Reflection on the Readings
The Coogle was focused on the emergence of the MOOC as a medium of distance education. I found it odd that the authors feel that a MOOC is not disruptive while working in the DE field themselves at the Open University in the Netherlands. It seems that the Open University concept is disruptive by its very nature.
After reading the Martinez article, I was struck by the discussion of the issue of DE in 2006 and their common issue of acceptance and perceived quality with MOOCs today. I don’t have a crystal ball, but if I were a betting man, I would not be surprised if some state high schools and universities were to adopt the MOOC model for foundational courses within a decade.
The reason discussion may sound very similar to the discussion in Martinez’s article. With a statement from the state that “A MOOC model has been adopted for all foundational course because we have identified the preeminent authority in the state. This change will allow us to lower the tuition for these classes to $99.00, thus increasing access while making education more affordable for all residents statewide”.
I hope this glum vision does not come to bear because I feel that while a MOOC may provide access for some students, many learn more than what is on the syllabus in a face to face classroom model, but I am feeling pessimistic tonight and expect this vision will happen sooner rather than later.