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James, a 17-year-old high school student from rural Georgia, took his first MOOC when he was just 15. Since then, he’s completed four others in a variety of subjects. With hopes of pursuing a career in chemical engineering, MOOCs have helped set James in the right direction. “MOOCs have definitely helped me decide on my future major,” he says. “Without them, I probably would not have gotten the opportunity to explore different areas, such as energy.”
How MOOCs caught James’ eye
James became aware of MOOCs when his mom sent him a text one day after reading an article in the New York Times. The text went something along the lines of, “How did that Chemistry test go? Also, Google ‘MOOCs’ when you get home.” James did exactly that, and there was no looking back. “I took them just because they looked interesting, plus I really hate to quit something after I start it.” James’ first MOOC was about the pharmaceutical industry. “I remember sitting down one night and watching a video. And another. Then one more. I realized I not only actually understood what was going on in the introduction, but I was actually learning something. I could answer the practice questions without skimming back through the video. This was really appealing to me, and it was about 11:30 p.m. when I quit doing the activities. That was my best experience.” James went on to complete further science courses on the MOOC platform edX. He also started a few he never finished. For example, he got through several weeks of a “Cooking in Chemistry” class, but had to quit when he became too busy with three Advanced Placement classes at school.
“It takes a special kind of high schooler to take a MOOC”
James goes to a public high school that has a limited selection of classes, which is partly the reason for his interest in MOOCs. But James’ keen interest in taking his education into his own hands remains unusual. None of his friends have ever taken one: “I think it takes a special kind of high schooler to take a MOOC.” When asked if he thinks MOOCs are well suited to high school students, James replied that most students would not be interested or motivated enough to complete one. “They are pretty repetitive: watch a video, answer two questions, watch another video, match up some terms, take a quiz, repeat,” he adds. Drawing from his personal experience with online courses, James believes MOOCs need to be more interactive if they are to capture the attention and interest of high schoolers.
Questionable grading scales and stuffy forums
James doesn’t think the MOOCs he’s taken were particularly difficult, though. He says, “As long as I put in effort, I could easily get an A.” However, in some instances, James questioned the grading scales used, particularly with a peer reviewed assignment that represented 30 percent of the final grade. MOOC forums are another thorn in James’ side. “They are usually just people posting required (or encouraged) little discussions about the assignments”, he says. For this reason, James rarely interacts in the forums, although he does have a look to see what other people are having trouble with or talking about.
Online courses will never replace traditional classes
Overall, James’ MOOC journey so far has been a very successful one, and he sees online learning as a useful supplement to traditional classes, sometimes even an alternative. When asked if he intended to take any more MOOCs, James replied, “Definitely! I am probably going to take AP Environmental Science and possibly one in advanced Spanish.” But, in his opinion, e-learning will never present a threat to physical campuses. “Students need hands-on experience and also skills working with people. An online class cannot replace these. For example, I cannot go in my kitchen and do a chemistry lab involving a fume hood. I don’t have one, and I’m pretty sure no one else does either.”
MOOCs for high schoolers
It is the likes of James that the new High School initiative from MOOC provider edX hopes to capture. The MOOC platform has recently launched a series of MOOCs geared specifically towards high school aged learners. The AP level courses taught by high school instructors and university professors cover subjects such as physics, environmental science and chemistry. EdX CEO Anant Agarwal is hopeful middle and high school students will grow to represent a third of his company’s learners.” The big question to consider here is whether James is an exception to the rule: Do school aged students really have the drive and self-discipline required to complete these online courses? Certainly, James is proof that it CAN be done.
———————–
Carolyn McIntyre is CEO of MoocLab.club, a community website connecting people to online learning via forums, information, independent reviews and more.
This post originally appeared on MoocLab.
Continue reading...
How MOOCs caught James’ eye
James became aware of MOOCs when his mom sent him a text one day after reading an article in the New York Times. The text went something along the lines of, “How did that Chemistry test go? Also, Google ‘MOOCs’ when you get home.” James did exactly that, and there was no looking back. “I took them just because they looked interesting, plus I really hate to quit something after I start it.” James’ first MOOC was about the pharmaceutical industry. “I remember sitting down one night and watching a video. And another. Then one more. I realized I not only actually understood what was going on in the introduction, but I was actually learning something. I could answer the practice questions without skimming back through the video. This was really appealing to me, and it was about 11:30 p.m. when I quit doing the activities. That was my best experience.” James went on to complete further science courses on the MOOC platform edX. He also started a few he never finished. For example, he got through several weeks of a “Cooking in Chemistry” class, but had to quit when he became too busy with three Advanced Placement classes at school.
“It takes a special kind of high schooler to take a MOOC”
James goes to a public high school that has a limited selection of classes, which is partly the reason for his interest in MOOCs. But James’ keen interest in taking his education into his own hands remains unusual. None of his friends have ever taken one: “I think it takes a special kind of high schooler to take a MOOC.” When asked if he thinks MOOCs are well suited to high school students, James replied that most students would not be interested or motivated enough to complete one. “They are pretty repetitive: watch a video, answer two questions, watch another video, match up some terms, take a quiz, repeat,” he adds. Drawing from his personal experience with online courses, James believes MOOCs need to be more interactive if they are to capture the attention and interest of high schoolers.
Questionable grading scales and stuffy forums
James doesn’t think the MOOCs he’s taken were particularly difficult, though. He says, “As long as I put in effort, I could easily get an A.” However, in some instances, James questioned the grading scales used, particularly with a peer reviewed assignment that represented 30 percent of the final grade. MOOC forums are another thorn in James’ side. “They are usually just people posting required (or encouraged) little discussions about the assignments”, he says. For this reason, James rarely interacts in the forums, although he does have a look to see what other people are having trouble with or talking about.
Online courses will never replace traditional classes
Overall, James’ MOOC journey so far has been a very successful one, and he sees online learning as a useful supplement to traditional classes, sometimes even an alternative. When asked if he intended to take any more MOOCs, James replied, “Definitely! I am probably going to take AP Environmental Science and possibly one in advanced Spanish.” But, in his opinion, e-learning will never present a threat to physical campuses. “Students need hands-on experience and also skills working with people. An online class cannot replace these. For example, I cannot go in my kitchen and do a chemistry lab involving a fume hood. I don’t have one, and I’m pretty sure no one else does either.”
MOOCs for high schoolers
It is the likes of James that the new High School initiative from MOOC provider edX hopes to capture. The MOOC platform has recently launched a series of MOOCs geared specifically towards high school aged learners. The AP level courses taught by high school instructors and university professors cover subjects such as physics, environmental science and chemistry. EdX CEO Anant Agarwal is hopeful middle and high school students will grow to represent a third of his company’s learners.” The big question to consider here is whether James is an exception to the rule: Do school aged students really have the drive and self-discipline required to complete these online courses? Certainly, James is proof that it CAN be done.
———————–
Carolyn McIntyre is CEO of MoocLab.club, a community website connecting people to online learning via forums, information, independent reviews and more.
This post originally appeared on MoocLab.
Continue reading...
