This is a short advertisement by FutureLearn which I found somewhat interesting because it reminded me of some of the concepts I am keeping in mind during the micro-ethnography, such as the nationality of different online participants and the use of language. Although the video uses different accents from different national languages, this is something that is lost in an online community.
Moocs: students in the global south are wary of a ‘sage on the stage’
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It may come as a bit of a surprise that the range of MOOCs and opportunities they offer are still far from catering to the needs of certain communities. This seems to be the case with emerging communities that do not always have the resources or the infrastructure to allow open access to online courses and so see MOOCs as a form of blended learning.
Even if a course is free, language, learning design, learner support, quality, authenticity, accreditation, institutional appropriateness and cultural relevance can all exclude students.
(Charlotte Gunawardena, 2014)
A similar study conducted in 2014 corroborates this evidence. The UNESCO guidelines to policy-makers in developing countries do offer some suggestions as to how MOOCs can benefit economically developing areas, yet they are still aware of their limitations.
In some quarters it is argued that MOOCs are not optimally inclusive and accessible to a wide and diverse range of citizens. Consequently, they cannot and must not be seen as the only solution for making quality education accessible to all, or for addressing other social challenges.
(Mariana Patru and Venkataraman Balaj, 2016)
It would be interesting to see how MOOCs have developed over the last four years to satisfy the needs of these communities.
References:
Gunawardena, C., (2014) Moocs: students in the global south are wary of a ‘sage on the stage’. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/19/cost-barrier-students-global-south#comments. (Accessed: 15th February 2020).
Patru, M. and Balaji, V. (2016). MOOCs A Guide for Policy-Makers in Developing Countries. Available at: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000245122. (Accessed 16th February 2020)
The impact and reach of MOOCs: A developing countries’ perspective. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282017429_The_impact_and_reach_of_MOOCs_A_developing_countries’_perspective. (Accessed: 16th February 2020).
How are MOOCs developing and which are the major MOOC players? Is the future of MOOCs into micro-credentials and degrees towards more employment? https://t.co/tn3rPgX6df #mscedc
The price of MOOCs or the accessibility to MOOCs for free was perhaps an ideal that cannot be sustained in the long term, or perhaps it was never the idea of having something that was free for all.
A number of MOOCs I visited this week did offer free content and material but certificates came at a price, If MOOCs are intended to generate workforce potential, especially in developing countries, then the concept of being free needs to be sustained even more.
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