The Future of MOOCs: Adaptive Learning or Business Model?

From Digital Culture & Society

Daniel, J., Vázquez Cano, E., & Gisbert Cervera, M. (2015). The Future of MOOCs: Adaptive Learning or Business Model? International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 12(1), 64–73. https://doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v12i1.2475

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Contents 1 Context 2 Overview 3 Research Design and Hypothesis 4 Strengths and Weaknesses 5 Assessment

[edit] Context

Currently, a lot of MOOCs are created using standard distance learning models, consisting of a forum and a library of videos, but they do not provide personalized and adaptive learning. These characteristics must be the primary difficulties for the upcoming years, together with the calibre of the training program. These kinds of courses can play a foundational role in higher education, not just in nations where MOOCs are already available but also in less developed nations. MOOCs must use various teaching techniques to encourage individualized learning and provide some kind of certification or accreditation to make this feasible. If we examine MOOCs from five perspectives—the teaching model, monetization, certification, adaptive learning, and MOOCs for developing nations—we can better understand their future.

[edit] Overview

This article discusses what MOOCs are and immediately informs the reader of the trends and challenges to ensure MOOCs have a sustainable future. The article then discusses the MOOCs teaching model which is known as the xMOOC model, initiated in 2012, and showed little change by 2014, maintaining low completion rates. Challenges exist in running cMOOCs on major platforms due to limitations in interaction. xMOOCs face criticism for their linear structure and lack of interactivity, with doubts about their novelty compared to watching online videos. Evidence suggests MOOCs enhance rather than replace traditional education. To secure their future, MOOCs must address fundamental questions about their teaching model. Then this article provides us with their fundamental questions to secure the future of MOOCs. These questions include: can MOOCs solve the problems and dysfunctions in mass education resulting from an unfavourable instructor-to-student ratio? Also, Can MOOCs even reverse the pattern of one (instructor) to many students toward “many to one ”or“ many to many”? The article Business Model from “Freemium” to Premium” is mentioned and explained while addressing certification and accreditation as well as adaptive learning.

[edit] Research Design and Hypothesis

These questions include: can MOOCs solve the problems and dysfunctions in mass education resulting from an unfavourable instructor-to-student ratio? Also, Can MOOCs even reverse the pattern of one (instructor) to many students toward “many to one ”or“ many to many”? Without an adequate answer to these teaching challenges, MOOCs will probably not have a significant future. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have prompted higher education institutions to reconsider their roles in a changing world. With around 4,000 MOOCs worldwide, the original cMOOCs and xMOOCs have diversified, rendering the term "MOOC" less precise. The current trend involves the gradual expansion and improvement of online teaching and learning for regular courses and programs that lead to academic credits and degrees. Looking ahead, MOOCs are likely to be viewed as a crucial milestone in higher education's evolution towards internet integration, rather than being inherently significant.

[edit] Strengths and Weaknesses

Throughout this article, we can see strengths such as providing the reader with a comprehensive overview as they provide the current state of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), discussing their growth, characteristics, and potential impact on higher education. The article is also well-structured and organized into different sections that address key dimensions of MOOCs, such as the teaching model, business model, certification, adaptive learning, and their applicability in developing countries. Some weaknesses include the lack of updated data as the article mentions that MOOCs have over 5 million students worldwide, but the information may be outdated as it doesn't specify the publication date. Including more recent statistics would strengthen the article's credibility. The article also has an Incomplete examination of adaptive Learning because the article introduces adaptive learning as a potential solution for improving MOOCs but does not delve deeply into this aspect. Providing more insights into how adaptive learning could be implemented and its potential benefits would enhance the article's completeness.

[edit] Assessment

This article is important because it addresses the English Roman Catholic cardinal John Henry Newman characterized the post-Enlightenment university as a forum for the personal and regional interchange of ideas. He warned that higher education could become inflexible and lifeless without this human touch. This caution applies to Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs, which are changing quickly due to new user demographics and pedagogical strategies. It is anticipated that MOOCs will undergo modifications in the areas of teaching models, monetization tactics, certification procedures, adaptive learning, and the use of MOOCs in underdeveloped nations. Because MOOCs are dynamic, it is possible that they will change drastically from their current shape in the future.

Er19az 17:24, 7 December 2023 (UTC)