Paradigm Shift or Merely Another Blip?

            With the increasing number of MOOCs being offered by higher education institutions around the globe, many within academia have debated the potential impact that MOOCs will have on the traditional higher educational model.  On one side, there have been many MOOC proponents publishing articles and posting to web sites and blogs that have proclaimed MOOCs as the harbinger of revolution (Friedman, 2012).  Many of these scholars site the altruistic potential of MOOCs to provide quality learning experiences to people that otherwise would lack the opportunity (Sharma, 2013).  In addition, Chahine (2012) points out that the MOOC initiative is rapidly multiplying, and labeled 2012 as the year of the MOOC.

            In contrast, there is also no shortage of scholars who are skeptical that the emergence of MOOCs will usher in a new era of higher learning.   Sharma (2013), among others applaud the altruistic nature of MOOCs, but describe the disruptive belief in the MOOC revolution as delusional.  According to Sharma (2013), despite the inherit goodness of the altruistic benefits; there are still unresolved complications that have arisen concerning how thousands of students can be taught within in a single class.  In addition, he sites the extensive use of video recorded lectures as a primary method of instruction as one example of inherent problems with the design and delivery of MOOCs.  In addition, Kolowich sites other concerns with MOOCs, including the “increasing political, regulatory, administrative and faculty barriers” (2013) that have arisen, which have started to limit the freedom that is at the core of the MOOC phenomenon.

            In my opinion, MOOCs have great potential to deliver learning opportunities to a vast audience globally.  However, I do not think that the MOOC phenomenon will evolve into a real disturbance of the higher educational model as we know it.  Just as online education has developed into a viable method of education; within a niche, but it has not diminished the need for the traditional educational setting.  I can easily view the future of MOOCs in a similar fashion.  I believe that MOOCs could potentially develop into viable option for offering learning opportunities for people that might not have the opportunity to attend a traditional college, but due to the extensive cost of offering MOOCs, and serious concerns regarding the validity of teaching thousands of people at once, I believe the limitations they face will prevent them from dramatically altering higher education.

References

Chahine, T. (2012, December 27). Pushing moocs the last mile. Retrieved from http://chhttp://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/pushing_moocs_the_last_mileronicle.com/article/MOOCs-May-Not-Be-So-Disruptive/140965/

Friedman, T. (2012, May 15). Come the revolution. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/16/opinion/friedman-come-the-revolution.html?_r=2&

Kolowich, S. (2013, August 8). The mooc 'revolution' may not be as disruptive as some had imagined. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/MOOCs-May-Not-Be-So-Disruptive/140965/

Sharma, S. (2013, July 15). A mooc delusion: Why visions to educate the world are absurd. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/blogs/worldwise/a-mooc-delusion-why-visions-to-educate-the-world-are-absurd/32599