MOOC's

If you've been keeping up with higher ed news, you know that MOOC's (massive open online courses) are all the rage. Last night PBS News Hour had a good segment on how MOOC's are changing the traditional liberal arts education.

"Online learning is nothing new. Colleges have been offering classes, usually for a fee, and for credit for years. More than six million Americans are taking some type of online courses.
But MOOC courses are different. They're much bigger. They use new technology. They often feature well-known professors, and they don't cost anything. Hundreds of these college-level courses are currently being offered over the Internet. More than two million students have enrolled in Coursera classes, though the completion rate is low."

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/education/jan-june13/online_01-08.html

If the future of higher education interests you, then check out Anna Kamenetz's "DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education." It's a fantastic little book, very engaging, and I've used it before in my classes. It generates good conversation and gets students thinking about the meaning and value of a college education.

http://diyubook.com/read-the-book/

Here's to embracing change!