"Eggnog and Education" by Jenna Christensen --final draft

Eggnog and Education

Oh blog readers, I am deeply honored and simply thrilled to be bringing you this opinions page. I’ll do my best to be unbiased; and don’t worry I don’t plan to brainwash any of you. I simply wish to bring you up to speed on the newest education sensation that’s gripping the nation –as well as the rest of the world-. So let’s dive into the rich plethora of information to be found about massive online open courses or MOOCs!

EGGNOG

First I’d like you to do a short personal evaluation. Let’s talk about eggnog. The weather is getting chillier every day, the holidays are upon us, and that creamy seasonal drink is flying off the shelves of supermarkets everywhere. Where do you stand with eggnog? Are you the kind who enjoys a sip of it around Christmas, or the kind who tolerates it? The kind who wishes it was sold year-round, or the kind who wishes it had never been invented? Everyone has their own opinion about eggnog, but we’re still a unified and civilized society; let’s keep this in mind as we discuss MOOCs. There are extreme views for and against MOOCs and there’s lots of middle ground.

Personally, I am an ‘eggnog tolerator’; around the holidays I’ll politely accept a sip of the stuff in social situations -never buying a carton for myself- but I would never want to keep the eggnog lovers from consuming it. My feelings toward eggnog are scarily similar to my feelings toward MOOCs. Don’t get me wrong, I believe that MOOCs and other online learning sites can be very useful for reasons I’ll be discussing later, but they must not replace traditional ‘brick and mortar’ schooling for other points I promise I’ll explain to you in a minute.

DOES THIS APPLY TO YOU

According to Steele and Hansen of Cornell University, MOOCs are ‘revolutionizing education’ and providing new approaches to higher learning. Cornell itself has been a leader in adapting many online learning programs into their college. As is customary in the online-world, they offer most of their MOOCs free of charge; providing education to more people from all around the world, covering many different subjects.

So why am I writing this post? MOOCs sound amazing! You might ask if MOOCs are even a problem at all! Is it going to affect you or your future in anyway?

We’re back to eggnog! Everybody’s views are different because of their upbringing, personal taste, or personal opinion. The world is trying to establish its view on MOOCs and you need to too. And act on it before ‘the man’ starts doing something extremist like shoveling eggnog into every food product imaginable or wiping the world clean of any trace it ever existed.

In today’s bright day and age, everyone is expected to gain a higher education in some form. It’s common knowledge that in most cases educated people earn more money and have a higher standard of living than those who don’t. The gap between wealthy and poor is getting wider with each generation and it has so much to do with education. MOOCs can help make that gap smaller since they provide quality education and are becoming so widely available. A perfect solution; or is it? Marc Clara, and Elena Barbera argue that MOOCs don’t cater to the best learning styles. They say that MOOCs use ‘connectivism’ which “although may seem appealing…is not able to provide adequate explanation for learning”. (Distance Education)

So where do we draw the line? Can online learning incorporate all different learning styles? Does online education alter behavior and social skills, and if so is it worth the sacrifice? All of these questions and more still remain unanswered, yet MOOCs continue to become more popular. Technology is advancing and many people expect education to follow that trend. This blogger will tell you exactly where she thinks the line needs to be drawn. Same as eggnog, MOOCs have a specific situation they should be used in; if you can’t afford school, it’s too far away, or you’re simply curious. I just don’t think MOOCs belong in professional educating facilities.

NEUTRAL GROUND?

 A very neutral ground is discussed by Arash Mostaghimi, MD, MPA, and Bradley H. Crotty, MD. They believe that both can come together and build upon each other’s weaknesses and provide the highest quality education imaginable. In the article Professionalism in the Digital Age they quote Sir William Osler saying; “The old art cannot possibly be replaced by, but must be incorporated in, the new science.” They use this quote to describe the importance and vitality of combining MOOCs and customary schooling, inferring that not only is it the way of the future, but it is also the best way. Some would completely agree with their view; I mean you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But is it the best way? This blogger votes no. I may not have the most popular opinion, but I know where I stand on eggnog and on MOOCs. This quote is persuasive just like a little eggnog can be yummy. In some instances it may even be true, but for the greater good of education old art (or traditional education) should be incorporated into the new science (online-learning).

