Joycelyn Ong Shee Hui (47120 )
We
are seeing the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) as a product of globalization. It is no secret that online learning is
gaining popularity and acknowledgement these days. Gone were the days where you have to be
physically present in a lecture hall to earn a scroll of degree. Globalisation
has enabled education to be more accessible and flexible all around the globe.
Firstly,
online education plays a significant role to promote what we call lifelong
learning in the 21st century. Who says only those from their 20s can
earn a degree? Learning does not
necessarily stop at your 20s or after earning your first degree (Young, 2017). As
long as you have Internet access, you can always enroll yourself in various
degree courses made available by different universities across the world. Not only that, you are able to select your
own time of listening to lectures and discussion with the instructors and
lecturers. This is great news for home
makers, working adults, or even grandparents who would like to learn something
new without having to specifically register themselves for a physical degree.
Secondly,
online classes are usually smaller in number. According to Kirby (2017), the
average online class has around 19 students. This is seen to promote a more
comfortable relationship between the lecturer and the students, enabling
students to feel more at ease to ask more questions and have a one to one time
with their lecturers. Comparatively to a
big lecture that sometimes have more than 50 students, there are bound for
students to feel left out and overwhelmed.
Thirdly,
globalization enables diversity in the virtual classroom learning setting. This
is because online classes are not just opened to individuals from that
particular country itself. For instance,
I can enroll in online classes offered by University of Melbourne. I can
also meet my fellow course mates from different countries, exchange ideas through
inter-cultural discussion and engage in deeper academic debates. This is because even though globalization did
enhance the allocation of a certain percentage of admission for international
students in physical local universities, the numbers still reflect an unbalance
scale where local students are still given the priority and the big majority (Fiske,
2012).
Loi Wei Zheng (47448)
Loi Wei Zheng (47448)
The
great variety of online programs and courses is a huge advantage of online
education. It’s no longer a matter of choice or distance, as we can always find
a suitable course or program that we can follow from home. Looking back at
traditional education, we select the program we wish but with the expense of
traveling far and struggling hard especially during this competitive era. With
online education, we can take any program or course present in traditional 3-4
years universities from all around the world. All you have to do is a Google
search and you will
easily find the online programs.
(see distant learning) You
may
take a course even if you have no aspirations to apply that knowledge in your
future profession, but out
of curiosity to discover new interests and understand new concepts.
Besides that, online programs are more affordable compared to
traditional colleges.
Though not all online degrees have less expensive net tuition prices than
traditional colleges,
associated costs are almost always less expensive. This is due to the elimination of
commuting expenses,
resources fee and
sometimes payment for course
materials since
those are often available for free online. In addition, many colleges and
universities have begun to accept credits earned via free massive open online
courses (MOOCs), the most recent advance in online education (Jaschik, 2013). Free online courses
such as these can help students fulfill general education requirements at
little to no cost.
As
for the tutors, they are able to prepare the most up-to-date content at much lower cost. The sticker shock associated with
the textbook market is not news to anyone who has enrolled in even a single
college course (Murphy, 2014).
Despite
the cost, our knowledge of most subjects continues to grow and evolve, making high-priced textbooks unreliable
within
a
few years, and eventually of no use at all. The remote delivery of curriculum
allows instructors to keep materials up-to-date, and the lower costs over time
remove what for some are insurmountable obstacles to furthering their
education.
In
contrast, flexibility and lower cost of online education has led many students to opt for online
platforms to earn a degree.
The only limitation is the students’ passion for learning. Even though online learning is a
still relatively young industry, but
it does promise a rich future of breakthroughs. For instance, new models of teaching
are already emerging that have the potential to take online learning to even
greater accomplishments
(Moodle News, 2017).
