Can you remember back to the time when cell phones were almost nonexistent? It was a time when we had to call our friend’s house phone to ask if they wanted to “play”. It was a time when you would actually communicate with someone face to face instead of through a text message. It was a time where we actually interacted with people. It was a time before technology impacted our lives like it does today. We all thought that a touch screen phone was amazing when we first saw it. I can recall sitting in awe as I touched random things on the screen. It seemed so futuristic at the time. But now, technology is increasing at such a rapid rate that we now have phones that unlock with an individual’s fingerprint! Technology has grown so much, especially in recent years. It does not only add cool changes to our phone, but it affects many of aspects of our lives.
Schooling is a major aspect that has been impacted by the rapid growth of technology. There used to be only one type of school: a place where one would go to a classroom and interact with their teachers and the other students. A student could get involved in a classroom discussion and become socialized. There, they could hear feedback from other students or even give their own feedback. Going to school wasn’t just about learning, it’s also where students can grow and develop mentally, physically and socially. Without learning in a traditional classroom setting, can one still gain all the developmental aspects that come with it?
In recent years, the school system had been enveloped by technology. At first it was a positive thing. Many schools began to acquire computers and projectors to add to their classrooms. This helped to increase student resources and gave a new perspective for learning. But, newfound technology grew in the educational system. Technology did not only aid in learning, but it started to eventually overtake it. For instance, my high school introduced an online health class that you could take to fulfill a health credit. So, instead of going to class everyday and participating in group activities with the class, one could just sit on the computer and do health worksheets. This did not seem like the two classroom types were of equal opportunity. The students who took the online health course missed out on classroom educational activities that helped the students’ knowledge of health grow. The online students did not get as much out of the health class as us other students did.
The introduction of these options to do classes online became very common even with higher education. The popularity of online courses has grown as more advanced technology came about. Thus, by 2008, the United States had online learning programs available in forty-four states. Then, that same year, the first Massive Open Online Course emerged from the Open Education Resources Movement. An online class called “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge,” was taught by George Siemens and Stephen Downes. The class gave 2,300 students a chance to take the class online at no cost. This online course was considered massive and open, thus the MOOC was born. MOOCs lack certain aspects such as face to face interaction that leads to a less beneficial learning environment than the traditional classroom and will therefore effect a student development and education.
What Are MOOCs?
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| http://blog.commarts.wisc.edu/2013/03/11/mooc/ |
Interactions and MOOCs
MOOCs are “open” and can have a considerably large amount of students for one teacher to handle. This makes it very difficult for a student to go directly to a teacher for help. For most students, they want help from the teacher to get the best and most correct answer. Without the opportunity for a student to physically go up to a teacher after a lecture, it makes it tough to get an answer. A student can’t even raise their hand during a lecture because it’s all online. It goes both ways as well because an instructor can’t visibly see their student’s reactions to his or her lecture. In a traditional classroom, most professors would be able to tell if the students were lost or confused about the material. But since this is a virtual type of classroom, teachers are unable to do that. The instructor cannot pause their lesson to explain in detail what the students don’t understand. The professor isn’t even aware that the students are confused. And with the large amount of students involved, it would be difficult for an instructor to help an individual anyways.
Some might object that it is possible to gain knowledge and do well in a MOOC even without the interaction
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| http://classroommanagement3501.wordpress.com/relationships/ |
So students can use other resources to ask questions, but they may not be dependable sources. First of all, the teachers have a large amount of students. Therefore, they will be less likely to help a student individually. It will be especially hard for one to get the teacher’s attention and get an actual answer back from them. Then, a student would have to resort to his or her other peers for help. These bogs and discussion groups that form through the course may not be the ideal way for one to learn. The other students in the MOOC are most likely not very knowledgeable on the subject- hence the reason why they are taking the class. Students may be helpful at times, but they are not reliable. They do not know the tests and they mostly just know what the instructor taught. These resources may seem to be reliable, but they may not always work out in the end. The best way for one to get help is the traditional way: raise your hand or go ask the teacher personally!
