how is mooc different from traditional course

by Julianne Pagac 3 min read

Traditional courses are static — the content, learning activities, and so on are designed before launch and the same for every learner, every time. This is not necessarily true of MOOCs. Instead, through the discussions, collaboration, and sharing that are part of the MOOC context, the course can change over time.

Students who choose to participate in MOOCs are motivated differently than those who enroll in traditional online courses. Traditionally, no credits are earned by taking a MOOC. Students are instead motivated by personal interest or professional development. The nature of a MOOC is changing.

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What is the difference between a MOOC and an online course?

Jan 30, 2014 · It seems nearly everyone agrees that MOOCs – massive open online courses - signal the end of traditional universities and sharply climbing tuition. Proposals by state legislators aim to substitute online courses for in-person public university education. Online course enrollment has risen 29% since 2010, while conventional university course enrollment …

What are MOOCs and how do they work?

Differences between a MOOC Course and Traditional Online Course. Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, are changing the way we learn online. A MOOC allows a large number of students to learn online at their own pace. Students use open-source material and peer feedback to interact within the course. Top universities like Stanford and MIT are offering students …

Are MOOCs as good as degrees?

MOOC: Delivery. Lectures are pre-recorded; All content is available from the start; Self-paced / customized learning path; Feedback is dependent on classmates; Course is open-ended with no due dates : Traditional Online Courses: Delivery. Often include live lectures; Content is often locked until it is completed by the student

What is the difference between DOCC and MOOCs?

A massive open online course (MOOC / m uː k /) or an open online course is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the Web. In addition to traditional course materials, such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive courses with user forums or social media discussions to support community interactions …

How do MOOCs differ from traditional learning?

MOOCs: In MOOCs, the teachers use conferencing software to bring a number of students to together for a discussion on a topic. Here the class size is virtually unlimited. 5. Conventional Mode: The learners have to attend classes on a definite time and have to participate in the teaching and learning process.

How are MOOCs different from other distance courses?

Unlike an online course which focuses more on content, MOOCs focus more on context. Good content is a prerequisite to creating a MOOC but what keeps it going is dynamic building up of context around the content. Online courses are close-ended with static content. The content in a MOOC is not static.Jun 26, 2014

What is the difference between massive open online course and ubiquitous learning?

In MOOCs, students have access to free information in a ubiquitous learning environment regardless of the time and place of study. This emergent change could decrease the significance of classes on the one hand, and the role of teaching in transferring information to students on the other hand.Sep 25, 2018

What are the 5 benefits of MOOC?

Here are 11 advantages and benefits of MOOCs.Offer a variety of subjects. ... Let you test out your major before committing. ... Familiarize you with college-level learning before enrolling. ... Prepare you academically for college. ... Learn from peers around the world. ... They're open to everyone. ... MOOCs are available in different languages.More items...•Dec 6, 2020

What are the pros and cons of MOOCs?

The resources are also accessible without any cost through a search engine like Google, Yahoo, etc. MOOCs have the biggest advantage in that students can access them without any cost....Disadvantages Of MOOCsHigh attrition rates. ... Not meant for students with disabilities. ... No special attention. ... Unable to pay attention.More items...•Dec 5, 2020

Which MOOC is based on traditional university?

xMOOC - xMOOC stands for eXtended Massive Open Online Course. These MOOCs are based on traditional university courses. The advantage of xMOOCs: They significantly broaden the number of students who can be exposed to university-level courses.

What is MOOC education?

A massive open online course (MOOC) is a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a course, with no limit on attendance.

Are MOOCs asynchronous?

MOOCS are asynchronous, open-access, Web-based courses geared toward enrolling hundreds or thousands of students at a time. MOOCs deliver content via recorded video lectures, online readings, and online assessments, as well as various degrees of student-student and student-instructor interaction.Feb 28, 2021

What are the different types of MOOCs?