References
Fiske, E.( 2012, January 20). Globalization — What it means for colleges and students. The Huffington Post. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/edwardfiske/globalizationcollegeeducation_b_1121315.html
Jaschik, S. (2013, January 23). MOOCs for credit. Inside Higher Ed. Retrieved from https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/01/23/public-universities-move-offer-moocs-credit
Murphy, K. (2014, January 27). College textbook sticker shock causes students to leave book on the shelves. The Mercury News. Retrieved from http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/01/27/college-textbook-sticker-shock-causes-students-to-leave-books-on-the-shelves/
Young, J.R. (2016). Online Education Is Now a Global Market. Retrieved from http://www.chronicle.com/article/OnlineEducationIsNowa/237993?cid=wcontentgrid_6_3list_10
Moodle News. (2017, February 27). In E-learning and Ed Tech, personalize or perish. Moodle News. Retrieved from: http://www.moodlenews.com/2017/in-elearning-and-edtech-personalize-or-perish/
Dear Joycelyn and Patrick,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the education through online is getting much convenient these days. Lecturers will also upload notes and activities through online platform whereby we can access to it easily and save time. Besides that, through this platform, we realise the changes in technology and its application to us is getting more prominent as compared when we were in primary and secondary school last time. We are dependent on it as it becomes the major tools used in education across countries. For example, I have a friend that is studying on the weekend basis because she is working during weekdays. Although she only goes to college during weekends, she will receive information and learning lessons from her lecturers through accessing the online platform. However, there is one question that I doubted is whether the changes in technology necessary good? Is the traditional value of face- to- face teaching and learning is diminishing? Despite of the advantages of technologies in enhancing the system of education, I still prefer the traditional way of learning as I think it is more interactive and meaningful to me.
Thank you for your response, Esther. I agree with you that online learning has made our learning experience more flexible. I guess for individuals who are more people oriented like you, the traditional way of learning still plays an important role. I think the bottom line is how effectively knowledge is imparted. In the 21st century, everyone wants the best of both worlds- online and traditional learning at its brilliance.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteKepada Joycelyn dan Patrick,
ReplyDeleteTerima kasih atas perkongsian dan perbincangan mengenai Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) atau dikenali sebagai kursus pembelajaran dalam talian (online)yang terbuka kepada pelajar di IPTA secara percuma. Sedikit penambahan maklumat tentang MOOCs ini khususnya di Malaysia merupakan agenda keutamaan Kementeraian di bawah Lonjakan 9:Pembelajaran Dalam Talian Tahap Global(Globalised Online Learning) di bawah Pelan Pembangunan Pendidikan Malaysia 2015-2025 (Pendidikan Tinggi). Sumber dipetik daripada Portal Rasmi Kementerian Pendidikan Tinggi.
Pada pandangan saya, pelan perancangan pendidikan yang diperkenalkan oleh pihak kementerian ini mempunyai kelebihan untuk memudahkan pelajar khususnya mengikuti mana-mana kursus yang ditawarkan iaitu sebanyak 63 kursus yang menarik dan seramai 137,946 pelajar daripada lebih 80 negara mengikuti MOOC Malaysia.(Maklumat lanjut boleh didapati pada laman sesawang https://www.mohe.gov.my/fokus/378-pembelajaran-di-alam-maya-mooc). Maka, apa yang cyuba saya jelaskan di sini iaitu berdasarkan jumlah statistik pada 2016 ini menunjukkan maklum balas yang positif terhadap Sistem pembelajaran secara MOOCs ini memberi kebaikan/kelebihan terhadap setiap pelajar di IPTA.namun, perlu di ambil kira juga dari aspek sikap dan cara penyampaian komunikasi secara (face to face) adalah lebih baik pada dasarnya secara logikal.
Wujudnya MOOCs ini perlu juga menekankan tentang tingkah laku seseorang individu dalam bentuk komunikasi sosial. saya sendiri lebih memilih untuk menggunakan sistem pembelajaran tradisional kerana ia akan memudahkan saya untuk memberi pandangan, bertukar idea dengan pensyarah yang mengajar dalam bilik kuliah dan kelebihan yang seumpamanya. maka, kita juga dapat membezakan cara seseorang yang pergi menghadiri kuliah berbanding belajar secara dalam talian sahaja akan membentuk sikap yang kurang bersosial (secara positif) untuk bergaul dengan komuniti yang lain.bila kita belajar dalam konteks yang kondusif akan menjadikan diri kita kurang mengambil tahu akan isu-isu semasa yang berlaku atau aktiviti yang diadakan dalam kampus. bukankah matlamat sesebuah universiti untuk melahirkan "Mahasiswa yang Cakna dan Pragmatik"? Maka setiap pelajar perlu menguasai semua bidang tak kira IT dan sebagainya.kecemerlangan dalam setiap aspek buykan sahaja terlihat pada akademik tetapi juga pada aspek kredibiliti, kemahiran dan tingkah laku.
