دانلود رایگان مقاله دوره های SPOCs، موک، رسانه های اجتماعی و کوکی مونستر

Abstract

Distance learning–—that is, providing education to students who are separated by distance and in which the pedagogical material is planned and prepared by educational institutions–—is a topic of regular interest in the popular and business press. In particular, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), which are open-access online courses that allow for unlimited participation, as well as SPOCs (Small Private Online Courses), are said to have revolutionized universities and the corporate education landscape. In this article we provide a nuanced analysis of the phenomenon of online distance learning. We first provide an overview of its historical evolution, and subsequently define and classify key concepts. We further discuss in detail the optimal target group in terms of participating students and teaching professors and propose corresponding frameworks for driving intrinsic student motivation and for choosing a successful online teacher. We also outline the benefits that institutions can achieve by offering online distance learning. Finally, we speak about the specific connection between online distance learning and social media by focusing on the difference between MOOCs based on traditional lecture formats (xMOOCs) and connectivist cMOOCs.

7. Concluding information

‘‘Me do anything for cookie — Cowabunga!’’ — The Cookie Monster Now, coming back to our initial question, what does all of this mean for the future of the education industry in general and business education in particular? Look at the webpage ‘‘No-Pay MBA’’ to get some idea. This site offers the possibility to combine MOOCs offered by top business schools such as Harvard, Yale, MIT, and Wharton into a curriculum equivalent to that of a full-time MBA program, for less than $1,000. A full program consists of 14 core courses, 3 electives, and 4 concentration electives. A student can begin the program at any time (admissions are on a monthly basis) and complete it within 18—24 months. In addition, members of NoPay MBA take courses together and work in small groups on projects to replicate the feeling of belonging to one cohort of MBA students. They have video conferences among themselves and video meetings with professors. Although the MBA is not accredited (yet), the offer sounds rather convincing.