The truth about MOOCs: Do they Inform you or Educate you?

By Dolly Purba. In the last few years, MOOCs have become the most searched keyword in the digital world. Once you dig into the world of MOOCs, you see the battle of words that is currently on among famous professors, academicians, educationists, editors of tech chronicles, and bloggers. The basic question around which the whole edifice of this current debate is built, is: ‘Are MOOCs the best way to satisfy the global thirst for education?’
Jeff Selingo, contributing editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education and a famous author, states, “The idea of offering free courses online to tens of thousands of students has suddenly become the latest, greatest way to ‘fix’ higher ed; promoted by education-technology entrepreneurs and bemoaned by traditional academics.” On the contrary, Siva Vaidhyanathan, cultural historian and media scholar, a professor of Media Studies and Law at the University of Virginia, states that, “the difference between a real college course and a MOOC is like the difference between playing golf and watching golf. Both can be exciting and enjoyable. Both can be boring and frustrating. But they are not the same thing.”
Apart from these, there are multiple other views on MOOCs, such as, “they reduce costs, improve learning, increase access and generate revenue”, “money is pumped into MOOCs, but students may not have the stamina to make it worthwhile” and many other endless opinions. More...