“The next phase of MOOCs is courses and programs that offer pathways to credit at a college or university by blending the best of online and in-person programs,” has explained Anant Agarwal, CEO at edX. “As more colleges and universities begin to accept MOOCs for credit, online learning options will create modularity and offer students more options.”
There are three ways in which innovative approaches can transform high-quality education, according to Mr. Agarwal.
FULLY ONLINE DELIVERY WITH BLENDED CREDENTIALS
An example is the groundbreaking Georgia Tech Online Master of Science in Analytics, in partnership with edX. It enables to earn a graduate degree for less than $10,000. In addition, accepted students can complete a MicroMasters credential, which is about 30 percent of the degree.
ONLINE-WHILE-ON-CAMPUS DELIVERY
MIT has offered a fully online version of its popular on-campus Circuits and Electronics course to on-campus students for credit. Students performed well and reported feeling less stress and having more flexibility. Many other universities have begun toying with this online-while-on-campus delivery.
ONLINE-TO-CAMPUS DELIVERY
The Global Freshman Academy and the MicroMasters program, both available on edX, are examples of this blend. Students are able to complete coursework at a low cost ($1,000 in fees in the case of MicroMasters) and no admission process, before committing time and money in a degree program.
In terms of the platform, the head of edX has no doubts: “To offer credit-grade MOOCs, online learning providers must have a platform with high academic integrity — one that maintains high standards and facilitates rigorous assessments. This could include integrating virtual proctoring, hand grading and peer grading, as well as innovative, rich assessments that go well beyond multiple choice.”
- Article at edX.org: Higher Education Needs a Re-Think to Train Tomorrow’s Workforce
