Dive Summary:
- Some academics who study MOOCs worry that the enthusiasm for the online courses is getting ahead of itself, with relatively little research into their effectiveness and high expectations that may be out of sync with what the courses can deliver.
- Student sign-ups alone don't tell the whole story: While MOOC providers like EdX and Coursera have signed up millions of people, about 90% of people who register for a MOOC fail to complete it.
- One college administrator tempers the MOOC craze by pointing out that the American Council on Education has recommended only 10 MOOCs for credit.
From the article:
... “Everyone in the research field agrees that, for the particular purpose of replacing on-campus education, the evidence [for MOOCs] is ambiguous at best,” said Andrew Ho, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and research director for HarvardX. “Far more research is needed. And we’re conducting some of it. But we’re way out over our skis when it comes to that particular purpose of MOOCs.” ...
