This summer’s hottest beach reading boasts some juicy titles like “Discrete Optimization” or “The Camera Never Lies”.  But you won’t find these titles in a bookstore…they are a different kind of bestseller.  These are titles in Coursera’s summer slate of MOOCs.

So, what exactly IS a MOOC?

I’m not going to regurgitate the ins and outs of MOOCs (you can find all you need, and more, online…here’s a good resource!).  Briefly, a MOOC is just as its name suggests – a massive online open course. It is offered by any number of providers, both for-profit and non-profit. Most are created in partnership with universities and colleges, including our own Duke University. In general, a MOOC is a model for providing some sort of web-based curriculum to anyone who has internet access and wants to take a course to learn just about anything from algebra to Roman architecture to nanotechnology. There are no attendance requirements, minimal faculty interaction, is typically completed on your own schedule, and really requires no commitment on the part of the student. The other part…they are more often than not offered for free (though that model is also evolving*).

*Though MOOCs haven’t been around for too long, we are already on MOOC 2.0, in which the “open” is removed and the ability to earn a master’s degree is added. A fairly comprehensive guide for the variety of MOOCs and their providers is available here.

Online learning opportunities come in many forms, and MOOCs are just one of them. Other programs describe themselves as distance learning, online learning, blended learning, e-learning, or open education.  While most share a few key elements like remote connectivity and flexibility, all online programs are not created equal. Online students need to decide which attributes matter the most: Access to faculty? Accountability? Degree or credit-granting? Peer and faculty engagement? Real-time interaction?

Back to School

So, why is DEL not afraid of the arrival of the MOOC? We are after all, also an online education provider, one of many in a broad spectrum of online course offerings. What makes DEL unique? In one word: Experience. As I said above, online learning programs have some commonalities, but the student experience, sets us apart.

“I think the DEL courses work because they’re NOT massive. There’s also a huge benefit to the place-based sessions; the face-to-face meetings provide a sense of connection to your classmates and professors.”
Kristin B., DEL-MEM ‘13

Since 2004, DEL has offered a distance learning master’s degree and a variety of online executive education courses. So naturally, the DEL program has been keeping close tabs on the MOOC experience. In fact, all of us in DEL have taken, or are taking, a MOOC so we can understand the experience. Having once had the pleasure of catching a lecture from Dan Ariely, one of the foremost leaders in psychology and behavioral economics and professor of psychology and behavioral economics at Duke, I was easily captivated by his course announcement and introductory video for his MOOC, titled “A Beginner’s Guide to Irrational Behavior.” My experience: I was unbelievably impressed by the communications from Dan (and his team) and even more so by his course videos. I can only imagine the hours spent on developing the high quality, engaging videos filled with animation.  They kept me interested, that is, when I had the time to log in and watch them. Unfortunately, with my busy work and personal life, there was not enough accountability to keep me on track. So, I became a statistic (and here): I became one of the 90-93% who did not complete my MOOC. My colleague, Allison, has spent most of her time just deciding which MOOC to enroll in! There are so many choices, that it can be overwhelming. So, Allison has signed up for three MOOCs – a business course on Competitive Strategy, the Sustainability of Food Systems, and a Brief History of Humankind.  We’ll see how she fares when tackling multiple assignments and (gasp!) quizzes.

Our consensus thus far: MOOCs have their place and provide a value to those seeking continued learning opportunities. But the DEL experience, at the very heart of the program, is significantly different than a MOOC. DEL uses distance learning technologies – synchronous webconferencing, learning management systems (LMS), and recorded lectures – to connect students from across the country and the world to be a part of a Duke University educational experience. Like MOOCs, DEL provides a significant portion of the learning experience via online tools. But, there are more differences than similarities when comparing the two. (Check out the below illustration comparing the two models.)

Spice up your online learning experience

DEL is a complex shade of online learning; it follows a blended model in which we incorporate both online AND in-person learning. For example, in the DEL-MEM program, students come to campus five times over the two-year program. While on-campus they meet their peers, faculty, and experience Duke University – they develop personal and professional relationships. Even the online element differs from the MOOC experience. Similar to a traditional brick-and-mortar experience, Duke Faculty meet weekly with students, synchronously, using web-conferencing to teach, lecture, and collaborate. Students are expected to actively participate and be engaged in their learning through both audio and video technology. This synchronous learning is supplemented with group projects, readings, papers, and recorded lectures. While it’s not exactly like being in a four-walled classroom – because you’re not – the DEL experience is designed to foster academic, professional, and personal relationships, experience the University, and be as rigorous as the residential programs at Duke.

Duke is no stranger to the MOOC world…and, shouldn’t be. Exploring new initiatives, like MOOCs, challenges administration and faculty to provide the best possible education to their students and pedagogy for their faculty, making the academics and pedagogy stronger. MOOCs have their place in the spectrum of online learning opportunities. Prospective online learners just need to be aware of the different shades available to them.

I think those who compare MOOCs to the development and use of textbooks in the classroom are spot on (here and here). Textbooks are central to education, but they don’t replace the knowledge provided by professors; rather they supplement it. Similarly, MOOCs won’t replace the DEL experience; rather they provide an alternative online learning experience. An experience of a different shade.

del-chart