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MOOCs offer UH an opportunity to evolve
By Jessica Crawford
For those who think that massive open online courses are sure to lead to an academic “I, Robot” scenario, in which there is a lone professor out battling against the computers to save the virtue of old-school academia, you could be right.
As times change, people change — in the superficial sense.
In 2013, we have the same fundamental needs as cavemen, but because of evolution and the discovery of fire, we now enjoy a much higher quality of life than they did.
With that being said, I’m sure that even back then, there was the one “hater” caveman who just couldn’t stand fire. Perhaps he thought it would ruin the integrity of the caveman life style. Or maybe, he just didn’t like it because it was new.
There’s a possibility that if UH listened to its detractors in consideration of MOOCs, which offers large-scale availability of online higher-education to anyone who has a computer, we’d be stuck in the dark ages.
“Universities are learning and evolving, and new technologies are constantly being developed and explored,” said Jeff Morgan, interim associate provost for Education and Technology Innovation.
“Online courses have taken shape over the past 15 years, and the Internet, learning management systems, streaming videos and online textbooks are now widely used in many forms of course delivery.”
Though many MOOCs are currently free, Provost Paula Short said in a press release that they could eventually become an additional source of revenue for UH as administrators continue to evaluate how the courses fit with the University’s Tier One goals.
The online courses not only have the possibility of improving UH’s financial status, but they can also offer students previously unheard-of learning opportunities. These opportunities come in the form of working at one’s own pace, enjoying the benefits of open enrollment and saving time and money.
“Georgia Tech recently created an entire online master’s degree as a MOOC that students can purchase for $10,000,” Morgan said.
Still, anyone who is skeptical about the effects MOOCs could have on UH can rest easy at night. Morgan said that traditional education is here to stay for a while.
“There is no plan to replace face-to-face, hybrid, Distance Ed or other online courses at UH with MOOCs,” he said.
We adapted fire to fit our needs. We’ll do the same for education. Neither is going anywhere anytime soon.
Jessica Crawford is a senior broadcast journalism major and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com
Don’t let MOOCs take over the college experience
By James Wang
While MOOCs may help UH keep its promise to Hugh Roy Cullen that we remain “a college for working men and women,” it will also cheapen the college experience for those working people by giving them a reason to be away from the classroom.
According to Jeff Morgan, interim associate provost for Education and Technology Innovation, although there are few for-credit MOOCs, students are able to take an exam for course credit, which would allow them to receive enough credits to graduate without ever stepping foot in an actual college classroom.
While this is a financial bonus for students, this is not so great for universities like UH which are trying to establish a proper college environment.
We as a University have always been looked down on for being the “commuter school” of Texas universities. We lacked the infrastructure, we lacked the athletics, and most importantly, we lacked the vibrant student body that other universities had.
While we’re working on building the University up more and more each year, MOOCs are a potential problem if we are trying to be successful in building that strong student community.
College isn’t about just education. It’s about arguing with peers before and after class about a topic that you intensely care about. It’s about the growing experiences of leaving home and being on your own surrounded by new people in a new place. It’s about putting up with the Greenpeace activists harassing every Jim, Jane and Joseph that pass by the M.D. Anderson Memorial Library.
The main concern about MOOCs isn’t whether it will provide a quality education for cheap. It’s about whether students who use MOOCs will be able to learn the things that can’t be taught inside of a lecture hall.
There’s no doubt that UH will continue to offer MOOCs through Coursera, and Morgan said that there are no plans “to replace face-to-face … courses at UH with MOOCs.” I hope that it stays that way.
Substitute textbooks with MOOCs, and continue to offer MOOCs for free, but never let them get in the way of true face-to-face lectures. While it’s fine to revolutionize and evolve, it’s still important to understand how the old ways benefit us in ways that can’t be shown on graphs and charts.
James Wang is a junior history major and may be reached at opinion@thedailycougar.com