1

Running head: Massive Open Online Course

Massive Open Online Courses: Todays Education
Violet Cain
Azusa Pacific University















Massive Open Online Course
2


Abstract
Massive Open Online Courses MOOCs, one the current trends of higher education are online
course available to anyone around the world that have Wi-Fi access. Another perk of enrolling in
a MOOCs is they cost little to nothing. MOOCs provide education from some of the top tier
colleges. You may not get a degree or certification at the end of the course, but you will receive
the latest, top-notch information. MOOCs can possibly be the answer to high tuition rates and
overcrowding at the universities. The more we see universities to partake in this way of
educating the general public, the more we will know its effectiveness. Having the opportunity to
enroll and experience a MOOC made me realize the benefits of having access to material that I
would not otherwise study. Enrolling in Childrens Nutrition via Stanford provided me with
information that was out of my field of expertise. I was attracted to the flexibility of the course
and was encouraged to learn more on the topic.
Keywords: MOOC, education, technology, on-line,









Massive Open Online Course
3

New information/discoveries in regards of the areas of education, sciences, technology is
revealed and unless you are fulltime student (which only millionaires could afford to do) you
might not be exposed to it. Massive Open Online Courses also known as MOOCs are one of the
ways to learn in a network world. MOOCs are considered massive because there is no limit on
how many attend a course. Classes may consist of up to 100,000+students (Edtech 2013).
Though only a fraction of students that sign up complete the courses, millions of students are
now enrolled in 100s of online courses. (New York Times 2013). One of the reasons for the
high numbers of student enrollment in MOOCs is because of its openness. Registration is open
to anyone around the world. Also, it is open because all the work is accessible for all participants
to read, reflect, and comment on each others work without paying a fee to participate in the
course (Cormier 2010).
Participation in MOOCs is solely done online and is similar to on-line college courses
because there are facilitators, course materials, a start and end date, and participants. (Cormier
2010). However, it is more than your basic on-line course since it offers a way for students to
connect and collaborate about topics of similar interest, and for the main purpose of learning and
not having the fear of failure because the course is not designed with a pass or fail grade in order
to earn or obtain a degree. Most MOOCs dont offer college credit and participants are attracted
to MOOCs because they are usually free of charge, they are available online, and they offer easy
access to information about a various topic (Cormier 2010). Most of the people that participate
in MOOCs are not college enrolled students, sometimes it is for work. A lot of the times it is for
personal enrichment (Educause 2014). 70,000 new students a week enroll in courses offered by
top tier universities. The universities benefit from providing MOOCs free of charge by exposing
students to their campus. As students gain more knowledge and interest in the subjects/topics
Massive Open Online Course
4

provided, they might choose a career in a similar field and will need more training, which the
university can offer for a fee.
One may ask are MOOCs a sustainable method for offering courses? In 2012, majority
of institutions were undecided with the remainder being split in the middle, half agreed and half
disagreed. In 2013 surveys showed more institutions favored the disagreeing side (Straubsheim
2014). With time and as more schools offer this free online learning opportunity, we will be able
to gleam enough evidence to decide whether MOOCS are beneficial or not.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have affected the world of education by providing
quality educational experiences from top colleges like Stanford and Duke at a decreased expense
or at no expense at all (New York Times 2013). According to Metapress, MOOCs leverage the
technology of the web to deliver education to learners around the world through new and
engaging learning experiences. First thought to be a noveltyMOOCs give international
students access to professors and concepts from the worlds elite universities without receiving
academic creditthey are now being positioned as back-up delivery mechanisms for
overcrowded universities. A bill introduced recently in the California Legislature
(http://chronicle.com/article/California-Considers-a-Bold/137903/) would allow credit to be
given to students who needed a course to graduate and could not get into the course due to
overcrowding. (2014) Based on this information it is apparent that MOOCs are evolving and as
time goes by they will not go away, but change to meet the needs of their audience.
Current arguments/ concerns against the effectiveness of MOOCS because of things like
student/instructor connection are valid. Feedback is tricky because students in class cannot ask
the professors questions directly-- at least not in real time. Students do miss having a grade given
Massive Open Online Course
5

because they want the acknowledgement of the effort and the amount of work they are putting in.
As a graduate student, I can relate to feeling a certain lack of achievement after striving for an
A+, only to find out the highest achievable grade is an A. The thing that everyone that is
involved has to understand is MOOCs are not the end game, but they get you in the game
(Educause 2014). They expose us to a multitude of information we otherwise would not have
access to.
The MOOC that I participated in was titled Child Nutrition and Cooking. It was
provided through Coursera via Stanford University. The lesson delivers background information
on not just child nutrition, but nutrition in general. The instructor really broke down nutritional
concepts such as the history of the food pyramid, differences in fats, reading a nutrition label,
etc. She also made the learning personal by sharing how she manages to be a working mom,
who is still able to provide her family with healthy meals through a few simple steps.
Participating in The Child Nutrition and Cooking MOOC went really well. The
incorporation of diagrams visually supported my comprehension of concepts that I would usually
find foreign in a lecture. The instructor also incorporated guest speakers in areas that were not
her expertise, such as gardening. All the information was very practical and I could use it right
away. I love the fact that I was able to stop the videos as needed and return to them at my
convenience. It also allowed me to pause and write down a recipe I wanted to use right away.
Although it wasnt required, I found myself taking notes because the material was very
interesting, and it was information I knew I wanted to incorporate into my familys lifestyle.
Small quizzes were imbedded throughout the videos to check for understanding. They helped me
review information and reminded me of the benefits of incorporating exit cards or other mini
Massive Open Online Course
6

quizzes in my own classroom. I also appreciated the opportunity to connect with other
participant through the courses Twitter and Facebook pages. The only thing that I think I would
have included was a pretest for individuals to evaluate and track self-growth.
Overall, the course on Child Nutrition and Cooking provided me with a positive
experience in regards to MOOCs, and I hope to find more that are open ended and just as
flexible. I could see MOOCs benefiting those that are interested in learning, but will not take the
time to read the information in a book. The convenience of being informed through videos would
be very attractive to those of us that lead busy lives. The flexibility of learning, at what you want
to learn, at your convenience, is priceless.
















Massive Open Online Course
7

References
Cormier. D. (2010). What is a MOOC. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW3gMGqcZQc
Educause. (2014). MOOCs and Beyond. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/library/massive-open-online-course-mooc
ED Tech. (2013). What is a MOOC. Retrieved from
http://edtechreview.in/dictionary/198-what-is-a-mooc
Metapress. (2014). Will MOOCs Change the World. Retrieved from
http://marketing.metapress.com/will-moocs-change-the-world/
Stanford University. (2014).Child Nutrition and Cooking. Retieved from
https://www.coursera.org/learn/childnutrition/outline?module=u28df
Straunsheim. C. (2014).Tempered Expectations. Retrieved from
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/15/after-two-years-mooc-mania-
enthusiasm-online-education-dips#sthash.8efAgXlK.dpbs
The New York Times. (2013). Welcome to the Brave New World of MOOCs. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqQNvmQH_YMm