"EDUCAUSE Sprint 2013: Beyond MOOC's" Response

This article defines the transition most higher educational facilities are making to MOOC's, which are basically massive online classrooms. It is stated that these classrooms offer more versatility and room for change than do the old, lecture style classrooms of college campuses. The benefits of MOOC's are the immediate response of a professor, the ability to work on the class at any hour, and the incorporation of simulated aspects that can supplement learning. It also states that these MOOC's offer the possibility of finishing a class based on competency rather than time. An accelerated student may finish in 3 weeks whereas one that struggles may finish in 20. The article makes clear that we have taken a shift from being the "informational age" to the "connected age." Whereas I do agree with some of the beneficial aspects of the MOOC's, there are some glaring negatives that were not mentioned. As I am currently in an online class, the most inconvenient aspect is the inability to get in contact with the professor. If your professor is not communicable by email, you have no way of getting in touch with him/her because you are not able to meet face to face. Also, I, personally, have felt that I have learned nothing from my online class, whereas I absorb substantially more information from my face-to-face lectures. Finally, I am concerned about the ability to finish a course based on competency. I would love this transition for myself, but I must say it creates a distinct division among students. Those that are not quite as fast of a learner will be notably left behind in college. Whether that is fair or not, I do not know, but it would be a definite change in how things are run.