Although I don't disagree with some of the doomsday scenarios that have been laid out (though I think they all under-estimate the level of chaos that may ensue for a number of years), I think that MOOCs also offer some potential HUGE upsides. In technical areas like math and computer science (as opposed to humanities courses), students anywhere will now be able to take courses from some of the best people in the world. Poorly organized MOOCs will quickly be crushed since there is, in principle, no enrolment cap on the very best courses. Yes, of course there will be (and already are) general courses in, say, calculus or general computer programming, the most interesting courses will be from innovators who will be able to teach things that ONLY they are able to teach to hundreds of thousands of students at a time. (Imagine the equivalent of, say, everyone being able to take a course on general relativity from Einstein in 1916.)
I do not have high hopes for peer grading, especially in courses where the quality of students is not screened at the outset. But where machine grading is possible (multiple choice test is only the simplest form of machine grading), the possibilities are boundless. Chris --- Christopher D. Green Department of Psychology York University Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 Canada [email protected] http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ ========================= On 2012-08-31, at 7:27 AM, Paul C Bernhardt wrote: > I think you may be on to something in your imagining here… > > I can see it even being of this type: disadvantaged students earning > 'bachelors certificates' while those earning degrees through the more > traditional route earning bachelors degrees as they do now. While the > certificates will be argued as 'just as good' employers will increasingly in > job listings say things like 'degree only' or 'degree or certificate' when > indicating educational qualifications. > > What we are doing is creating a validated alternative (and lesser) system of > tertiary education. > > Paul > > On Aug 31, 2012, at 12:45 AM, Jim Clark wrote: > >> Hi >> >> One prediction ... "schools" with increasingly low standards will charge >> decreasing amounts of money competing with one another for the lowest >> possible price to earn a degree with MOOCs. Enrolments in regular schools >> will plummet, including those creating the MOOCs, who will then go >> `whoops``. And the research capacity associated with universities will >> decrease even more rapidly. >> >> Another prediction ... ``consumers`` of education will realize the benefits >> of traditional courses and continue to enrol in legitimate university >> courses. >> >> Or some combination of the above, with disadvantaged students largely >> relegated to option 1 (putting community colleges out of business) and >> advantaged students to option 2, exacerbating already existing differences >> between the groups. >> >> Take care >> Jim >> >> >> >> James M. Clark >> Professor of Psychology and Chair >> 204-786-9757 >> 204-774-4134 Fax >> [email protected] >> >>>>> Christopher Green <[email protected]> 30-Aug-12 9:18 pm >>> >> MOOCs are usually free. One does not get regular university credit, but a >> certificate of completion. The question which schools, if any, will grant >> credit equivalence to which MOOCs. >> >> Chris >> --- >> Christopher D. Green >> Department of Psychology >> York University >> Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 >> Canada >> >> [email protected] >> http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ >> ========================== >> >> >> >> On 2012-08-30, at 3:48 PM, Joan Warmbold wrote: >> >>> Wow is that a startling development--though maybe I'm behind the times >>> here. Chris, I read the entire article as well as the comments and yet am >>> still not clear if the students are paying the normal tuition charged by U >>> of M and if being in-state or out-of-state is and issue for the tuition. >>> >>> Joan >>> [email protected] >>> >>> >>> >>>> For those of you interested in massive open online courses (MOOCs), here >>>> is a report on a course that included essay assignments and peer grading. >>>> The biggest problem is that many (even most) of the students are not >>>> native English speakers. >>>> http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/08/30/first-humanities-mooc-professors-road-test-courseras-peer-grading-model >>>> >>>> >>>> Chris >>>> --- >>>> Christopher D. Green >>>> Department of Psychology >>>> York University >>>> Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 >>>> Canada >>>> >>>> [email protected] >>>> http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ >>>> ========================== >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> --- >>>> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >>>> To unsubscribe click here: >>>> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=49240.d374d0c18780e492c3d2e63f91752d0d&n=T&l=tips&o=20103 >>>> >>>> or send a blank email to >>>> leave-20103-49240.d374d0c18780e492c3d2e63f91752...@fsulist.frostburg.edu >>> >>> >>> >>> --- >>> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >>> To unsubscribe click here: >>> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=20116 >>> >>> or send a blank email to >>> leave-20116-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu >> >> >> --- >> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe click here: >> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a891720c9&n=T&l=tips&o=20121 >> >> or send a blank email to >> leave-20121-13251.645f86b5cec4da0a56ffea7a89172...@fsulist.frostburg.edu >> >> >> --- >> You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe click here: >> http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263003&n=T&l=tips&o=20122 >> or send a blank email to >> leave-20122-13441.4e79e96ebb5671bdb50111f18f263...@fsulist.frostburg.edu > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62bd92&n=T&l=tips&o=20129 > or send a blank email to > leave-20129-430248.781165b5ef80a3cd2b14721caf62b...@fsulist.frostburg.edu --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. 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