Science 363(6423), 130-131.

January 11, 2019

The MOOC pivot

Justin Reich, José A. Ruipérez-Valiente,

Abstract

When massive open online courses (MOOCs) first captured global attention in 2012, advocates imagined a disruptive transformation in postsecondary education. Video lectures from the world's best professors could be broadcast to the farthest reaches of the networked world, and students could demonstrate proficiency using innovative computer-graded assessments, even in places with limited access to traditional education. But after promising a reordering of higher education, we see the field instead coalescing around a different, much older business model: helping universities outsource their online master's degrees for professionals (1). To better understand the reasons for this shift, we highlight three patterns emerging from data on MOOCs provided by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) via the edX platform: The vast majority of MOOC learners never return after their first year, the growth in MOOC participation has been concentrated almost entirely in the world's most affluent countries, and the bane of MOOCs—low completion rates (2)—has not improved over 6 years.

Citations

Reich, J. & Ruiperez-Valiente, J. (2019) The MOOC Pivot. Science. 363(6423), 130-131
DOI: 10.1126/science.aav7958

Links to Research

More Research

Simulating more Equitable Discussions: Using Teacher Moments And Practice Based Teacher Education In Mathematical Professional Learning

Let’s hit the refresh button (a couple of times): Reimagining math curriculum and teacher learning to broaden participation in the math of the future

The power to change the equation: Mathematics teacher learning reimagined

SIGN UP FOR OUR

TSL NEWSLETTER