December 18, 2012

My Take on “The Emerging MOOC Environment”

Dec. 18, 2012 at 09:49 AM | By Mary Docken | Comment Count

Mary Docken, director of Market Development at Hobsons, recently attended a webinar hosted by UPCEA. The discussion centered around a phenomenon promising to revolutionize higher education, MOOCs.

Back in September, I attended a fascinating webinar hosted by Ray Schroeder hailing from the University of Illinois, Springfield. (Here is his presentation.) Ray discussed “The Emerging MOOC Environment,” a topic that has garnered quite some attention in recent years.

Ray attributes three forces to triggering Higher Education’s newfound MOOC obsession:

The Internet (massive & open)
the shrinking cost of technologies and access
and The Great Recession – limits affordability.

According to Ray, these three complementary elements have joined together to reshape the higher education learning model, making way for MOOC pioneers such as the Khan Academy. Like it or not, the massive mobility, affordability, and accessibility of cloud technologies is transforming education, allowing educators to connect with students and vice versa like never before. For instance, a student from Brazil can enroll in a MOOC by leading researchers from MIT, Harvard, or the University of Virginia for FREE. What’s more, they can receive a certificate for completing the class. Talk about a resume builder.

Many business and industry leaders are now most concerned about hiring people with the hard skills needed to fill the jobs they have, a growing trend increasingly evident in IT. There has been a shift in the job market from focusing on "I want someone who has critical thinking skills," to "I want someone who knows how to do this particular task.” MOOCs may just open the door for this type of workforce specialization.

MOOCs are testimony to what Ray coins a “relinquishing of control” of the traditional classroom. Educators no longer share their knowledge with a select few enrolled at their institution, educators now have the opportunity to share their expertise and research with the world.

But the question on everyone’s mind still remains: “Are MOOCs here to stay?” The answer is YES and institutions need to be aware of MOOC staying power to determine if MOOCs make sense for them. There is no doubt that MOOCs will impact the learning model for students and higher education, and frankly it’s very exciting to think about.

(Try this tool Ray recommended to see if MOOCs are right for your school.)