MOOCs are divided into various different types such as cMOOCs, xMOOCs, all of which have significant theoretical differences. In this regard, MOOCs must be analyzed and evaluated based on learning theories such as behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism.May 13, 2015

What are the advantages of mooc in terms of education?

Courses are flexible, you can start now and study at your own pace. Being able to register for free and many MOOCs are free certificate courses. Engage and feedback with your fellow learners. Deadlines are flexible according to your schedule.Jul 10, 2019

What are the advantages of MOOCs in education?

The Advantages of MOOCs:Courses are offered for free.Access to courses offered by professors at the top schools.Courses are available to a vast and diverse audience across the globe.Learners' performance can be monitored easily using the data captured during the start of courses.More items...•Jul 7, 2020

How can mooc help students?

By offering low-cost courses to an unlimited number of students, MOOCs validate an informal learning model. Most people enrolled in MOOCs are not college students seeking a degree, but rather students looking for personal enrichment and lifelong learning opportunities.

What is MOOC in education?

A MOOC allows a large number of students to learn online at their own pace. Students use open-source material and peer feedback to interact within the course.

Why is it important to attract a large number of students to a course?

The ability to attract a large number of students to a course can bring exposure to a university and potentially increase enrollment.

Why are MOOCs so popular?

Because MOOCs attract so many students with various goals, it can be more difficult to build relationships than in an online degree program. (Getty Images) Massive open online courses, or MOOCs, offer a great opportunity for prospective students to learn more about almost any topic imaginable.

What is an online degree?

An online degree gives you greater access to professors. In most free MOOCs, your grades come from either automatically graded assessments or peer-to-peer reviews from other students.. You may get a thoughtful comment from a classmate who cares offering an honest opinion that can help you improve your understanding of the subject.

What is online graduate degree?

The takeaway: An online graduate degree has rigorous assignments graded by professors and might require a lot of student group work. Compared with MOOCs, it can offer a more individualized learning approach, a more respected credential and greater opportunities to form personal relationships and widen your professional network. Tags: MOOCs, , , ,

What should prospective students expect from an online degree?

3. Prospective students should expect to invest more in an online degree. Top educational institutions offer high-quality classes no matter whether they are on campus or online. By enrolling in an online program, a student should expect to invest significant time and effort into earning a well-respected credential.

Why do people get online degrees?

An online degree allows for more interaction with classmates. Sharing experiences may come more naturally to a closed group of people. When there are hundreds, if not just dozens, of students in an online degree program course, students get to know their peers on a personal level.

Do online degrees require group work?

2. An online degree often requires group work. When I enrolled in MOOCs, there was no teamwork involved in my courses, and each assignment was either an essay or a quiz. That approach is different from the real corporate world, where you will likely work in teams regularly.

Do MOOCs offer certificates of completion?

Some MOOCs offer statements of accomplishment and certificates of completion, depending on whether it is a free or paid course, but it may take a long time for major national employers to take those certificates as seriously as degrees, if ever. 4. An online degree allows for more interaction with classmates.

What are MOOCs in higher education?

MOOCs are widely seen as a major part of a larger disruptive innovation taking place in higher education. In particular, the many services offered under traditional university business models are predicted to become unbundled and sold to students individually or in newly formed bundles. These services include research, curriculum design, content generation (such as textbooks), teaching, assessment and certification (such as granting degrees) and student placement. MOOCs threaten existing business models by potentially selling teaching, assessment, or placement separately from the current package of services.

How does MOOCs help learners?

The learning environments of MOOCs make it easier for learners across the globe to work together on common goals. Instead of having to physically meet one another, online collaboration creates partnerships among learners. While time zones may have an effect on the hours that learners communicate, projects, assignments, and more can be completed to incorporate the skills and resources that different learners offer no matter where they are located. Distance and collaboration can benefit learners who may have struggled with traditionally more individual learning goals, including learning how to write.

What are the barriers to MOOCs for ELLs?

