MIT Dean Takes Leave to Start New University Without Lectures or Classrooms

By Jeffrey R. Young

http://chronicle.com/article/MIT-Dean-Takes-Leave-to-Start/235121

MOOCs may be the future but cannot replace chalk and board in classroom teaching.

Mercedes:

MOOCs can become a reality soon as you shared above. The learning environments are become more flexible as the technology allows for learning anywhere and anytime. I have attached my recent piece on the latter that may help to inform the trends and issues as we move into more flexible learning environments.

Many thanks,

Debra

Data Flexible Learning Environments-Theories-Trends-Issues

Hi Debra:

Thank you very much for your work, I will read it with interest. I share the idea of the need for flexibility in teaching especially in the graduate and adults.

  Still available, thank you.

Dear,

The MOOCS probably end up being a very good complement within the university. Hardly themselves become capable substitute teacher learner interaction. I think eventually as part of an extensive repertoire of resources and methods that coexist in the field of learning.

Best,

Xavier

Before I would start up a university like the MIT Dean I would need to find educators with very different mindsets from many current educators. For me it has little to do with the technology and far more to do with adventurous minded educators thinking about learning and then its application in New Times. We need educators who teach to the future, who are not held hostage in replicating past experiences of learning.  My exploration would begin with us discussing ( rather than answering) questions such as 'What are our possibilities?' 'What is worth knowing?' Who holds the knowledge? What types of tinkering, critical thinking and problem-solving are required? While I understand that you are asking about MOOCS in particular, they may be a valuable resource once the group of educators with similar beliefs conjure (together)  the unknown.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/266914624_An_Economic_Appraisal_of_MOOC_Platforms_Business_Models_and_Impacts_on_Higher_Education

In this article, we discuss this question in detail. I believe that it can fuel further the discussion on this topic!

Article An Economic Appraisal of MOOC Platforms: Business Models and...

MOOC is an extended e-course.

The future of the University education will be - in general – blended learning which mean a mixture of many kinds of learning and e-learning.

Hello Javier:

Yes, I agree I believe that university education needs to be more flexible. And MOOCs are a good response that contributes to the teacher-student interaction, also extend the future outlook of methods and resources.

Thank you very much, Mercedes

Hi Gloria Latham:

The technology certainly does not solve anything, the MOOCs contribute to critical thinking, diversity of experiences and methods. But that is not enough, the education of the future is built through discussion, confrontation, questions about the unknown and experimentation of new forms of interaction in learning experiences. Thanks, Mercedes

Hi Julien:

I read with great interest your work.

Thank you very much, Mercedes

Hi Mercedes,

It's a very interesting question. I'm totally agree with my colleagues. I'm actually working on MOOC.

The field of education has tended to carry on distance education experiences based on open educational resources and access. So MOOC are thus appeared to be the solution for the realization of this goal. I think MOOC is the best use of technology to make adjustments in education in general and university education in particular; and has rapidly evolved in terms of popularity in the delivery of online educational contents and also meets the needs and interests of learners.

Certainly, the MOOC can not replace universities but it seems an alternative to change the traditional pattern of university education and to meet educational needs through technology.

I invite you to check my works that may help you, it talks about ways to Improve the MOOC experience.

Good luck

Best regards