Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 1

Massive Open Online Courses

Sarah Hernandez
EDTC 515
Azusa Pacific University

Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 2

Abstract
This research paper will focus on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). The
information provided will describe what an MOOC is, how has the world changed
and the future of MOOCs, and finally my personal experience in an MOOC.

Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 3

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are classes offered by universities
that are open to anyone, anywhere, anytime and are often tuition-free. They usually
do not require textbooks and do not count towards degrees or earned credits.
According to The Evolllution online newspaper (2014), occasionally, students earn a
certificate of completion for a MOOC, but the focus is more on creating lifelong
learners than on degree completion. This is why there is such an array of offerings
and no limit on enrollment for the classes. The courses encourage more o f a
collaborative atmosphere rather than a sit-n-get model, which we are used to
seeing in traditional university courses. The collaborative atmosphere supports the
idea of lifelong learning.
MOOCs have been around for about three years through three major
providers: Udacity, Edx, and Coursera. Because of the nature of MOOCs, they are a
type of class within the online class spectrum, with the focus on interactivity and the
majority of learning coming from forums, other students, and optional study groups.
The work is designed to be at each learners own pace. There is no need to keep up
with deadlines or due dates; rather, the focus is on each student getting the most out
of it for his or her own benefit.
There are many questions that arise from this new fad, as some feel it is, in
education. Who is taking MOOCs? Are people actually finishing even though there
are no credits or grades earned? How are students being graded? These are just a
few of the questions that come up. According to Rivard (2013), many different
types of people are enrolling in MOOCs including: high school students who want to
study deeper in their field of training, college students, stay-at-home parents,
Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 4

retirees, and, surprisingly, professors who want to see how colleagues are delivering
instruction. Dr. Ng (2012), from Coursera says, in one of his courses, 46,000
students tried the first assignment, but only 13,000 finished the class with a
certificate. The certificate itself is from Dr. Ng not Stanford University, with which he
is associated. In light of this information, one wonders how many people are really
finishing the classes. According to Shah from EdSurge (2013), MOOCs have grown by
1,000 classes in just a year and an average of two classes per day are opening.
Rivard from Inside Higher Ed (2013), shows that even with that surge in class
offerings, the Duke Center for Instructional Technology saw that with an offering of
Bioelectricity MOOC in Fall 2012, more than 12,000 enrolled but less than 1,000
students finish with a certificate of completion. Critics of these dropout statistics say
we need to consider what the participants goals are. Pappano (2012) with The New
York Times refers to Andrew Ho of Harvard University who says, because MOOCs
dont offer any credits or degrees, we cant fairly judge the dropout rates. Grading is
another concern. If peer grading is in place, how can we be sure its not a 14-year old
in Africa with no technical background in the area of study (Pappano, 2012)?
Organizations are feverishly trying to figure out the best way to implement grading,
including developing software that can help flag bogus graders and grades.
The University of Chicago (2014), cites three reasons why they participate in
MOOCs. First, its a way to share the University of Chicago experience. Not everyone
is able or wants to attend a university, but with MOOCs they can get a taste of it.
Second, this will be an effective way to test new teachings. What better way to test
new curricula than with classes that have no bearing on anyones degree completion
Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 5

or credit earnings? The last reason is to explore and refine new ideas in teaching.
This goes hand in hand with the second reason; once new teachings are tested, they
can be analyzed to see their effectiveness and can be improved for the next session.
MOOCs have changed the way we look at online education. Quality online
education used to be something only degree driven people would take part in, but
today it is an open forum to anyone seeking to learn and grow. Will this type of class
stick? Will they fade away and be something of the past? Or, is this something that
can be the future of our professionals? I believe these questions will all be answered
in time with conclusive data. We should consider when analyzing these types of
questions, what are people bringing to the global economy from their MOOC
classes? There are so many facets of the MOOCs that needed to be modified before
we can call these classes valid for degree completion.
I know firsthand how important preparing this generation with 21
st
century
skills is, having implemented Common Core State Standards with my fourth graders.
I believe MOOCs do just that, prepare students with 21
st
century skills. With its
focus on collaborative and interactive learning, MOOCs can help students not only
prepare for whats to come, but brush up on the newest information and technology
available in their field of study, for free.
So whats going on here, is there a change in traditional learning, and are
MOOCs the new wave of learning? Pappano (2012), describes what Dr. Stavens
believes, who is with Udacity. He says Udacity doesnt pick professors based on their
qualifications but rather on how they teach. They want courses to be fun and
engaging. He envisions professors being chosen and paid, for that matter, on how
Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 6

