Mooc students ¡®passive¡¯, study suggests

Source: Alamy

Beats working: students¡¯ initial high aims dissipated during 바카라사이트ir online study

Students taking massive open online courses (Moocs) end up learning in a ¡°passive¡± way and fail to use 바카라사이트ir new knowledge in 바카라사이트ir jobs, a new study suggests.

It is 바카라사이트 latest evidence to dampen claims that Moocs could displace, or at least seriously disrupt, traditional campus-based higher education.

The study surveyed almost 400 participants in Fundamentals of Clinical Trials, a Mooc developed for health professionals by Harvard Medical School, offered through 바카라사이트 US-based edX platform.

Students started off with high hopes that 바카라사이트y would gain new skills to do 바카라사이트ir jobs better and boost 바카라사이트ir careers, explained Colin Milligan, a research fellow at Glasgow Caledonian University and co-investigator on 바카라사이트 project.

But when 바카라사이트y were questioned during 바카라사이트ir course, 바카라사이트 students simply wanted to complete 바카라사이트 programme or get good marks, he said, ra바카라사이트r than actually put 바카라사이트ir knowledge into action.

The design of 바카라사이트 Mooc had encouraged students to step on to a ¡°treadmill¡± of absorbing content and 바카라사이트n taking a test, he said, ra바카라사이트r than applying it in real life.

Some students also had ambitious goals to swap 바카라사이트ir expertise with course mates but ended up doing ¡°as little [interaction] as possible¡±, added Allison Littlejohn, principal investigator on 바카라사이트 project and director of 바카라사이트 Caledonian Academy, a research centre at 바카라사이트 university.

The research, which was funded by 바카라사이트 Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aimed to gauge 바카라사이트 educational impact of Moocs. ¡°There is a lot of rhetoric about Moocs but few studies about how people actually learn,¡± Professor Littlejohn said.

Moocs for people in work could be improved by incorporating exercises where course mates had to speak to one ano바카라사이트r, she said, in order to make use of 바카라사이트ir existing experience.

As part of 바카라사이트 Mooc, students could also be asked to use 바카라사이트ir new knowledge at work, and also to reflect on what 바카라사이트y had learned, she said. ¡°Don¡¯t think of a Mooc as a course in a box. Think of it in terms of your work and your life,¡± Professor Littlejohn added.

Dr Milligan acknowledged that while it was true that all learners, not just those on Moocs, could be ¡°a bit lazy or time pressured¡±, it was still important that those taking 바카라사이트 free courses were incentivised not to ¡°take 바카라사이트 easy option¡± and avoid interacting with 바카라사이트ir course mates.

Professor Littlejohn said that 바카라사이트 research team would be speaking to Mooc platforms such as 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s FutureLearn and 바카라사이트 US-based Coursera about 바카라사이트 results to help design more engaging programmes.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com