Thank you for taking the time to comment. Firstly this post was written with my tongue very firmly in my cheek and yes it does reflect the “cosy” working world which I am all to aware I am fortunate to be part of.

Far from distaining MOOCs, I’m embracing them and the fantastic opportunity they are giving me and thousands of others. I hope that this is apparent in my other posts about my experiences. I make no claim to be particularly well educated – mainly because I am all to aware that I am not. So I welcome your comments as a counter point to my post and other comments.

I do have concerns that some MOOCs are aimed at “people like me” and aren’t addressing some of the bigger challenges in education our societies faces which need as much investment in face to face teaching as in content development. But they are being seen as “the answer” to what many call our broken education systems.
Sheila

And by people like me let me clarify – with a lifelong love of learning in all it’s diverse forms, financially crushed by the global farce that’s been the world economy for the last five years, and so no longer able to invest in even the simplest educational tools (books!) and for whom the cost of online learning from traditional third level institutions is laughably out of reach – and trust me I’ve tried all the providers and all the funding options, short of streetwalking.

By contrast to people like you, and for you to have any grasp of my perception of people like you, you’ll need to know the route that led me here. Trawling bccampus.ca in the hope of finding some good news on the educational front, I stumble across a post regarding strategic planning, which includes correspondence with Sheila & David K of JISC, which is touted as so insightful and relevant that it must be shared with all.

It opened well, though it took on a puzzling tone, and having read it through, I went back to follow some of the links – which brought me here. Penny drops, light dawns. For insight read cynicism, for relevant read shared stance.

I have to admit to being somewhat dismayed that those who purport to be professionals in the field of the advancement of education across new boundaries, feel it appropriate to publicly snigger and deride an approach still in its infancy. I can only be supremely grateful that such naysayers didn’t manage to deter Gutenberg when he was working out the kinks on his press, or that first nameless individual who came up with the bright if somewhat bizarre idea of turning animal skins into writing surfaces – how you’d have enjoyed making a mockery of that!

But forgive me because it’s apparent that the root of the hilarity is that (God forbid!) if the MOOC approach actually takes root and flourishes, it strikes fear into your very heart doesn’t it? Because where would that leave the exorbitant DVLE offerings that currently fund your smug elitism? Without the ample coin that corporations, colleges and governments currently pay for your ‘insight’ I doubt you’d find it so humorous. Not that I think you have any real cause for fear, since there will always be those who can afford to pay and will do, if only to prove their ability to do so sets them above the masses.

How reassuring to know that the more things change, the more they really fundamentally stay the same.

As an aside, it might interest you to know that many people who engage in the MOOC courses you disdain, have no great interest in the constant sludge of social media. Of those that I’ve taken, twitter has been mentioned once and facebook not at all – for which I confess I am profoundly grateful, being no particular advocate of either. Perhaps if you focused on the content rather than the social whirl, even someone as exceptionally well educated as you purport to be, might actually learn something.

In a traditional classroom setting, you’d be the wittering gossip who’s more interested in discussing what to wear to the rave tonight than paying any attention to the physics problem the teacher is describing – derailing the learning experience for others by forcing the teacher to deal with your insubordination. But thankfully we’re not in that setting, which is why a teacher with thousands of interested students wastes no time on your snidery, you’re not even a blip on their radar.

I was truly heartened to discover MOOCs not just for the increasing range of courses on offer, but also, having dipped my toe, for the depth and quality of the content.

I recognise that nothing I say is likely to have any effect on your mindset, but my purpose is writing is simply to make you aware that there is another point of view, and that there are many people (outside of your cosy world) who benefit from MOOCs in more ways than are dreamt of in your philosphy.

MOOCs may not last forever, what does? But while they’re here, allow those of us without the luxuries of time or money to access traditional education to relish the freedom to learn without your scorn.

MOOC’s will eat themselves !

Sheila

Thanks for commenting – glad you too use the power of cake to get you through things:-) auto correct is my nemesis too. Doing my best to keep up the obsfucations

TIA

Paul

I think the HE approach to learning desperately needs a shake up and its current state of aggresive defensiveness might be an indication that MOOCs are threatening something.