How traditional are MOOCs for high school students?
These reasons are to help students fit into existing structures of education, even ‘hybrid’ ideas promote dig lit but within traditional ed goals
Five Reasons High School Students Should Consider MOOCs
(non-acad)
1. To help prepare for AP exams -(get college credit and save money)
2. To get a feel for potential schools
3. To start exploring majors - allow high schoolers to dabble in a few courses (and even without spending too much effort) ...This too can help them save time and money when they reach college.
4. To get perspectives from other geographies and backgrounds - (if they’re lucky!) High schoolers have the opportunity to observe (and, if they choose, contribute to) discussion board forums. They will hear the perspectives of many professionals in directly or indirectly related fields, and from people from all walks of life.
5. Just to expand one’s horizons
(The world is moving fast and thus students need to learn how to become self-directed in establishing their own learning goals), signing up for (and persisting in) MOOCs helps get students used to taking their education into their own hands.
BUT NOT -: to gain an edge in admissions (Despite the inspirational story of Battushig Myanganbayar, the Mongolian high school student who stood out in a MOOC and was accepted into MIT)
Three Ways for High School Teachers to Use MOOCs
- If the goal is to help students engage in what’s being taught and prepare them for college, there are many challenges to overcome.Â
1.potential for a knowledge gap (difficult to teach a class where some students may just be struggling to graduate, while there are others who are planning on pursuing a major that relates to the class in question).
2. making material engaging & motivating students to learn. No one teaching style is right for everyoneÂ
New tools inc using MOOCs in a high school classroom.
- MOOCs that are specifically designed by Universities to bridge the gap between their courses and high school.Â
-Teachers who use MOOCs as a tool (among other teaching tools) to engage their students with a different method of learning can expose their students to the idea of being a self-motivated learner.Â
-It’s also a unique opportunity for high school students to interact with other students from around the world through the course forums.
 edX partnered with Microsoft and universities like MIT to create MOOCS that are specifically designed to bridge the knowledge gap between high school and college, to help students prepare for AP and CLEP Exams, and to provide introductory courses on a high school level. (v commerical)
- Use MOOCs to Give Extra Credit
...struggling in the traditional classroom may engage better with online learning ... teachers will need to provide oversight and make sure students don’t abuse a program ... extra test that is designed by the teacher can make sure the students learned something along the way.
- Use MOOCs to Supplement Course Material
...how accessible they are – MOOCs that are developed by quality platforms ... assign MOOC lectures as homework, and then focus on activities and projects in the classroom.
This kind of hybrid approach takes advantage of the best of both worlds – students can take courses developed by world-renowned universities like MIT, but they still have accountability and personal interaction with a teacher. If used appropriately and creatively, MOOCs can be a very valuable tool in a teacher’s toolbox.
- Recommend MOOCs as Optional Preparation for College or Exams
... MOOCs open up a world of possibility to students who are willing to put in the effort to take advantage of them.
...MOOCs specifically designed to prepare students for AP or CLEP exams.Â
