OCLC’s “The Hope and Hype of MOOCs”

Having never taken a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course), I can’t really speak from experience when discussing their importance and helpfulness in the realm of online learning.  I have often wondered if they are just a passing technological phase or fad.  That’s why when I saw that OCLC had a video summary (and full-length option too) of their session, “The Hope and the Hype of MOOCs,” I grabbed my headphones and tuned in.  The OCLC Symposium, a Collective Insight Series event, took place at ALA Midwinter in Philadelphia on January 24, 2014, and included this session. We are coming off a hype wave of MOOCs and now they are facing much criticism.  Several panel members made some interesting statements about MOOCs.  Are they a turning point in distance education?  One thing is true: they are a planetary learning platform that has enormous global reach.  They allow for connectivity with more humans around the world than any other sort of distance education tool or platform.  According to one of the speakers, if you are an American taking a MOOC, you will most likely be in the minority.  Most MOOCs are in English but the attendees are international. According to the panel, the library can serve as the physical anchor to help students taking MOOCs locate and access resources.  Public libraries have the role of providing Internet access for many, and, in turn, can help people identify which MOOCs would be good for them to explore.  MOOCs are designed for accessibility and have become a sort of global knowledge project that has catapulted content creation and teaching. So are MOOCs just a technological flash in the pan or are they the future of learning?  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see. View all or part of the video here or at YouTube.