The Great Education Equalizer

The Great Education Equalizer


INtroduction: The last song of reports MOOCs - massive open online courses - suggest that despite the fact that democratization good education that perception.

One of the ideas that lead MOOCs is accessible to everyone, everywhere, regardless of previous studies, socioeconomic status or geographic location. US teen from rural states, a construction worker from Atlanta, and his grandmother in China continues to take courses same teachers as a student at Harvard University in Cambridge - no charge.

However, a new article in Science at Harvard University higher education degree candidate John Hansen, Ed.M.'15 and human analysis MIT Justin Reich, Ed.D.'12 shows that, in general, have not reached MOOCs to such a wide audience demographic.

164 198 participants in the study, 68 MOOCs offered by Harvard University and the University Research by EDX Reich Hansen, and promote the different outcomes that participants average Mooc lot like springing average US college graduate. 

Participants pay special attention to high school and college age, Reich Hansen found that most Mooc additional participants living in the wealthy and educated population biology Average US .. and more participants - and their parents - they were one of the elements in the right direction for college or a school or send and graduate degree.;

Specifically, he lived Mooc joint participants in the same neighborhood where the average financial gain Ming $ 11.998 is higher than the national average. This number is close at $ 23.181 above the national average, so Mooc participants aged between 13 doubles and seventeen. Most of these participants could not be located in geographically isolated areas either, but more densely populated.;

Researchers found younger students, is related to the possibility of completing Mooc the social and economic situation. The tallest, most likely, was completely full participant for the course participants education level of parents, neighborhood income and educational level of the space environment. The education level of their parents things in largely as it will be in online education, participants were more or less one.75 times teenagers in a lot of potential to finish courses where at least one of his people earned a degree that if any of his friends was.;

Takeaway
One of the main research results, says Hansen, is that "we should not expect simple comfort free resources can be learning on-line at the stadium enjoys among students fortunate and the least fortunate. Even when learning online for free, and people with the most money and resources for social technology is most ready to seize these new opportunities.;

The paper is an important addition to the growing body of analysis at Harvard learning online adds Professor of Education mercury selenide Andrew atomic number 67, president of the whole Committee, which supports the work.

Discovering access Mooc balance is the foundation that trainers and institutions will improve today MOOCs are experiments for analysis of online learning, but this document reminds the United States that we do not tend You can generalize from the initial analysis Mooc, while not taking account without a distinctive gift. - unambiguously variables - Mooc population is in the working document that still want to be done to fulfill the promise of MOOCs as a show of equity ;

MOOCs future
simple comfort of MOOCs apparently was not enough to balance the playing field enjoyed academy. The same is true MOOCs have not transferred authority;?

And of course in MOOCs may not be a significant contribution to education explains Hansen. Instead, "the development of digital materials and other platforms that facilitate innovation in learning scale could prove to be a lot of vital importance,- he says. "For example, in the same way that academics will choose classes and textbook fees are MOOCs designed to enable advanced academic level to customize and reuse of materials and for the use of the room.;

And MOOCs as they exist today, they can become much less used by former students ;either intentionally teachers encourage students to explore.;

Freely available technologies to provide wider social ends, teachers and legislators to learn, but we must assume that there is no unattended or private sector will be the main beneficiary; Hansen wrote Reich. Fill in the gaps with digital learning resources requires innovation orientation of most students would like additional support and opportunity;

Fight or isolated, or curious student can not lead the entire education in their own country - but with MOOCs may be a little easier for academics and counselors for students inside the right direction.
Previous
Next Post »