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MOOCs and Open Education Around the World.
Edited by Curtis J. Bonk, Mimi M. Lee, Thomas C. Reeves, Thomas H. Reynolds. Routledge (2015).
MOOCs and Open Education is a new book that explores issues relating to open educational resources (OERs) and massive open online courses (MOOCs). Recent advancements in online learning technology have made it possible for people all around the world to participate in classes via the Internet. These MOOC classes are called massive because they do not have a limit on the number of students that can participate. MOOCs are called open because MOOCs were originally an idea from the Open Education community. These massive open online courses are generally free for students but do not always lead to formal accreditation. Distance learning technology is improving so rapidly that e-learning organizations must deal with a variety of issues. How can educators ensure that the education provided by these MOOCs meets an acceptable level of quality? How can learners ensure that the educators are properly credentialed and qualified to teach online? What business models do organizations like MITx, Coursera, edX, Udemy, and Udacity use for these MOOC enterprises? How can quality standards be defined and maintained? What innovative assessment strategies and teaching practices are optimal? How can educators deal with low student motivation and high dropout rates?
As digital learning technology becomes more prolific there is a growing demand to understand how these MOOCs are being conducted. Academics, scientists, public servants, and numerous other participants want to understand the outcomes of these new open education experiments. Everyone wants to know how massive open online courses can be improved.
To meet this crescive demand for knowledge MOOCs and Open Education offers a critical analysis of MOOCs and other open education resource topics. The book also discusses the major controversies associated with these MOOCs and OERs. This edited collection shares vital research findings and provides pragmatic recommendations for anyone who is interested in this new open education phenomenon.
For more information please see MOOCs and Open Education.
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