Face to Face Interaction
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rfh-embarks-on-quarterlies-a-little-wiser/
The in-person interaction between students and teachers helps both parties understand where each other is at. For instance, if an explanation was not clear, a student could ask a question, which could be quickly followed by more questions thus facilitation responsive problem solving. In Wilson and Whitelock’s article, they discuss a project where tutors compared their online students to their face to face students. The tutors noticed that the in-person students’ language and gestures gave the tutors crucial feedback on how to teach their students. One tutor goes on to say, “ Face to face allows me to see who understands and who doesn't, also different levels of understanding, I can change my approach immediately in face to face and respond to body language”. This is a great advantage of student interaction because the teacher can tell if a student understands based on their expressions. This allows professors to change their teaching approach to improve the students’ comprehension, just like what the tutors did. Another tutor then mentions that some students don’t even know what questions to ask. Again, a student’s facial expression will help the teacher to know whether more explanation is required. This positive aspect of student-teacher interaction is something that one can’t get through an online class.
Many students in Massive Open Online Courses don’t work the same as they would in a traditional course setting. MOOCs are like in-person classes where as the workload differs. As we all know, some teachers are easier than others as well as some courses have a heavier workload than other courses. Mr. Seiter, a participant of MOOCs, was interviewed about his thoughts on these online classes. In his responses, he admitted that he does minimal work on the essays that the online courses require. He then goes onto mention that the other students in the class seem to turn in that same amount of minimal work. Mr. Seiter says, “The commitment level [in free online classes] is lower. The work that’s submitted is not always the student’s best work.” He later goes on to discuss that to really learn these subjects in depth, one would have to hit the books in a more traditional way. Mr. Seiter has a very valid point where he points out that most do not do their best work in an online course. These students have a lower dedication level and therefore do not do their absolute best. This lack of commitment attributes to most students attitude in an online class. In a traditional class, the interaction with teachers and peers helps one to try their best. Students are influenced by their surroundings, so therefore a classroom setting will help one work harder than a computer screen would. Since one works harder in a classroom setting, the results will be better for that student versus a student in an online class.
A lot of people argue that Massive Open Online Courses are actually beneficial. Some say that it’s the perfect option for someone who just wants to gain knowledge on a certain subject. McCully said about MOOCS: “What MOOCs demonstrably do best is knowledge-development and skills-development--that is, technical training, certification and accreditation. No other system has shown greater power and promise in these areas than MOOCs.” So yes, these online courses may be beneficial especially for one who is looking for technical training. One can learn from these Massively Open Online Courses if they are determined and willing to do the work.
Although this is a very good point about how students can gain knowledge and skills, it does not make up for its lack in some areas. McCully’s rebuttal to this counterargument states:
“But that is not the same as self-development, which is to say, education. To be sure, self-development necessarily includes knowledge- and skills-development, but beyond those it focuses on character-development--of personal values, life-experience, qualities of feeling (empathy, sympathy) sensitivity and insight, inspiration and aspiration, interest and concern, love and commitment, inter alia.”
McCully is showing that education is not just knowledge based. It has to do with development beyond that. How is one supposed to develop their character over an online course? Self-development is key to one’s education. This development must be a largely social and immensely personal process. Years of higher education has shown that the countless personal and social experiences are essential to one’s education. So yes, learning is much more than we think it is. As discussed, there are many aspects that go into getting a good education and some of those aspects you just cannot get online.
MOOCs are a common point of interest and attract a lot of argument. Many individuals have their personal opinions of whether these Massive Open Online Courses are effective or not. In the end, it all depends on what aspects you look at. Both sides of the effectiveness argument have valid points. Those who participate in these classes are bound to learn something. The knowledge one gains will be dependent on their own involvement and determination with the course. In most cases, a student will complete the course knowing something they did not know beforehand. But, that does not mean that these online classes are effective or
beneficial. Without the traditional classroom setting, it is difficult for a student in higher education to self-develop. The fact that a student will not interact with their teacher does not promote the best education. A student needs to be able to cooperate with their teacher not only to learn, but also to grow and progress as a student.
As students in a higher education setting, we know that not all teachers are perfect. Most of us also realize that going to class helps us to learn and grow as student. In class, we become socialized through the interaction of our professors and peers. Can you imagine staring at a computer screen and getting lost in a lecture? What would you do? You couldn’t raise your hand to ask the professor. And likewise, the professor couldn’t see your confused face to help you either. See the problem? Student-teacher interaction is something we must strive to keep alive to continue our student development and growth as we persist through our higher education.