popular they are with the public, on how much students like them. He says this will
make students want to learn. He continues with the fact that just because someone
is the worlds best economist, doesnt mean he/she will be the best instructor.
Classes are structured around student connections and how they learn best. One
participant of MOOCs says she only finishes classes she has formed study groups
with, and another participant said it was like having a tutor sitting next to him
(Pappano, 2012). Dr. Argawal with Edxs M.I.T. gathered data that revealed students
would rather see a hand writing an equation or sentence than staring at a paper
with the information already on it (Pappano, 2012). All of this leads us to believe
that todays students are focused on collaboration. They want to be engaged and
working together.
The goal of MOOCs is not to replace the traditional university setting, but
rather to provide a way for students to learn what they want, when they want to.
The Evolllution (2014), says that these classes could have a big impact on
professional development. What if teachers are asked to take an MOOC and be paid
for the time invested and show some sort of culminating assignment? This would
greatly reduce the teacher absences due to professional development.
My time in the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was great. I was very
impressed with how close to a real class it was, and its all free! It was a bit difficult
to find a class that was specific to what I wanted (art), but if I had been open to do a
later class, Im sure I could have found something. I ended up taking Positive
Behavior Support in Early Childhood Education with Edx. I figured this would help
me understand the triggers for difficult behavior and teach me how to react to it
Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 7

with any age range. This class can be a great resource for new and experienced
teachers, which is what I love about MOOCs; they can be done anywhere, anytime by
anyone.
During my time I noticed that the instructor was very easy to watch. She was
engaging and clear. There is a course information page that has posts of information
and tips from the professor relating to the course. During the video lessons there is a
visual to assist with understanding the content. Each video lesson has a clear take
away to implement. The video lessons were very similar to being in a lecture class at
a university. This is very important to me because these classes are supposed to be
close to a real university course.
The lessons progressed in a very natural way. Each module consisted of:
video lesson one, a check for understanding mini quiz, video lesson two, a
discussion forum with a prompt, video lesson three, a reading with a link to an
article (no textbook required), and a final check for understanding. The modules are
organized by weeks with four components: an overview, a lesson focus (i.e.
understanding a challenging behavior), a resources page, usually containing
downloadable pdfs, and finally, a self-assessment.
The self-assessments in the course were the most valuable tools in the
course. The modules guided you through the target learnings for the class but the
self-assessment was the best way to gauge whether you had met the goals of the
lessons/units. It helped guide my learning by asking questions such as, Did you
complete the assigned reading? or Did you watch the assigned videos? This self-
Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 8

assessment can also help with the Completion Page participants fill out at the end
to show completion, there are no certificates associated with this class.
Lastly, there is a progress grid that helps you see how well youve done by
keeping a graph of your participation in the course with the module component
mentioned above. It is very self-paced and the learner can review any information
from the course at any time. Overall, I enjoyed this course and as my goal is always
to be a lifelong learner, I will definitely be back to MOOCs to help grow and learn
professionally.

Running head: MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE 9

References

Pappano, L. (2012). The Year of MOOC. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/education/edlife/massive-open-
online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

Rivard, R. (2013). Measuring the MOOC Dropout Rate. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved
from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/08/researchers-
explore-who-taking-moocs-and-why-so-many-drop-
out#sthash.PnQZPgou.dScudewJ.dpbs

S Dhawal. (2013 December, 22). MOOCs in 2013: Breaking Down the Numbers [Web
log comment]. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/n/2013-12-22-
moocs-in-2013-breaking-down-the-numbers

The Evolllution. (2014). MOOC: Massive Open Online Course. The Evolllution.
Retrieved from http://www.evolllution.com/mooc/

The University of Chicago. (2014). What Are MOOCs?. Retrieved from
https://online.uchicago.edu/page/what-are-moocs