Are MOOCs the Future of Online Education? Infographic

Pros and Cons of MOOCs

8 Pros of MOOCs

1. Free.
2. Provide a solution to overcrowding.
3. Force professors to improve lectures.
4. Create a dynamic archive.
5. Are designed to ensure that students keep up. MOOCS are real college courses, complete with tests and grades.
6. Bring people together from all over the world.
7. Allow teachers to make the most of classroom time in blended classes.
8. Offer interesting business opportunities. MOOC companies launched in 2012: edX by Harvard and MIT; Coursea, a Stanford company; and Udacity, which focuses on science and tech.

8 Cons of MOOCs

1. Low graduation rate: estimated at about 10%
2. Easier for students to drop out
3. Do not offer much support for struggling students?
4. Interactivity, a challenge. [When you have…150,000 students]
5. Grading papers is impossible.
6. Overcrowding
7. Miss the magic of human interaction (in small groups)
8. Will shrink faculties, eventually eliminating them.