Discussion Reflections on Learning with MOOCs

[Jaffa]

I also prefer coursework. I don't think exams are are true way to evaluate someone's skills.

 

[Nedzad]

I have claims for each side, but I prefer more coursework. In my opinion it's more objective to monitor individual progress in certain period of time, than in one exam. In coursework you really can see if someone is making a progress and if he/she is into it, you have better feedback. Exams are not great tools of knowledge measuring, you can have bad day, you can cheat, grades are purely subjective in one way or another.

 

[Muvaffak GOZAYDIN]

Lord Kelvin of UK said 100 years ago :
" If you cannot Express a phenomena with numbers and measure it, that means you do not know anything about it . "
So we have to measure how much we have learned , we have to measure it and Express it with numbers. Today only measurement is exams . Is it good enough. No. But there is no better way yet .

 

[LDK]

I have claims for each side, but I prefer more coursework. In my opinion it's more objective to monitor individual progress in certain period of time, than in one exam. In coursework you really can see if someone is making a progress and if he/she is into it, you have better feedback. Exams are not great tools of knowledge measuring, you can have bad day, you can cheat, grades are purely subjective in one way or another.

I voted coursework for exactly the same reasons as you, Nedzad.

 

[Claude Almansi]

I voted coursework for exactly the same reasons as you, Nedzad.

So did I, LDK, and also for one further reason: I am a retired teacher and as such, I always found coursework far more satisfying. Of course you can fine-tune exams to diminish their arbitrariness, and there is a subjective component in coursework assessment too. However, overall, coursework grading gives you a view of learners' progresses on a longer stretch of time.

 

[LDK]

This is great @Nedzad . You are an inspiration

I think so too, Nedzad, and I really like your motto.

 

[Nedzad]

@LDK we're on the same page Thanks for feedback

 

[Nedzad]

I think so too, Nedzad, and I really like your motto.

Thank you very much Members of MoocLab are also inspiration for me, thanks guys/girls.
I've created that motto, when I have finished my faculty, and I live by it.

 

[James Little]

Hello!
Taken part, run, or produced a MOOC?

Take the MOOC survey or pass onto interested colleagues and let's see how we're all using them within Higher Education: http://www.moocsurvey.org

Whatever your role your views and opinions are valuable, and appreciated.

This survey aims to understand the effects of MOOCs on institutions in the following areas:

1. Impacts that production of MOOCs are having within Institutions
2. The process of how MOOCs are being implemented
3. Drivers and rationale for producing MOOCs

The survey has been created by James Little, University of Sheffield, as part of his MEd. Masters Dissertation. It has been ethically reviewed and approved by the supervisor Tim Herrick, School of Education, University of Sheffield.

http://www.moocsurvey.org
If you would also like to be interviewed about MOOCs please contact me on jlittle1@sheffield.ac.uk or twitter: @jimjamyahauk. Data from the survey will be available for all to use.

Thanks,

James Little.

 

[Carolyn]

Check out our latest interview where Scotty Rushing shares his incredible story and tells us how Coursera and MOOCs helped him out of homelessness and onto the road to success.

Scotty Rushing: From homelessness to success thanks to Coursera

 

[CourseTalk]

@Ankit Khandelwal raised great question in our interview. With success rate in many MOOCs is around 7-8% of the people registered, what is your opinion on it?
My view is;
Most of the courses are free, so people enroll don't feel obligated to finish it, because they don't pay for it.
Bad time management is my second argument for not finishing course.

What are your views, on this topic?

Here's an interesting fact that adds to the complexity of this issue: 92% of CourseTalk reviews are submitted by students who report completing the course they're reviewing. We see this as evidence that there's a subset of MOOC students who are highly-engaged and complete courses more often than their counterparts who may just be testing the waters of online learning. Third-party review sites like CourseTalk seem to appeal to these highly-engaged students. What do you think?

 

[Robert R. Daniel]

Lord Kelvin of UK said 100 years ago :
" If you cannot Express a phenomena with numbers and measure it, that means you do not know anything about it . "
So we have to measure how much we have learned , we have to measure it and Express it with numbers. Today only measurement is exams . Is it good enough. No. But there is no better way yet .

Lord Kelvin is a reductionist. Numbers and numerical description are tools, techniques and frameworks. They are not reality or knowledge or the only means of understanding. They do not fully describe what is real or good or valid. If you want a world without ethics or aesthetics, then Lord Kelvin's statement can underlie your entire modus operandi. But for me, I say "no thank you." Please note that I agree that numbers and numerical proofs have their place in the creation and verification of knowledge and learning. But number systems and mathematics are NOT a full and complete and truthful depiction of all that is real and good and valid. Claiming that numerical evidence alone provides knowledge is a vastly impoverished view of learning, experiencing and knowing.

 

[Muvaffak GOZAYDIN]

Lord Kelvin is a reductionist. Numbers and numerical description are tools, techniques and frameworks. They are not reality or knowledge or the only means of understanding. They do not fully describe what is real or good or valid. If you want a world without ethics or aesthetics, then Lord Kelvin's statement can underlie your entire modus operandi. But for me, I say "no thank you." Please note that I agree that numbers and numerical proofs have their place in the creation and verification of knowledge and learning. But number systems and mathematics are NOT a full and complete and truthful depiction of all that is real and good and valid. Claiming that numerical evidence alone provides knowledge is a vastly impoverished view of learning, experiencing and knowing.

"" .....NOT a full and complete and truthful depiction of all that is real and good and valid . "
5 " and" s in one sentence . I do not claim " IS " .
Sure you can bend statistics as you wish .
I just wonder if somebody knows " how to measure learning " What is its unite of measure . Kg, meter, what shall we call it . I would like to say " he learned the material xxxx units , it is more than hers yyy units "

 

[Muvaffak GOZAYDIN]

Still there is a debate among people.
ONLINE is good or
f2f is good .

I know question is nonsense .
Consider a f2f course is given by a prof.
Same course is given online developed by the same prof plus a very good technical support team .
Which course can be learned better.
That is comprehended better .
Which one create better grades .
Please state your opinion.
I do not believe 100 % online universities .
We need excellent professors to develop good online couırses .
One should take about 50 % online courses to be counted for a degree. It may be up to 80 % .

 

[Bruce Potts]

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