In addition to teaching, service, and grant deadlines I now have one research deadline August 9 and another September 15. I therefore cannot work on any of my MOOC essays until that time. I do have three MOOC essays now: (1) the first, 3-part one I wrote for CN, (2) the second part of it that I could develop as an independent piece, and (3) the second, 2-part one that I redeveloped again for CN based upon his comments.
The NYT rejected the first one and I have not resubmitted it anywhere. If CN does not take the second 2-part one, I have not figured out where to submit. So these are two finished, yet still homeless op-ed style essays and I am open to suggestions on where to send.
Meanwhile, if I redevelop part 2 of the first, 3-part essay as an independent piece, I want to take into account information on the original nature of the MOOC idea, without monetization and exploitation to the anti-higher-ed cause, and the point that MOOCs as now conceived would kill the research university, which pace what people who want “good teaching” say, is not a good thing.
Others say:
What was a promise for free-range, connected, open-ended learning online, MOOCs are becoming something else altogether. Locked-down. DRM’d. Publisher and profit friendly. Offered via a closed portal, not via the open Web. READ THIS AND ITS LINKS.
I would argue that we need to restore sociability and to push-back against a view of education that is about economic value or entrepreneurial activity. READ THE WHOLE THING: THAT IS ONLY ONE SMALL POINT IN A MUCH BROADER ANALYSIS.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 