But my opinion isn’t the only one that matters. There are many different solutions worth examining here. Many would argue that education of the future will either be MOOCs or traditional ‘brick and mortar’ school –the nog haters and the nog lovers- but don’t be fooled, I’m not the only one who thinks there is plenty of gray area between the two.

MOOC TEACHERS

MOOCs from respectable institutions will only higher the smartest and brightest teachers available, so in that regard MOOCs are #1. However, there’s a problem many fail to acknowledge; lots of amazing teachers are a hesitant to teach their courses online. Many professional educators refuse that route because they haven’t been trained in the technology needed, and producing online courses is much more time consuming than teaching in a traditional classroom setting. The article "EFFECTIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION" talks about how some teachers feel too inferior or ill-prepared to undertake the responsibility of teaching online courses. This shows that MOOCs are not the best form of education because they do not provide the best teachers available.

An article of the University of Nevada feels very strongly that MOOCs and online learning are the way of the future. They argue that these courses can be completed much more quickly, and since only their best instructors make these MOOCs, students are only receiving the best. They clearly believe that “online education will surely continue to grow at a rapid rate.”

Keep in mind that die-hard eggnog lovers have an opposite. There are people who can’t stand eggnog, and there are people who can’t stand MOOCs. Traditional schooling has produced wonderful results in the past, and to change tradition would be unthinkable. For example; Annika Jaccard, a Utah mother of four is strongly opposed to all types of online education. She has stated; "My boys just aren't the same after doing school online. I just wish they would have gone to the University like their father. The internet ruined my family." Jaccard's extremist views can provide perspective. Use her opinion to help draw your own; I personally have not have my life ruined by the World-Wide-Web, but bearing her views in mind helped me understand where I think the line should be drawn.  

WORLD DOMINATION?

Now folks it’s the moment you’ve  all been waiting for; how will I, Jenna, the great blogger solve all these complex problems? Simple…world domination. I joke, but in all sincerity perhaps there is no perfect solution. Isn’t that the reason we continue education? Besides money and a career, aren’t curiosity and the quest for perfection the reason we become educated? In that regard, MOOCs are the best choice, because they can satisfy curiosity for no cost. Society has made us all believe that nothing good can be accomplished without a college degree, yet many examples disprove the idea of traditional university educations. Bill Gates the wealthiest man in the world dropped out of Harvard and became a successful, self-sufficient, smart individual.

On the other hand, many of us will not fall into the billionaire or even millionaire range in our lifetime. We were all taught time after time from the beginning of our education that gaining a college degree is essential to success later in life. Without a four year degree, medical school is completely out of the question. Without a teaching degree, hope for a career in educating young minds is unthinkable. Whether society has become too competitive or too something else is not the issue; the issue is that most Americans require a college degree.

HARRY POTTER?

There are too many people who believe MOOCs and traditional education are like the prophecy between Harry Potter and Tom Riddle, “neither can liv while the other survives”. Meaning that one has to kill the other off, but we need to be realistic; there will always be someone who wants some eggnog in their life, and you can’t murder education systems…that’s just messed up. There will never be a time in our future when only MOOCs exist, just as there will never be a time in our future when only traditional ‘brick and mortar’ schooling exists. (which, just as a side note is another great reason to transfer to Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry)

DIFFERENT LEARNING TYPES

I believe that MOOCs and other online learning sites can be great tools for those who cannot afford a higher education or are too far from a respectable educating facility, but they must not replace traditional ‘brick and mortar’ schooling. I believe that online learning and spending all your time in front of a computer screen can negatively affect behavior and social skills; and on top of that, MOOCs are unable to cater to all different learning types.

