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 ...
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...s? Retrieved from
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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-
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Weigel, M. (2014, January 2). MOOCs and online learning: Research roundup. Retrieved from
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Yardi, Moshe. (2012). Will MOOCs destroy academia? Communications of the ACM, 55(11), 5.
In Laura Pappano’s essay, “The Year of the MOOC”, she describes a MOOC, or a Massive Open Online Course, an online course to build a higher education for people around the world. After examining “Chunky Peanut Butter”, by James Gregory, I am convinced he’s the best college applicant to attend a MOOC because he’s flexible and can work with anyone, he’s active in the community and he never gives up.
Kelly, Andrew. “The Problem Is That Free College Isn’t Free.” The New York Times. The New York Times Company, 20 January 2016.Web. 20 March
Colleges and universities in the past were limited to one type of student, upper class males, but now colleges and universities are centers of education for people of all backgrounds. People from different backgrounds and opinions congregating at these centers of education, forced many colleges to evolve. By giving colleges and universities a large variety in their students, it forces them to ditch a standard on education. Due to this fact, all colleges and universities must deliver an assortment of options in the effort of giving everyone the best education possible. Evolution for colleges and universities did not end there; due to the birth of the world wide web most colleges and universities now give the option to enroll in online classes. This rise in online education spawned a new form of university, fully online universities. Author Graeme Wood presents in his essay, “Is College Doomed?” a wonderful example of what a college or university should not be. Graeme Wood describes Minerva, an online university with the goal of stripping education to only the essentials. Minerva wants to take away campuses, sports, lectures, and most amenities leaving only their version of education. Minerva’s goal to take away options for students reduces their reach, leaving only a select few with the desire to join Minerva. Limiting students only leads to a worse education, especially since the students are the ones paying for the version of education they desire. College’s most valuable asset is their plethora of options in living, community forming, studying abroad, and variety of classes, this aspect of college in particular is what creates a perfect education for any student.
There is no escaping the fact that the cost of college tuition continues to rise in the United States each year. To make it worse, having a college degree is no longer an option, but a requirement in today’s society. According to data gathered by the College Board, total costs at public four-year institutions rose more rapidly between 2003-04 and 2013-14 than they did during either of the two preceding decades (Collegeboard.com). Students are pressured to continue into higher education, but yet, the increasing costs of books and tuition make us think twice. Sometimes, some of these students have to leave with their education partially finished, leaving them with crushing debts.
...the traditional college is in peril. The traditional college is becoming less and is transitioning more towards accelerated online courses. This allows students to even obtain a degree over the Internet. This paper provides information on both sides of the argument and allows the readers to make their own decision after. Depending on your goals and what you want to achieve in the future, you should ask yourself is college really worth the trouble.
In today’s world where several different domains of technology must imbricate to pacify the rapid pace of development, it is necessary to take a multifaceted approach to learning. While Electrical Engineering major courses like Microprocessors, Embedded Controllers and Digital Electronics have exposed me to computing and data storage at the lowest level, chosen Computer Science courses like Computer Systems and Programming, Data Structures and MOOCs like Algorithms, Machine Learning and Software-as-a-Service have equipped me with the latest knowledge and ideas to capitalize on the digital systems as efficiently as possible. Two initial advanced courses in Mathematics have stre...
It is true that freedom to think is essential during the students’ development. When I started to study computer science in the United States, I have ...
"Should Higher Education Should Be Offered to All for Free?" The Premier Online Debate Website.N.p.,n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
This has sparked the debate as to whether higher education ought to be offered free of charge or not, with many rallying for the former. In order to level the playground for all Americans and offer equal opportunities in life; higher education should be offered free of charge to all. This paper seeks to make a convincing argument regarding the importance and need of having free higher education. At the same time, this essay seeks to cite some of the opinions of those of a contrary opinion, giving them a different viewpoint. In the end, this essay will weigh the benefits of free higher education against the drawbacks and probably, convince everyone that the benefits are enough to guarantee free higher education.
Education reform has been an ongoing debate in the United States for many years. The latest argument that many politicians, teachers and even students have debated is whether or not four-year public universities should be free. Even Barack Obama pushed for a plan that would make two-year community college free for everyone. In addition to this, Bernie Sanders has made free higher education one of his main political platforms in his presidential candidacy. According to "How America 's Colleges Could Be Tuition Free," student college debt has passed the one trillion dollar mark (collegerank.net). This number is unreasonably high. With all the hype, most people’s initial reaction would be to agree with free higher education. Knowledge and education
Some students within society need to have online learning to complete college degrees due to their lifestyles. While it is good to have online learning as an option if one chooses, it should not be the only option available to some students. Some may argue that online education is not creating discrimination within the educational environment. Furthermore, some may suggest that online learning is benefiting our students in society. There has been a breakthrough in time and geographical limitations of education via online courses (Ho, 2009).
"Should Higher Education Should Be Offered to All for Free?" The Premier Online Debate Website.N.p.,n.d. Web. 07 Jan. 2014.
Majority of parents, students, and teachers believe in the value of education. I believe a current issue in education is that students are now expected to learn in online classes instead of attending class with an instructor present. Research conducted on both styles of education shows that online classes are less effective than in-class instruction. Due to many students not being aware of the advantages traditional education offers and the disadvantages of online education, how students feel about after taking online class or lecture, and technology is also a main reason for this change.
When students are deciding on where to go to college, they have the option of choosing between online classes and the traditional classroom classes. Today, some students are finding it much easier to maintain a job, family and start a college career, all by taking online classes. Although some students still prefer to stick with the traditional classroom classes, they still have the option to take online classes. Both online and the traditional classes will provide the educational requirements needed to obtain a college degree and opportunities in the work field. Although the online classes offer just as much as the traditional classes, they are completely different when it comes to teaching methods, course material and time.
Many people think online education can be more expensive than a traditional school setting. Previous generations did not have the option for online learning experience, so why should we start now? An interesting point about online education is that LeBaron (2010) states, “The largest school in the U.S. is the University of Phoenix Online, with a whopping 380,232 students. That’s over 5x more than the largest public school, Arizona State University, which has 68,064 students” (para. 7). Despite the cost effectiveness, distance education is becoming the educational model of the future.