Summary Of Revolution Hits The Universities By Thomas Friedman

In the article, “Revolution Hits the Universities” (2013), author Thomas Friedman argues that massive open online courses (MOOC’s) that are being developed by several prestigious universities are going to revolutionize learning. Friedman suggests that with online courses, learning can be extended to all types of students while pushing the physical boundaries of the classroom. The vast benefits include access for minorities such as those with low income, learning disabilities, and from poor countries, but additionally also benefits students and professors existing in the university system. Friedman’s target audience in “Revolution Hits the Universities” is middle class North American readers who are familiar with the current education systems

in place and its discrepancies, including the white elitist environment that comes hand in hand. This rhetorical analysis argues that Friedman successfully constructs the argument, online courses will create a revolution in learning, through his use of emotional appeals to the audience, his application of statistics to emphasize the large scale in which this revolution is taking place, the use of credible sources to back up his points, and his use of logic to deconstruct a counter argument.
Friedman successfully communicates his argument when he generates pathos, appealing to emotions, as he calls upon the feelings of a middle class North American reader.

In the introduction, Friedman begins by referencing events that resonate feelings of sadness and crisis and then instills feelings of hope and positivity. He writes, “Lord knows there’s a lot of bad news in the world today to get you down.” Friedman then introduces MOOC’s, and consequently, turns the tone around. He suggests solutions to the crisis’ that North American’s face, invoking feelings of optimism. Friedman says, “Nothing has more potential to lift more people out of poverty… unlock a billion more brains to solve the world’s biggest problems… [and] enable us to reimagine higher education.” When Friedman suggests what MOOC’s have the potential to do, it evokes feelings of optimism. Friedman convinces the reader that MOOC’s can solve many problems by connecting their feelings and his argument. Friedman first sets up a scene of despair by referencing events that his readers will have an emotional connection to, and then presents his premises which in contrast conjures positive feelings among the

audience.
The author invokes ethos, an appeal based on credibility and trust, by presenting targeted evidence that supports the large scale of students using online courses as well as referencing a credible source. Here, Friedman creates an argument based on statistics and credibility to persuade the audience that this type of learning is going to be revolutionary. Friedman quotes Anant Agarwal, the former director of M.I.T, when he says “155,000 students have taken eDX’s first course… [which] is greater than the total number of M.I.T. alumni.” Using a specific number puts a quantity on Friedman’s analysis. The numbers offer context to how large of an appeal online courses have, but additionally suggests that already MOOC’s are proving to be successful in opening doors to education. Moreover, Friedman here is quoting a reliable source, that his audience will recognize. M.I.T. is an elite, well-known university. Presenting a quote from the former director, affirms Friedman’s suggestion that online open courses are going to transform learning by extending the reach that education is currently benefitting.
Moreover, Friedman betters his argument by countering an opposing argument using logos. He says, “yes, [of the 155,000 students] only a small percentage complete all the work, and even they still tend to be from the middle and upper classes of their societies.” Friedman acknowledges that online courses have a high dropout rate and emphasizes the connection between low income and lack of education. He counters this premise by pointing out that this initiative is still new and hasn’t had enough time to reach the broad platform that he is suggesting will generate big change. Friedman uses the simple logic that with more time MOOC’s will become a larger platform, which first deconstructs the counter argument but also suggest how with a global platform MOOC’s will bring radical change around world issues.
A weak point in Friedman’s argument is when he discusses cheating and MOOCs.

The counterargument is that universities cannot regulate who is doing the work in solely online courses, since there isn’t any meeting in-person. This becomes problematic when awarding credentials for the work, because there is no way to verify who has done all the work and passed the exams. Friedman does not properly dispute it when he writes, “The process of developing credible credentials… is still being perfected.” Friedman does not offer any techniques of rhetoric therefore not convincing the audience, but additionally, he glazes over something that has the potential to be a major problem for implementing MOOCs. Friedman’s failure to pay attention to this major detail and his lack of reasoning to counter this point are a major drawback to his argument. However, it does not deny the strength of his other premises in his argument. Friedman suggests an enriched learning for all individuals. If this is the case, then something tangible such as a credit cannot embody the knowledge and insight

gained.
To conclude, Friedman successfully creates an argument that massive open online courses will revolutionize learning because of his effective ability to employ the three main techniques of rhetoric. Friedman’s premises use pathos, ethos, and logos to persuade the reader of his argument. He uses pathos by appealing to the reader’s emotions when listing the benefits that online courses will present, and implements ethos when presenting statistics to quantify his argument as well as uses a credible source to legitimize his point. Finally, he uses logos when he deconstructs what he anticipates as a counterargument. Whether the audience agrees with Friedman or not, “Revolution Hits the Universities” successfully presents a point of view which convinces readers in a variety of appeals to emotion, reliability, and logic.