There have been countless studies done to pinpoint the different ways people learn. The University of South Dakota Instructor Magazine educated its readers about three specific types; kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. It describes usage of the senses in a learning environment and how everyone is unique in the way they pick up concepts. So although MOOCs are offered world-wide, a kinesthetic or ‘hands on’ learner would have a very difficult time excelling in a virtual classroom. (Your Learning Style)

As I discussed earlier, studies have been done and reported by Marc Clara, and Elena Barbera showing that MOOC's type of learning is called ‘connectivism’ and is not the best way to learn. They “argue that this conception of learning is inadequate and problematic”. Which I interpret to mean MOOCs can satisfy curiosity, but cannot educate and make deep concepts truly clear in your mind. (Distance Education) Learning in a traditional classroom setting is much more beneficial because students can ask questions, seek outside help, and participate in activities during class. Some would say that questions can be answered online, but with thousands of other classmates the chance of a student receiving a direct answer from their actual professor is slim to none. Many times they are addressed by aids; which may be fine for some, but for me...not so much.

Whether you’re a current college student, a parent, or a high school kid MOOCs will affect you in some way, whether it’s working toward a degree or satisfying your own curiosity online learning is expected to become a part of your life.

Just to reiterate my point, MOOCs can be really great and very useful to those who can’t afford or travel to a place of higher education, but traditional schooling in a building with a human at the front of the classroom cannot go away from American education; it’s just too vital. We need this kind of schooling for our diverse learning types, and because there is more to education than learning the course material. As famous online-sensation Hank Green said; “It’s important for people to learn to be people.” So blog reader; be a good citizen of planet earth. Get educated about the new education system and form your own opinion about it. You know where I stand; now it's your turn.

Works Cited

Clara, Marc, and Elena Barbera. "REFLECTION Learning Online: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Connectivism,      and Cultural Psychology." Distance Education 34.1 (2013): 129-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Cooper, Steve, and Mehran Sahmai. "Reflections on Stanford's MOOCs." Communications of the ACM 56.2 (2013): 28-30.       Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Crawford-Ferre, Heather Glynn, and Lynda R. Wiest. "EFFECTIVE ONLINE INSTRUCTION IN HIGHER EDUCATION."           The Quarterly Review of Distance Education 13.1 (2012): 11-14. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
Jaccard, Annika E. "Interview with Mother of Four." Personal interview. 25 Nov. 2013.
Lee, Ken-Lin, and Ming-Jung Ho. "Online Social Networking versus Medical Professionalism."
MEDICAL EDUCATION 45 (2011): 523. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Mostaghimi, Arash, MD, MPA, and Bradley H. Crotty, MD. "Professionalism in the Digital Age." Annals of Internal                 Medicine 154.8 (2011): 560-W-197. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Rowling, J. K., and Mary GrandPré. "Chapter 37." Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. New York, NY:
    Arthur A. Levine, 2003. N. pag. Print.
Skiba, Diane J. "MOOCs and the Future of Nursing." Nursing Education Perpsectives 34.3 (2013): 202-04. Academic Search     Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.
Steele, Bill. "College Joins Cornell's Early Efforts to Offer MOOCs." Cornell Chronicle 41.1 (n.d.): 9. Web. 05 Nov. 2013.
Todhunter, Barrie. "LOL — Limitations of Online Learning — Are We Selling the Open and Distance Education Message      Short?" Distance Education 34.2 (2013): 232-52. Academic Search Premier. Web. 5 Nov. 2013.
"What's YOUR Learning Style?" Three Different Learning Styles. Instructor Magazine, 2009. Web. 07 Nov. 2013.                  <http://sunburst.usd.edu/~bwjames/tut/learning-style/>.
Wilkie, Veronica, MSc FRCGP. "Online Learning in Primary Care: The Importance of E professionalism." Education for             Primary Care 20 (2009): 423-24. Academic Search Premier. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.