I can understand the flap about the discount, but admission to the program is far from passing a degree program. If the MIT elites are/were afraid of someone sneaking into the program that doesn't belong, they can rest assured that they'll be weeded out.
There are some that believe that the elite universities have been hanging back from online degree programs, concerned about quality, their reputations, public perception of the brand. etc. It might seem that HES puts Harvard ahead in some respects but their involvement in EdX might have more far reaching effects. For example, many DL start ups at African and Asian universities are focusing on MOOCs, the structure of MOOCs and the lessons learned from implementing/administering MOOCs for their own programs.
I think HES has been around for a VERY long time. I also think that your average Joe has very limited knowledge of degree programs and colleges at his own college (other than his own obviously). Without looking, how many of us could name 1-2 other colleges within our university? Without looking, does your college's online division fall under an extension or "less traditional" college at the university? I think most people don't know, and don't care; they probably have no opinion up until someone else tells them about it lol.
Exactly. Some schools offering these types of programs (Diplomas, Certs) online are choosing to make it competitive by design at the onset. NYU, for example, requires an essay, a resume, references, and--for certain programs--a Bachelors degree. They also have blended classes (online and in-person) and a limited number of seats available for both. Even with all of that however, I've still heard a complaint or two, lol.
FutureLearn is the UK MOOC provider. Some like FutureLearn. https://www.futurelearn.com/ https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/categories
I find MOOC and paying for the certificates overrated. Open2Study (O2S) of Australian and NZ Universities are short 12-16 hour courses and FREE. FREE Certificate with University Logo. FREE Transcript. https://www.open2study.com/courses
VERY limited selection, and most of the courses are at the introductory level. The only Psychology course I saw was basic, while EdX and Coursera offer several different Psychology courses in addition to an introductory course. Also, the certificates for MOOC's are optional, the courses themselves are free.
Good post/review on these MOOCs, Bruce. I think they are catching on for sure. I don't really see them replacing traditional education route (Bachelor's, Master's, PhD) any time soon, but they are a good alternative for more education, or for a chance at education, for those that would not have any other means (either based on geography, or financial reasons). I have been considering how good a HarvardX cert. (probably in literature, or history) from EdX would look on the wall of my office, and could flesh out my resume a bit more. I have visions of heads turning with, "You went to Harvard?" Hah! And, I'll return with, "Well, not exactly..." hahaha. :silly: All joking aside, I would never mislead anyone about credentials. I just think it would be interesting to have even a loose tie with a university of that caliber.
You may want to review this thread http://www.degreeinfo.com/general-distance-learning-discussions/53660-[mooc-based-degrees]-everything-about-mooc-based-degree-programs.html
