Massively Open

In one of the most rapid adoptions of an educational innovation in history, the rise of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has become a significant opportunity for millions of students from all over the world to receive quality education over the internet at no cost. At the same time it has become a source of great optimism as well as foreboding for educational professionals. The game changing potential of this innovation could change the form and system of higher education. The frustration of students who are racking up unprecedented amounts of debt for their educations is nearing a tipping point. If students can earn college credits and even degrees at no cost, the number of tuition paying students at traditional educational institutions could fall dramatically. With ever increasing levels of quality and access, MOOCs are causing us to rethink the educational system, the role of the educator and student, and the role of education in society. What the post-MOOC educational landscape will look like depends upon the choices we make today, choices which must be made through careful consideration. Massively Open is an overview of the implications of this potentially disruptive innovation.

In recent years, technological advancements have enabled higher-learning institutions to offer millions of independent learners the opportunity to participate in open-access online courses. As this practice expands, drawing considerable media attention, questions continue to arise regarding pedagogical methodology and the long-term viability of open learning. Furthering Higher Education Possibilities through Massive Open Online Courses seeks to provide a space for discussion of MOOCs: what they mean for the learning process, how they are redefining the concept of a classroom, and what effects they may have on the role of teachers. Featuring emerging research on a variety of topics relating to distance education, informal learning, as well as educational costs and funding, this book is aimed at teachers, administrators, business professionals, and designers of both curricular resources and e-classroom technology.

Since the first MOOC was launched at the University of Manitoba in 2008, this new form of the massification of higher education has been a rollercoaster ride for the university sector. The New York Times famously declared 2012 to be the year of the MOOC. However, by 2014, the number of academic leaders who believed the model was unsustainable doubled to more than 50%. While the MOOC hype has somewhat subsided, the attitudes and anxieties of this peak time can still be seen influencing universities and their administrations. This is the first volume that addresses Massive Open Online Courses from a post-MOOC perspective. We move beyond the initial hype and revolutionary promises of the peak-MOOC period and take a sober look at what endures in an area that is still rapidly growing, albeit without the headlines. This book explores the future of the MOOC in higher education by examining what went right, what went wrong and where to next for the massification of higher education and online learning and teaching. The chapters in this collection address these questions from a wide variety of different backgrounds, methodologies and regional perspectives. They explore learner experiences, the move towards course for credit, innovative design, transformations and implications of the MOOC in turn. This book is valuable reading for students and academics interested in education, eLearning, globalisation and information services.

Are MOOCs a catalyst for reimagining education, a sign of the increased corporatization of the education sector, or merely a well-publicized but passing trend? Massive Open Online Courses shares insights from multiple stakeholders on what MOOCs are now and could eventually become, providing those in higher education as well as K-12, military, government, and corporate training with an authoritative source on a wide range of key issues surrounding MOOCs. MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, are a disruptive technology currently forcing a serious reconceptualization of accreditation, assessment, motivation and retention, technology-based instruction, and the overall student experience. In this timely volume, Paul Kim brings together experts from higher education, business, law, learning analytics and other relevant areas to provide an evenhanded, research-based positioning of MOOCs within the existing educational technology landscape and a base for understanding whether they could reshape the future of education.

In today’s society, educational opportunities have evolved beyond the traditional classroom setting. Most universities have implemented virtual learning environments in an effort to provide more opportunities for potential or current students seeking alternative and more affordable learning solutions. User-Centered Design Strategies for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) focuses on the best practices and effective design of student interaction within virtual learning environments. Highlighting strategies from human-computer interaction experiences and user-centered models, as well as emergent approaches and implementation techniques, this reference publication is designed for computer science students, academics, researchers, instructional designers, IT professionals, software developers, and educators interested in mobile technologies, social learning, and educational inclusion.

Posthumanism and the Massive Open Online Course critiques the problematic reliance on humanism that pervades online education and the MOOC, and explores theoretical frameworks that look beyond these limitations. While MOOCs (massive open online courses) have attracted significant academic and media attention, critical analyses of their development have been rare. Following an overview of MOOCs and their corporate means of promotion, this book unravels the tendencies in research and theory that continue to adopt normative views of user access, participation, and educational space in order to offer alternatives to the dominant understandings of community and authenticity in education.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are free online courses available to anyone who can sign up. MOOCs provide an affordable and flexible way to learn new skills, advance in careers, and provide quality educational experiences to a certain extent. Millions of people around the world use MOOCs for learning and their reasons are various, including career development, career change, college preparation, supplementary learning, lifelong learning, corporate e-Learning and training, and so on.