Penerangan idea saya adalah berdasarkan apa yang saya alami dan pemerhatian pada era kontemporari ini terlalu banyak kemudahan dalam proses pembangunan Pendidikan yang membantu diri kita dalam proses untuk mendapat pendidikan yang begitu mudah "klik dan paste atau touch&go" dalam makna lain boleh bersembang dalam chat tools untuk tujuan pembelajaran dan perkongsian idea/ saling bertukar pandangan mengenai sesuatu kursus. namun, kesan ini dilihat pada sudut harmoninya, nampak kekurangan dalam menyuarakan pandangan, sikap menghormati, sikap untuk berusaha menelaah ilmu dan mencapai kecemerlangan dalam bidang akademik dan kokurikulum. Saya berpandangan secara harmoninya,kita perlu seimbang dalam menggunakan kemudahan proses pembelajaran ini agar kita dapat membentuk sikap berusaha, maju dan jaya dalam apa jua yang kita ingin capai. "kualiti itu lahir pada pemikiran logikal dan kritikal bukan pada "keyboard dan update" sahaja. Sekian.Terima kasih.
penambahan:
ReplyDeletehubungan antara pensyarah kurang rapat atau sikap bertanya soalan kurang diamalkan. nampak kurang harmoni di situ. Dari segi tugasan yang diberi, kita akan kurang mendapat maklumat yang tepat tentang kriteria yang diperlukan oleh setiap pensyarah yang berlainan kursus untuk menghasilkan tugasan yang berkualiti. boleh jadi "miss communication" di situ kerana ada maklumat yang kurang sampai atau tidak dmaklumkan dalam kemudahan aplikasi tersebut.(Think and Balance).
Hi Ruzimah, thank you for your deep interest in this topic and detailed response.
DeleteInformation technology is the symbol of 21st century and it is inseparable from our daily lives. Being a university student, we have no choice but to equip ourselves with knowledge and extra knowledge all the time. But in every situation, as often mentioned by our other group members, balance is always the key. The initial process of teaching does not just include the spreading of knowledge but also sharing of values, experiences and motivation.
I believe education is more than just things to make us a smarter person, but also a better person.
Thank you to Joyce and Patrick for your sharing. Online education has provided the convenience and flexibility for people who want to learn and gain new knowledge. Online learning allows students to arrange and enroll online classes that fit with their own personal timetable. At the same time, they can learn at their own pace. Also, it makes higher education is accessible to everyone now. With the advancement of technology, we are no longer limit to our native place. Online education eliminates barriers and obstacles that hinder people to learn, as well as unite people from the worldwide to discuss and interact with each other. In my opinion, online education is an awesome alternative ways for people to learn new skills and knowledge.
ReplyDeleteHi Sok Ferm, thanks for your reply. You have listed the major benefits of online learning and I couldn't agree more. In many ways, online learning has helped us experience a whole new dimension of learning without the limitation of time and space. This is important as there is no end to lifelong learning.
DeleteI agree that online education is a convenient way for student to study. The benefits of the online education are students can get the notes and review the lecture given easily. To me, it is the supplementary to help us to do homework and revision. I still prefer to have the lesson face-to-face in the class. This is because the environment is formal and the reaction between lecturer and students is likely spontaneously. I can be more concentrate in this kind of learning.
ReplyDeleteHi Jessie, thank you for your reply. Indeed, Internet has made our education so much convenient, where we can somehow enjoy our lecture without having to jot down everything. It helps to create a source of fairness, where everyone can get the same piece of information.
DeleteI agree spontaneous response can be a great boost for classroom learning. This is because our facial expression somehow can show whether we truly understand that particular topic and our lecturers should be able to catch the cues.
Yes. I am more enjoyed in face-to-face interaction. The facial expression is the most interesting parts of our body for us to see. This the class become not boring~~
DeleteThank you Joyce and Patrick. I can see that you really proved a great innovation and flexibility about online education. Although online education did provide us more choices, more times and more convenience, I still encourage traditional face-to-face in classroom education. This is how we went through our youth and learn so much which online education can’t even compare with. Traditional education builds up our personality as well as domestic education. We spent so much time to learn knowledge, competing among classmate, creating memories, friendships, first crush and so many possibilities. The beauty of traditional education is even we undergo same educational syllabus, even we spent more than 10 hours a day, we still get a different pathway at the end of the day. We are not learning machines but full of potential, opportunities and surprises. On the other hands, online education did provide various subjects that we couldn’t afford here in local like foreign language or Harvard’s open class. For me, it is just an extra curriculum than can increase our competence in international platform. It would be sad if we completely replace traditional institution with online space cause I still see so much in traditional education.
