MOOC’s are a word for forgetting that universities have never grown without being planted, for trusting that just as students can teach themselves, universities will magically grow themselves, too.
In the 21st century, many universities have been changing their game and debilitating higher education by turning it into a corporate ordeal. There have been feeble attempts to reform the modern university and among them are MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses.
At The New Inquiry, Aaron Bady expounds upon the very conspicuous flaws that MOOCs present. Sure, they’re cheap and there’s no commute required, but overall, the program is severely diluting the model of a classroom. If you think that lecture halls are too big, consider a MOOC, which typically has a ratio of one teacher to 100,000 plus students.
As our society puts a stronger demand on college degrees, we have only seen tuition skyrocket and the number of professors dwindle. Is implementing a system that basically renders students livestock really the solution to reversing the struggles of higher education?
For more MOOC discussion, check out what they have to say at Inside Higher Ed, The Daily Californian, and The Awl.
