Paper Review: The New Generation of Massive Open Online Course (MOOCS) and Entrepreneurship Education

Welsh, D. H. B., & Dragusin, M. (2013). The New Generation of Massive Open Online Course (MOOCS) and Entrepreneurship Education. Small Business Institute® Journal (SBIJ), 9(1), 50–65.

Summary:
This study examines the rapid shift and evolution in online education by Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC). It describes following benefits of MOOCs:

• The free xMOOCs can reach a high number of students, including aspiring and established entrepreneurs, all over the world, with no time boundaries.
• Especially with xMOOCs, students can benefit professionally and personally from free and high quality course content, that follows the same rigorous standards as classroom-based courses.
• Students can also engage in a free high quality learning experience.
• Personalization is another dimension of xMOOCs that students notice.
• Learners have the opportunity to experience the high interactivity of xMOOC format, not only in relation with the computer or smartphone, but also with fellow students.
• At a more general level, xMOOCs can give unparalleled insights into human learning.

The paper has pointed out following weaknesses of MOOCs:

• Lack of face-to-face communication, lack of frequent feedback from a professor, or irreplaceable classroom experiences
• The humanities, social sciences, and business, which require online written work utilizing critical thinking skills, are difficult to assess online.
• Developing revenue models to make the concept self-sustaining
• Delivering valuable signifiers of completion such as credentials, badges or acceptance into accreditation
• authenticating students in a manner to satisfy accrediting institutions or hiring companies that the student’s identify is actually known.

The paper suggests following redesign strategies to low-ranked Universities:

• Raising awareness among university members toward the impending changes and involving them in the transformation process; encouraging them to sign-up for already existing MOOCs addressing online tools and their effective use; identifying and eliminating organizational cultures that constrain the use of technological innovations.
• Consistent improvements in the quality of the students’ education experiences on campus by implementing modern, effective teaching practices and by focusing on discussions and debates that enhance students’ creativity
• Forming partnerships with regional universities to build their own platform, with content that captures local and regional specificity

Assessment:
This is a descriptive research wherein the authors have explored existing literature to describe how entrepreneurship education will get impacted by MOOCs.


Reflection:
This paper provides compilation of pros and cons of MOOCs. Its suggestions for low-ranked Universities are worth pondering over.