ReplyDeleteHi Winnie, thank you for taking your time to respond. I agree that traditional education should continue to remain, and online education should be viewed as another option for us to learn new knowledge.
DeleteFor an instance, when we really feel the need to raise a question while listening to a lecture, we can freely do so (depending on the lecturer though) during a traditional classroom lecture.
I think online education serves as a bonus, but not a replacement.
Thank you joyce and patrick. Pada pandangan saya,online educatian adalah salah satu teknik pengajaran dan pembelajaran yang sangat menarik. Bukan itu sahaja online education juga menjimatkan masa. Jadi sesiapa sahaja boleh belajar pada bila-bila masa. Oleh itu, pelan perancangan pendidikan yang diperkenalkan oleh Kementerian ini sangat bagus untuk semua golongan.
ReplyDeleteHi Amirah, thank you for your response. Indeed, it is how we use technology for our benefit. It is a whole new world that we can experience through the Internet. I am glad that online education gives us the opportunity to study what we thought we could not but opens up so much opportunities to us.
DeleteTerima kasih atas perkongsian berkaitan dengan pembelajaran atas talian yang dinyatakan. Saya akui pembelajaran atas talian pada masa kini memainkan peranan yang sangat penting tidak kira untuk pelajar universiti mahupun pelajar sekolah. Hal ini demikian kerana, teknik sebegini mampu menjadikan seseorang itu lebih mendalami topik yang telah diajar oleh para pendidik di dalam kelas. Pelajar bukan sahaja dapat menjadikan topik-topik atas talian sebagai bahan bacaan sampingan, malah dapat menjadikan bacaan tersebut sebagai panduan dan rujukan apabila gagal ataupun tidak sempat untuk hadir ke kelas atas alasan tertentu. Komunikasi secara alam maya yang telah dikongsi kepada para pelajar dapat menjadikan para pelajar lebih selesa dan tidak takut apabila terlepas sesuatu matapelajaran, mereka boleh saling merujuk dan berkongsi bersama rakan-rakan lain.
ReplyDeleteNamun begitu, teknik pembelajaran atas talian sebenarnya telah mengundang permasalahan kerana ia telah menimbulkan satu tradisi baharu iaitu "malas". Nota atas talian yang diberikan oleh para pendidik ibarat "suap-menyuap" kepada para pelajar. Para pelajar menggunakan kesempatan yang ada untuk tidak membuat nota, bahkan mereka mencetak nota yang diberikan dan hanya menyimpannya untuk dijadikan sebagai "kenangan". Hal ini bukan sahaja boleh memupuk budaya "mengada-ngada", tetapi juga mampu membuatkan pelajar tersebut gagal untuk memahami keseluruhan gambaran pembelajaran apabila terlalu bergantung kepada pembelajaran atas talian yang telah disediakan.
Jangan marah, jangan terasa, ini hanya pandangan daripada insan yang bergelar "mahasiswa".
Sekian. :-)
Hi Noraini, thank you for your feedback. Indeed, online education helps us to form more communication with people more comfortably at times. I agree that it helps us to get deeper into a specific subject without the constraint of time and space.
DeleteYou raised a very valid point. It is true where some people just rather face the computer and study on their own. For me personally, I still think it is important to learn from direct examples given by lecturers in class and write it down according to my own understanding.
Haha, I do not have any hard feelings at all. It is refreshing to listen to different opinions on this issue. Thanks once again.
Hahahahaa. thank you joycec for the feedback! I appreciate it..
Delete**Joyce
Deletedear Joyce and Patrick, i agree both of your opinions. Yes, online education do bring many benefits to people especially us that are in fast-paced society. With the traditional system of education, we need to pay a huge amount of money to attend a prestigious school. Yet with all those budget cuts, busy classrooms, and course shortages, you won’t always get the chance to study exactly what you want. Moreover, we will not be bound to physical class session when we attend for online education. Not need take public transport to get to campus, won’t have to spend money on gas for your car, won’t have to get up early to get dressed for class… the list of conveniences goes on and on.
ReplyDeleteHi Jia Chi, thanks for reminding us about the practical and reality side of education. Education is costly. Like seriously. Hahaha I agree that it is convenient to experience online education without having to wake up too early. But I guess everyone is entitled to their opinion about online education and traditional education.
ReplyDeleteWe just have to enjoy the best of both worlds. =)