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“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” ~Nelson Mandela
Did you know you can enroll in online college courses today, for free, and be on your way to making a major career shift? Constantly evolving technology makes higher education affordable, easily accessible, and highly flexible.
Innovations in “MOOC”s or massive open online courses* have flung open the doors to higher education. From free neuroscience courses at Harvard to a free photography course created by an esteemed Stanford professor, one can’t help but wonder about the future landscape of brick and mortar education.
MOOCs undoubtedly open doors for segments of the population who may have otherwise found barriers to higher education insurmountable. For example, those who can’t afford traditional enrollment, those living in rural areas with less access, the shy or introverted student who might thrive in a more independent learning environment, the highly advanced student who benefits from self-paced learning, those who suffer from panic or anxiety disorders and do not feel able to enter the classroom, and those who are ill and unable to travel to campus.
The Biggest Names in Online Education
Coursera is a MOOC collaboration between Stanford, University of Pennsylvania, University of Michigan, Johns Hopkins, Duke, and University of California at San Diego. They offer courses, specialization certificates, and full virtual degrees, both free and paid depending on the student’s desired outcome. Coursera was founded in 2012 and has since amassed over 2000 online courses with a user population of over 25 million learners.
Udacity is a respected MOOC developed by Stanford grads that provides affordable tech-focused training and “nanodegres”. Khan Academy has a wider academic scope and is completely free. Ever dreamed of attending MIT? Their courses are free through MITx and OpenCourseWare.
The Classroom of The Future
The common distinction they will no doubt share is that of being at the center of controversy. Over time we will evaluate the form and function of the traditional vs. online classroom, the quality of virtual higher education, and changes in the socialization and maturation of students.
Will technology create an unprecedented collective of human minds? Will it lead to incredible leaps in education access and global innovation? Will computers and internet access be made more accessible to those with barriers and therefore access to higher education a real possibility for all? Should education be free? Will MOOCs fuel a dramatic shift in the face-to-face landscape of the brick and mortar university? What about the rich human experience of attending school in person? How well do we learn from electronics?
To the last question, in 2009 the US Department of Education released a meta-analysis of online and blended learning by K-12 students. According to a synthesis of the study by Inside Higher Ed, “Online learning has definite advantages over face-to-face instruction when it comes to teaching and learning…The study found that students who took all or part of their instruction online performed better, on average, than those taking the same course through face-to-face instruction. Further, those who took "blended" courses—those that combine elements of online learning and face-to-face instruction—appeared to do best of all.”
What has been your experience? Have you taken a MOOC course? Do you feel it helped you land a job or provided you with high quality training? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. If you'd like to explore MOOC offerings around the globe, check out the extensive directory on Mooc List.
*Not all online course offerings are necessarily considered MOOCs. Here's a definition and brief history on Wikipedia.
This article was originally published in 2013 and has been updated with new links, studies, and resources.
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Additional Reading
Who’s Benefiting From MOOCs, and Why? – Harvard Business Review
Why Haven’t MOOCs Eliminated Any Professors – Inside Higher Ed
MOOCs Started Out Completely Free. Where Are They Now? – EdSurge
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Brad Waters, MSW works nationwide with non-traditional career seekers, freelancers, creatives, introverts, Millennials, and corporate career changers. He helps people clarify their career direction and take action on career-life transitions. Brad is also a resume, cover letter, and job interview expert who helps clients perfect their professional narrative. Request a free phone consultation call at BradWatersCoaching.com
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Copyright, 2017 by Brad Waters. This article may not be reproduced or published without permission from the author. If you share it, please give author credit and do not remove embedded links.
