The Future of EdTech Part 1: M.O.O.C.s

What the future of education holds has truly yet to be seen.  Technology will continue to evolve as will students’ learning habits.  But today, in the midst of the Web 2.0 explosion and 3.0 break through, universities are presenting M.O.O.C. (Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs) to educate the masses and improve the brand image of their university.  A M.O.O.C. is exactly what it stands for, an open online course to the masses and it’s usually free.

            Free educational courses are nothing new to the internet, but their quality has increased drastically in recent years.  Some of the United States’ top universities are presenting courses for the public to take.  Standford, Cal Berkley, Duke, Yale, and Harvard have all joined the MOOC craze.  These are educational opportunities that most would never have a chance to access.

            Some might ask, why?  Why offer these courses for free when an enrolled student might pay upwards of $4,000 a semester to take them.  Not only does it improve the universities’ image as a contributor to the public, an almost charity that they’re offering, but many student’s will follow through the course and apply/pay for the next semester.  It’s the same idea as a free trial.

            Here’s an article from BDPA Detroit Chapter that goes into further detail on MOOCs and provides a list of the Top 10 sites for Free Education with Elite Universities, http://www.bdpa-detroit.org/portal/index.php/comittees/high-school-computer-competition-hscc/29-education/57-moocs-top-10-sites-for-free-education-with-elite-universities.html