Works Cited
Butin, Dan W. "I Am Not A Machine." New England Journal Of Higher Education (2012): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
“Distance Education”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Littlejohn, Allison, Margaryan, Anoush and Milligan, Colin. “Patterns of Engagement in Connectivist MOOCs.” Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 9.2 (2013): 1-3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Martin, Fred G. “Will Massive Open Online Courses Change how we Teach?” Communication
of the ACM. 55.8 (2012): 26-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
“Massive Open Online Courses”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc. 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
McCully, George. "University Unbound" Rebounds: Can Moocs Educate As Well As Train?." New England Journal Of Higher Education (2012): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Mentzer, Gale, John Robert Cryan, and Berhane, Teclehaimanot. "Two Peas In A Pod? A Comparison Of Face-To-Face And Web Based Classrooms." Journal Of Technology And Teacher Education 15.2 (2007): 233-246. ERIC. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Roth, Michael S. "My Modern Experience Teaching A MOOC." Chronicle Of Higher Education 59.34 (2013): B18-B21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Wilson, Tina and Denis Whitelock. “Changing Roles: Comparing Face to Face and Online Teaching in the Light of New Technologies.” European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning. (1998): Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Worthen, Helena. "What Do We Know About Teaching Online?." Academe 99.5 (2013): 28- 33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Wright, Paul S., Sandra P. Horn, and William L. Sanders. “Teacher and Classroom Context Effects on Student Achievement: Implications for Teacher Evalution.” Journal of Persinnel Evalutation in Education. 11 (1997): 57-67. Web. 6 Nov. 2013
Young, Jeff. "What Professors Can Learn From 'Hard Core' MOOC Students." Chronicle Of Higher Education 59.37 (2013): A4.Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
“7 Things You Should Know About MOOCs”. Educause. Educause. Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
The in-person interaction between students and teachers helps both parties understand where each other is at. For instance, if an explanation was not clear, a student could ask a question, which could be quickly followed by more questions thus facilitation responsive problem solving. In Wilson and Whitelock’s article, they discuss a project where tutors compared their online students to their face to face students. The tutors noticed that the in-person students’ language and gestures gave the tutors crucial feedback on how to teach their students. One tutor goes on to say, “ Face to face allows me to see who understands and who doesn't, also different levels of understanding, I can change my approach immediately in face to face and respond to body language”. This is a great advantage of student interaction because the teacher can tell if a student understands based on their expressions. This allows professors to change their teaching approach to improve the students’ comprehension, just like what the tutors did. Another tutor then mentions that some students don’t even know what questions to ask. Again, a student’s facial expression will help the teacher to know whether more explanation is required. This positive aspect of student-teacher interaction is something that one can’t get through an online class.
Are MOOC Students as Committed?
Many students in Massive Open Online Courses don’t work the same as they would in a traditional course setting. MOOCs are like in-person classes where as the workload differs. As we all know, some teachers are easier than others as well as some courses have a heavier workload than other courses. Mr. Seiter, a participant of MOOCs, was interviewed about his thoughts on these online classes. In his responses, he admitted that he does minimal work on the essays that the online courses require. He then goes onto mention that the other students in the class seem to turn in that same amount of minimal work. Mr. Seiter says, “The commitment level [in free online classes] is lower. The work that’s submitted is not always the student’s best work.” He later goes on to discuss that to really learn these subjects in depth, one would have to hit the books in a more traditional way. Mr. Seiter has a very valid point where he points out that most do not do their best work in an online course. These students have a lower dedication level and therefore do not do their absolute best. This lack of commitment attributes to most students attitude in an online class. In a traditional class, the interaction with teachers and peers helps one to try their best. Students are influenced by their surroundings, so therefore a classroom setting will help one work harder than a computer screen would. Since one works harder in a classroom setting, the results will be better for that student versus a student in an online class.
Are MOOCs Beneficial?
