The Pros and Cons of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Essays

An increasing number of universities and private companies are now offering free online college classes, many of which focus on computer science education. Technological advancements have enabled millions of students worldwide to participate in these free classes. This research paper will briefly describe the history of the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), investigate the pros and cons of MOOCs as they relate to computer education and examine the potential ethical issues surrounding MOOCs. Free technical training and coursework, specifically MOOCs, provides the opportunity to bridge the higher educational divide and increase the technology skilled labor force but raise serious ethical concerns regarding intellectual property ownership and the privacy of personal information. The cost of a college education in the United States has increased 538% since 1985 (Jamrisko & Kolet, 2013). In the wake of the most recent recession, universities have seen their endowments shrink, public funding for state universities has decreased, the job market has diminshed and consequently, graduates are having a difficult time repaying their student loans (Yardi, 2012). As a result, there is a demand for more affordable higher education pathways. The creation of free, online college courses has provided a possible solution in the quest for an alternative to the traditional, expensive higher education path. The goal of free higher education for all is a lofty but admirable one. As the number of MOOC providers and course options increase, it is important to examine and critique the methods used to achieve this goal. Review of the Literature History of MOOCs Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are online, tuition free courses that ... ...s? Retrieved from http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/10/05/will-mooc-help-you-open-career- doors/pmjHbLCghsH0lEbulWC9VL/story.html Number of Students. (2014, January 17). Retrieved from https://www.coursera.org/about/community Robbins, J. (2013, March 25). The ethics of MOOCs. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/sounding-board/ethics-moocs Schmidt, P. (2013, June 12). AAUP sees MOOCs as spawning new threats to professors’ intellectual property. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/AAUP-Sees-MOOCs-as- Spawning/139743/ Weigel, M. (2014, January 2). MOOCs and online learning: Research roundup. Retrieved from http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/education/moocs-online-learning-research- roundup Yardi, Moshe. (2012). Will MOOCs destroy academia? Communications of the ACM, 55(11), 5.