This semester, I have signed up for a data analysis class being taught in Coursera. This is a massively open online course (MOOC). I’m tech savvy and well educated but it seems like the most responsible way for me to really learn about MOOCs is to gain some firsthand experience. I also hope to learn some new data analysis techniques and ideas in this course. The course will use R to analyze data so it will also be good to expand my (very limited) skills and knowledge with that powerful tool.
Going into this, I am very skeptical about what I understand the typical MOOC model to be with instruction primarily occurring using pre-recorded videos and quizzes with a discussion board as the primary means of communication between students and faculty. I hope I’m wrong either about the model of instruction or about its effectiveness. As an educator, I believe (and am supported by significant evidence) that the best learning occurs when experts make their thinking explicit through demonstration and give learners multiple opportunities for focused practice and feedback. So my skepticism about the effectiveness of videos and quizzes as learning and teaching tools can best be summed up as: “Telling is not teaching.” (Note that this applies just as forcefully to passive lecturing in physical classrooms!)
I’ve just started to get into the material for this course and so far it looks like my low expectations are going to be met: the course is built heavily around pre-recorded videos as the way for the faculty to teach students with weekly online quizzes and two peer-graded assignments as the only opportunities for us to “practice” what we are “learning.” I hope I’m wrong and this proves to be much more enjoyable and rewarding that I think it will be!