Online education seems to be picking up. Georgia Tech is offering a new MS in Computer Science and it looks like the first time a traditional (and reputable) brick-and-mortar school is offering a degree via massively open online courses (MOOCs). It's an interesting idea, and I'm watching it closely to see how it unfolds. Will it be a success? More importantly, will the students who graduate with a degree from the program be the same caliber as the more traditional students? Regardless, there's something appealing about earning a degree without having to put on pants.
I've completed 3 degrees completely online and from my experiences I'd say that online education has a few issues and a few strengths. While online courses can be convenient and cost-effective, when you compare online courses to traditional courses, there are a few things missing:
I'd imagine that MOOCs have similar problems, but especially would lack the personal touch. In online courses, this is a problem - but it's exacerbated in a MOOC. Anybody can watch a lecture, just like millions of people can watch a show on television. It might be educational, but you need to *do* to really master the material in most subjects. You need to think more deeply. You need to practice. Without someone to evaluate the work, guide you through the material, or help with advice, it's just self-study. Some of the professors I've had in online courses (and offline ones as well) have been good about evaluating my assignments, but I'm doubtful that several of them have done anything beyond checking to see if anything at all was submitted (I never actually submitted Led Zeppelin lyrics, but I think I could've gotten away with it once or twice). I'd imagine this would be drastically harder to address in a MOOC setting, especially for the type of review and feedback required to help someone through technical courses.
I'm currently teaching Computer Science classes at a traditional university. I really enjoy teaching, but I've found the last year of teaching in a more traditional setting to be hugely more rewarding (when compared to my past teaching experiences). I'm establishing real relationships with students and I feel more useful - more like students care about my advice and are willing to come to me with problems. That personal touch is important.
Establishing relationships is important - but delivering great lectures is also vital. This is where I think there's a problem today that MOOCs can address. Look at the professors who have taught the classes you've taken. Some might have been really helpful, but how many can you say were great lecturers? Beyond that, how many could you say were possibly amongst the top 10 lecturers in the topic?
The question on my mind is, "Why *shouldn't* you learn from one of the best?" I expect at some point in the future, an education model might emerge where the top lecturers record material and license it to other universities or provide it as the lecture portion of a MOOC. A new class of "professor" could be employed in student success, guiding students through assignments, providing feedback, and generally helping students with that one-on-one touch. When it comes right down to it, there's not really a strong reason that we need to have 1800 different "Intro to Computer Science" lectures given by 1800 different professors in this country, especially if those efforts could be re-focused on working directly with students.
As online education expands, it's likely to impact the way traditional education operates and improve efficiency. A wave of more knowledgeable graduates could trigger a virtuous cycle of innovation as future graduates improve education which will improve future graduates. We've been teaching and learning the same way for decades, so I'm really excited to see where the changes lead.
I've completed 3 degrees completely online and from my experiences I'd say that online education has a few issues and a few strengths. While online courses can be convenient and cost-effective, when you compare online courses to traditional courses, there are a few things missing:
- When you're dealing with group work, you don't have to look anybody in the eye and this impacts trust, relationships, and commitment. Until I started using Google Hangouts to do group meetings virtually face-to-face, I really dreaded group projects in online classes.
- A lot of the time, you can learn most of what you need by reading the book instead of watching any lectures or reading any class notes.
- Online exams often turn into an exercise in looking answers up in a book very quickly.
- It's hard to form friendships with classmates or relationships with professors.
I'd imagine that MOOCs have similar problems, but especially would lack the personal touch. In online courses, this is a problem - but it's exacerbated in a MOOC. Anybody can watch a lecture, just like millions of people can watch a show on television. It might be educational, but you need to *do* to really master the material in most subjects. You need to think more deeply. You need to practice. Without someone to evaluate the work, guide you through the material, or help with advice, it's just self-study. Some of the professors I've had in online courses (and offline ones as well) have been good about evaluating my assignments, but I'm doubtful that several of them have done anything beyond checking to see if anything at all was submitted (I never actually submitted Led Zeppelin lyrics, but I think I could've gotten away with it once or twice). I'd imagine this would be drastically harder to address in a MOOC setting, especially for the type of review and feedback required to help someone through technical courses.
I'm currently teaching Computer Science classes at a traditional university. I really enjoy teaching, but I've found the last year of teaching in a more traditional setting to be hugely more rewarding (when compared to my past teaching experiences). I'm establishing real relationships with students and I feel more useful - more like students care about my advice and are willing to come to me with problems. That personal touch is important.
Establishing relationships is important - but delivering great lectures is also vital. This is where I think there's a problem today that MOOCs can address. Look at the professors who have taught the classes you've taken. Some might have been really helpful, but how many can you say were great lecturers? Beyond that, how many could you say were possibly amongst the top 10 lecturers in the topic?
The question on my mind is, "Why *shouldn't* you learn from one of the best?" I expect at some point in the future, an education model might emerge where the top lecturers record material and license it to other universities or provide it as the lecture portion of a MOOC. A new class of "professor" could be employed in student success, guiding students through assignments, providing feedback, and generally helping students with that one-on-one touch. When it comes right down to it, there's not really a strong reason that we need to have 1800 different "Intro to Computer Science" lectures given by 1800 different professors in this country, especially if those efforts could be re-focused on working directly with students.
As online education expands, it's likely to impact the way traditional education operates and improve efficiency. A wave of more knowledgeable graduates could trigger a virtuous cycle of innovation as future graduates improve education which will improve future graduates. We've been teaching and learning the same way for decades, so I'm really excited to see where the changes lead.
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