Are MOOCS a Disappointment or a Gift?

[Commentary] We had high hopes for massive open online courses (MOOCs). A recent study from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education revealed that MOOCs aren’t making the grade when it comes to educating users. On average, only about 50 percent of those who registered for a course ever viewed a lecture, and only about four percent actually completed the courses. So, where are MOOCs missing the mark? In particular, there are three key areas where MOOCs had the opportunity to disrupt the traditional education model but have not yet done so.

Where have MOOCs failed to disrupt?

• Changing the way knowledge is assessed and credentialed
• Increasing access to knowledge. Much of the excitement surrounding MOOCs was they would make quality education accessible to students in poor countries who had little access to higher education. But, a recent survey from the University of Pennsylvania revealed that those taking the university’s MOOCs weren’t the underserved students. Instead, nearly 80 percent of those enrolled had already earned a degree of some type.
• Shifting the focal point of knowledge

Although MOOCs have failed in these three areas, they have gone on to fulfill a different role in modern education. MOOCs have changed the way schools create and share knowledge, opening their eyes to new technologies that can change the way students learn. Ultimately, MOOCs have convinced schools that one of their roles is to actually create a public good of knowledge, and take a more active role in developing a curriculum that takes advantage of the latest technologies to fully engage students.

[Leah is Senior VP of Operations at Kaltura. Michal is President and co-founder of Kaltura]