As the media’s infatuation with massive open online courses (MOOCs) continues
unabated, some academics seem to be succumbing to the hand-wringing about whether
MOOCs will destroy higher education as we know it (see “Will MOOCs Destroy Academia?”
by Moshe Vardi in the November 2012 issue of Communications). Is it a bad thing that we
“have let the genie out of the bottle,” as Vardi suggested in his Editor's Letter? I argue that a
close, systematic, and sustained look at how MOOCs are actually being used should persuade
the careful observer that tasteful use of MOOC technology can strengthen academia.
Note I do not say “MOOCs will strengthen academia.” They certainly can, but whether they
do depends on how they are received and used by academics. Full disclosure: 61 being a
MOOC instructor myself, I am the recently appointed faculty director of Berkeley's
MOOCLab, 62 extends Berkeley's existing online education programs with MOOC
research and practice. But I am not cheering for MOOCs because I have this position; 63 ,
I agreed to take the position because I am excited about the possibilities of MOOCs and other
online education. In particular, 64 MOOCs are used as a supplement to classroom
teaching rather than being viewed a replacement for it, they can increase instructor leverage,
student throughput, student mastery, and student engagement. I call this model the SPOC:
small private online course.
【題組】61. (A) so (B) on behalf of (C) upon (D) besides
寫作批改
VIP與詳解卡管理
私人筆記( 0 )
