Would open courses close minds? Thanks to Nellie for posting the link. Here is my response to the post as shared on FB:
Would this depend on which types of MOOCs that we are referring to? As Nellie said: “I’ve been taking and giving my own MOOCs since 2007. Informal education seems to scare a lot of universities so much so that they started a new kind of MOOC to ensure that they stay in control. Well, let them keep trying, but informal education and open courses is the future.”
Even the communities and networks here are all open, adaptive & dynamic in opening up conversation, Socratic dialogues, open sharing & creative collaboration or cooperation. There are now seamless connections which would help in cultivating a multicultural awareness and appreciation, far beyond the “knowledge” or information transmission model of online education.
Such tapestry of knowledge networks (cMOOCs – which intertwined to some extent with other xMOOCs and university courses) could be one of the most “disruptive” innovation ever “revolution” both top down and bottom up. I don’t know how scary it could be for any educators, but haven’t we learnt about the precedence – through the lens of the past two decades? We have all witnessed the impact of those technologies on nearly all “businesses” – like printing, news & journalism, music and entertainment, videos and DVDs, photography, etc. where they have all been disrupted to some extent by emerging technology – internet, new ICT etc.
Education is just the next on the list, and it happens that MOOCs have since then become the next “invention” since the printing press and mass lecture etc. to again disrupt the whole business. What is the next big surprise? Super MOOCs over MOOCs (c & x & ??? MOOCs) where they all inter-mingle to become the next breed of MMOOC – MEGA MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSE.
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Given how quickly knowledge domains are appearing, shifting and combining in novel ways the service, practiced by HE of teaching people how to know what they don’t know will need to shift from a knowledge base to a knowledge strategy. Being adept at figuring things out is likely (as one of your references pointed out John) more effectively taught in an assisted project based atmosphere that could combine active students, their peers, masters and experts. If the institutions insist on withdrawing the services of their experts behind pay walls and qualification gateways (essentially taking it upon themselves to decide who they bless and who they leave aside) they will be left behind.
This isn’t an argument against HE, professors or special places of knowledge transfer where projects can be focused down to very special skills. Only that the learning process in times of rapid change needs to open into a wider field of opportunities. This would probably look like Nellie’s active provision of open learning spaces that encourage interaction and deliberate pursuit of knowledge by all in attendance.
With knowledge everywhere it seems to confine those who can help us understand and work with it in places called “schools.”