Language of instruction is one of the major barriers that ELLs face in MOOCs. In recent estimates, almost 75% of MOOC courses are presented in the English language, however, native English speakers are a minority among the world's population. This issue is mitigated by the increasing popularity of English as a global language, and therefore has more second language speakers than any other language in the world. This barrier has encouraged content developers and other MOOC stakeholders to develop content in other popular languages to increase MOOC access. However, research studies show that some ELLs prefer to take MOOCs in English, despite the language challenges, as it promotes their goals of economic, social, and geographic mobility. This emphasizes the need to not only provide MOOC content in other languages, but also to develop English language interventions for ELLs who participate in English MOOCs.

Why are MOOCs important?

MOOCs are regarded by many as an important tool to widen access to higher education (HE) for millions of people, including those in the developing world, and ultimately enhance their quality of life. MOOCs may be regarded as contributing to the democratisation of HE, not only locally or regionally but globally as well. MOOCs can help democratise content and make knowledge reachable for everyone. Students are able to access complete courses offered by universities all over the world, something previously unattainable. With the availability of affordable technologies, MOOCs increase access to an extraordinary number of courses offered by world-renowned institutions and teachers.

What are the factors that cause inequality?

From their research, there are three main factors that cause inequality, which are degree of education, experience of MOOCs and gender. The survey shows that 18% of high-education students complete the course while only 3% low-education students complete.

How many hours do professors spend on MOOCs?

The professors then spent 8–10 hours per week on the course, including participation in discussion forums.

What technology was used to host the MOOC?

The technology used to host the MOOC was the Galileo Educational System platform (GES) which is based on the .LRN project. "Gender Through Comic Books" was a course taught by Ball State University 's Christina Blanch on Instructure's Canvas Network, a MOOC platform launched in November 2012.

What is the completion rate for online courses?

The completion rate for online courses is 93.3 per cent.

How old do you have to be to take online courses?

Students who enrol in online courses are a varied bunch. They are usually somewhere between 18 and 50, are employed, already have a degree or certificate, and choose to study for a career change, self-development or to get a job.

Is online learning a brick and mortar?

Online courses are often tied to bricks-and-mortar providers and therefore can relate more closely to their locality. Though they are online, most providers encourage participation in discussion groups with local students.

Why are MOOCs important?

As corporate training struggles to keep up with changing knowledge, changing technologies, and the changing demands of learners , this flexibility is key to developing training programs that are effective, engaging, and meet your company’s needs.

Why are MOOCs so dynamic?

Since MOOCs are continuous and dynamic, they provide the opportunity for just-in-time learning: learners can access the course materials when needed and they can access them long after the course has ended. Learners can potentially login on an indefinite basis to participate in discussions and share knowledge.

Why are MOOCs based on bite sized learning?

This means that the course materials and discussions can change as a product of user-generated content and knowledge sharing. In addition, because MOOCs are based on the concept of bite-sized learning , individual learning objects can easily be replaced to keep up with current knowledge and best practices.

How do instructional designers work?

Usually, with traditional courses, instructional designers start with a set of learning objectives and then work with subject matter experts to develop content to help learners meet those objectives. The course is designed with an authoring tool, loaded into an LMS, and then everyone crosses their fingers and hopes for the best. It’s a pre-defined, pre-built package based on assumptions that may or may not be correct, but the results aren’t analyzed until the end (if they are analyzed at all).

What is traditional course?

By now, you’re probably starting to notice a pattern. Traditional courses — which are discrete and static — are offered just-in-case. This means that learners work through the material, but then may or may not have the opportunity to use their newly acquired knowledge before they’ve forgotten it.

What is Bryant's role in education?

Bryant is a entrepreneur, trainer, and strategic training adviser for many organizations. Bryant’s business career has been based on his results-oriented style ...

Can MOOCs be run on an ongoing basis?

Like instructor-led training (ILT), this is usually a result of the instructor cost and schedule. MOOCs can be run this way, but they can also be offered on an ongoing basis to accommodate staggered enrollments. For example, the same orientation MOOC can be used (at the same time if needed) for new hires who start a week or a month (or a year) ...

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