A lot of people argue that Massive Open Online Courses are actually beneficial. Some say that it’s the perfect option for someone who just wants to gain knowledge on a certain subject. McCully said about MOOCS: “What MOOCs demonstrably do best is knowledge-development and skills-development--that is, technical training, certification and accreditation. No other system has shown greater power and promise in these areas than MOOCs.” So yes, these online courses may be beneficial especially for one who is looking for technical training. One can learn from these Massively Open Online Courses if they are determined and willing to do the work.
Although this is a very good point about how students can gain knowledge and skills, it does not make up for its lack in some areas. McCully’s rebuttal to this counterargument states:
“But that is not the same as self-development, which is to say, education. To be sure, self-development necessarily includes knowledge- and skills-development, but beyond those it focuses on character-development--of personal values, life-experience, qualities of feeling (empathy, sympathy) sensitivity and insight, inspiration and aspiration, interest and concern, love and commitment, inter alia.”
McCully is showing that education is not just knowledge based. It has to do with development beyond that. How is one supposed to develop their character over an online course? Self-development is key to one’s education. This development must be a largely social and immensely personal process. Years of higher education has shown that the countless personal and social experiences are essential to one’s education. So yes, learning is much more than we think it is. As discussed, there are many aspects that go into getting a good education and some of those aspects you just cannot get online.
So What Should Be Done?
MOOCs are a common point of interest and attract a lot of argument. Many individuals have their personal opinions of whether these Massive Open Online Courses are effective or not. In the end, it all depends on what aspects you look at. Both sides of the effectiveness argument have valid points. Those who participate in these classes are bound to learn something. The knowledge one gains will be dependent on their own involvement and determination with the course. In most cases, a student will complete the course knowing something they did not know beforehand. But, that does not mean that these online classes are effective or
 |
| http://blogs.elon.edu/technology/5-design-strategies-to-engage-your-students-in-moodle/ |
As students in a higher education setting, we know that not all teachers are perfect. Most of us also realize that going to class helps us to learn and grow as student. In class, we become socialized through the interaction of our professors and peers. Can you imagine staring at a computer screen and getting lost in a lecture? What would you do? You couldn’t raise your hand to ask the professor. And likewise, the professor couldn’t see your confused face to help you either. See the problem? Student-teacher interaction is something we must strive to keep alive to continue our student development and growth as we persist through our higher education.
Works Cited
Butin, Dan W. "I Am Not A Machine." New England Journal Of Higher Education (2012): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
“Distance Education”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 16 Nov. 2013.
Littlejohn, Allison, Margaryan, Anoush and Milligan, Colin. “Patterns of Engagement in Connectivist MOOCs.” Journal of Online Learning and Teaching. 9.2 (2013): 1-3. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Martin, Fred G. “Will Massive Open Online Courses Change how we Teach?” Communication
of the ACM. 55.8 (2012): 26-28. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
“Massive Open Online Courses”. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation,
Inc. 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
McCully, George. "University Unbound" Rebounds: Can Moocs Educate As Well As Train?." New England Journal Of Higher Education (2012): 1. Academic Search Premier. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Mentzer, Gale, John Robert Cryan, and Berhane, Teclehaimanot. "Two Peas In A Pod? A Comparison Of Face-To-Face And Web Based Classrooms." Journal Of Technology And Teacher Education 15.2 (2007): 233-246. ERIC. Web. 1 Nov. 2013.
Roth, Michael S. "My Modern Experience Teaching A MOOC." Chronicle Of Higher Education 59.34 (2013): B18-B21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Wilson, Tina and Denis Whitelock. “Changing Roles: Comparing Face to Face and Online Teaching in the Light of New Technologies.” European Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning. (1998): Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Worthen, Helena. "What Do We Know About Teaching Online?." Academe 99.5 (2013): 28- 33. Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
Wright, Paul S., Sandra P. Horn, and William L. Sanders. “Teacher and Classroom Context Effects on Student Achievement: Implications for Teacher Evalution.” Journal of Persinnel Evalutation in Education. 11 (1997): 57-67. Web. 6 Nov. 2013
Young, Jeff. "What Professors Can Learn From 'Hard Core' MOOC Students." Chronicle Of Higher Education 59.37 (2013): A4.Academic Search Premier. Web. 29 Oct. 2013.
“7 Things You Should Know About MOOCs”. Educause. Educause. Nov. 2011. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
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