DailyDirt: The Coming Education Revolution

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Mon, Jan 13th 2014 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Providing digitally-distributed educations isn't as scalable as it might seem. Some topics, like math, might be a bit easier to teach with YouTube-esque videos, but some subjects may need a bit more of a human touch. Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are still in the development phase, so they may one day overtake traditional classes (but not right now..). Here are a few online courses to keep an eye on to see if they rate better than "needs improvement" someday.

MIT is starting to offer a big data class online with a MOOC aimed at working professionals (that'll be $495 for four weeks of classes, please). MIT has provided free online course materials for years, but this course is part of the first set of Online X classes. [url]
Minerva is a "startup" university that aims to offer a quality education for less than $20,000 per year. Minerva aspires to have admission standards that are "higher than current Ivy League levels" and focuses on teaching skills rather than traditional academic subjects. [url]
Udacity's Sebastian Thrun knows that developing a MOOC ain't easy, admitting "We have a lousy product." Experiments with online classes apparently are teaching some folks what doesn't work when it comes to teaching. [url]

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Filed Under: big data, college, education, massively open online course, minerva, mit, mooc, online classes, sebastian thrun, students, teaching, udacity, university

15 Comments

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Christopher Best (profile), 13 Jan 2014 @ 4:51pm

$20k a year? Wat?
Even after years and years of inflation increasing tuition costs, you could still get out of my alma mater today for around $5k/year as a full time, in-state student. And I seem to have gotten at least as good of an education as most of my coworkers.

With that in mind, I can't understand how $20k/year for an online education is even remotely attractive.
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G Thompson (profile), 13 Jan 2014 @ 5:44pm

Talking about MOOCs

If anyone is interested (highly relevant for this place.. -I'm looking at you OOTB) Coursera has the FREE 12 week course on US Constitutional Law via Yale university (Professor Akhil Reed Amar ) starting on 27th January 2014.

https://www.coursera.org/course/conlaw

I've enrolled and am looking forward to it, especially since I'm not a US citizen and your US Constitution has always intrigued me.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2014 @ 6:34pm

Re: Thanks
Thanks for sharing this link. I've signed up and am looking forward to these next few weeks.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2014 @ 9:25pm

good luck with that
On average, about 5% of students enrolled in a MOOC actually complete and pass the course. Of course, Thomas Friedman likes them, so hey, go be all bootstrappy and shit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/11/us/after-setbacks-online-courses-are-rethought.html

http://cam pustechnology.com/articles/2013/12/11/what-will-happen-to-moocs-now-that-udacity-is-leaving-higher-e d.aspx

http://www.fastcompany.com/3021473/udacity-sebastian-thrun-uphill-climb
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That One Guy (profile), 14 Jan 2014 @ 4:19am

Re:
The fact that you're even interested in learning about that sort of thing puts you far ahead of most US politicians already.
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Elizabeth (profile), 24 Jun 2014 @ 12:10am

Youtube tutorials are the best way to enhance your knowledge. I have subscribed "Coursework writers by Coursework Home" and they help me in studies.
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Greg Shaw, 6 Dec 2014 @ 11:52am

Providing digitally-distributed educations may like an easy task but there are several complexities when it comes to execution. Great insight though. I have written a research work on how to effectively work this type of education.
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Greg Shaw, 6 Dec 2014 @ 11:56am

Couldn't agree more. But we need more insight into this to get the desired results.
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Giving digitally-appropriated instructions isn't as versatile as it may appear. A few themes, similar to math, may be a bit simpler to educate with YouTube-esque features, however a few subjects may require a bit to a greater degree a human touch.
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