Experiencing a MOOC

I just finished going through the Demo Course of EdX, which is a repository for interactive online classes and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from universities across the globe.

While I enjoyed my experience--particularly the layout and design of the learning management system--I still feel as though MOOCs will be limited in their current state which is a non-credit earning course that maybe enhance your knowledge on a topic. In a way MOOCs are similar to Wikipedia. Reading wikis may help you learn more about the subject you're researching, however referencing it in a research paper/project is frowned upon in the world of education. Similarly, you may be learning something worthwhile participating in a MOOC, but ultimately your certificate of completion is only as valuable as the paper it is printed on as certificates do not transfer to college credit.

So are MOOCs the future of learning? I have no reason to believe they won't be as other industries leverage them for training and other professional development purposes. I don't believe MOOCs will be very successful in academia. For example, sites like Code Academy are intended to teach people skills that don't need to be tied to a degree. If you want to be a programmer or a developer, it's more important that you know what you're doing than if you have a piece of paper from an institution that says you know all that they could teach you. Having some sort of degree, however, will help you meet the requirements for applying for a job, but in most cases it's more about your skills.

I believe MOOCs will continue to benefit those individuals in search of a career path and looking to gain knowledge outside of earning a degree which could harm higher education institutions.