Disadvantages and Advantages of Massive Online Courses - Literature review Example

Disadvantages and Advantages of Massive Online Courses Name Institution Course Date Disadvantages and Advantages of Massive Online Courses Literature Review Introduction The use of computers has greatly infiltrated into every day’s activities. More often than not, people find themselves in situations where they have to make use of computer applications. This has greatly changed the manner in which people engage in different activities, including education. Massive Online Courses have become a reality. As a way of evaluating the quality of education, there is need to review literature as to how MOOC has benefited or otherwise affected the learning environment. This review looks at literature from peer reviewed articles, credible writers, and trusted dailies with regard to the effect of MOOC. The literature ranges between 2010 and 2013, with most references being dated 2013. As such, the information is very up to date. Ideas in Literature Martin (2012, p. 26) indicates that the main concern over MOOC can be attributed to the fact that it changes the manner in which teaching is done. Traditionally, teaching took place in a classroom setting where the teacher and students sat in the same room. This is no longer the case after inception of MOOC. The teaching methods have greatly evolved to include use of videos; whether individual or video-conferencing. As such, there is no direct interaction between the teacher and the students (Yuan and Powell, 2013, p. 33). This is a great diversion from the normal teaching methods. Despite this challenge, Yuan and Powell (2013, p. 5) indicate that a lot of institutions seem to be falling for this method of learning. As a matter of fact, Clougherty and Popova (2013, p. 10) indicate that there is an aspect of overcrowding in these classes. The method is not only favored by the institutions, but also by the learners. This is mainly because there is a kind of euphoria where people tend to go for the digital practice (McAuley, Stewart, Siemens, & Cornier, 2010). One fact that has to be appreciated is that despite the move to the digital era in education, there are some challenges as well as advantages associated with it. On the lighter side, it is evident that MOOC provides cheap, fast, and affordable education to the students (Gupta and Sambyal, 2013, p. 2). This implies that individuals who cannot afford the freight, accommodation, and other school charges can choose to learn from home, yet gain the same qualifications as those who went to school. Similarly, the system gives a chance to the adult learners who might have much commitment either at work or with their families. MOOC gives them a chance to keep track of their academics amidst their tight schedules. As such, Gupta and Sambyal (2013, p. 5) indicates that MOOC is a channel that helps many to easily achieve their career targets. After all, technology is supposed to make life easier. Davidson (2013, Para 1) further indicates that learners can reap from this technology as long as they make proper use of it. Nicoara (2013, p. 644) also indicates other benefits that can be derived from MOOC. She argues that through the system, learning goes well beyond the confines of the school. School apprenticeship is not the focal mode of learning. Rather, students are required to open up their minds to more possibilities. There is also much flexibility in this form of learning. Nicoara (2013, p.644) indicates that the learning environment is very flexible. As a matter of fact, a student can continue with the learning process wherever they are, as long as they have access to internet connectivity. This makes the learning experience quiet enjoyable. Despite these benefits, there are some shortcomings associated with MOOC. These act as the basis on which the critics of online learning air their views. The main argument is that the students undergoing this kind of education do not get adequate, quality training (Arizona Daily, 2013, Para 1). The argument is that students going through the system do not get enough time to interact with their teachers or supervisors. As such, the progress of the student in learning cannot be adequately traced. For this reason, the education delivered to the students is of lower quality than is expected. Another challenge arises from the fact that a lot of people tend to go for this mode of learning (Clougherty and Popova, 2013, p. 11). This implies that at any given time, a lot of student try to log in to a given site. This causes a lot of cloud overcrowding. There can be delays in connectivity and other associated problems. All these make it quiet hard to learn effectively through this system. At times, the stress on the students is so much as they have to get the information from the web. It also makes work harder for the teachers as they have to prepare online lessons for the online students on top of the classes which run normally. The tutors have to adapt to the new teaching methods, something that can be more draining for them (Yuan and Powell, 2013, p. 5). Conclusion Based on this review, it emerges that MOOC has greatly infiltrated into the modern society. As people seek to satisfy their hunger for knowledge, they leave no stones unturned. MOOC has become quite popular in the modern day as a mode of learning, being preferred by both the learners and the teaching institutions. However, it emerges that there are the good and bad sides of the system. On the positive, MOOC offers flexible, affordable, convenient, and accessible education for students from all over the world. This implies that even people who are tied down by their commitments can still pursue their careers. On the negative, it emerges that MOOC disrupts the normal order in classes. It turns the education system upside down with the teachers having to adopt and adapt to the new teaching systems. The system has also been accused of producing half-baked students due to cloud overcrowding, lack of proper supervision, and other technicalities that lower the quality of education. Based on these benefits and challenges, individuals seeking to go the MOOC way should weigh their options cautiously before making a decision as whether to or not to join MOOC learning system. Bibliography Arizona Daily. 2013. “Massive Open Online Courses Don’t Provide Quality Education.” Daily Wildcat.com, Sept. 25, 2013. Calter, M. 2013. “MOOCs and the Library: Engaging with Evolving Pedagogy.” IFLA WLIC, Stanford University, California, USA, pp. 1-7. Clougherty, R.J. & Popova, V. 2013. “Review: Crowdsourcing to Assess MOOC: A Position Paper.” MOOC Forum, DOI: 10.1089/mooc2013.0004. Davidson, C.N. 2013. “Advice for Middle-Age Seekers of MOOCs, Part 2.” The New York Times, Sept. 11, 2013. Gupta, R. & Sambyal, N. 2013. “An Understanding Approach Towards MOOCs.” International Journal of Emerging Technology and Advanced Engineering, Vol. 3(6), pp. 312-315. Martin, G.F. 2013. “Will Massive Open Online Courses Change How We Teach?” Communications of the ACM, Vol. 55(8), pp. 26-28. McAuley, A. et al. 2010. “The MOOC Model for Digital Practice.” MOOC: Digital Ways o Knowing and Learning, 2010. Nicoara, E.S. 2013. “The Impact of Massive Online Open Courses in Academic Environments.” Central and Eastern European Online Library, pp. 644-670. Yuan & Powell. 2013. MOOCs and Open Education: Implications for Higher Education. Cestis, Bolton: University of Bolton. Yuan & Powell. 2013. MOOCs and Disruptive Innovation: Implications for Higher Education. Cestis, Bolton: University of Bolton. Read More