MOOCs have really taken off this year, with exploding offerings, millions of enrollments, and lots of media coverage.
Regular EmergingEdTech readers know that MOOCs have been a very hot topic throughout 2012, and the momentum keeps building. A key development in the latter half of the year has been increased effort by many colleges to determine how to offer credit for completed Massive Online Open Courses. All the attention that MOOCs have been getting has also led to the creation of a few infographics that focus on this popular education technology. Below are four of these visual aids (click on the abbreviated images to access to the full infographic).
“The Widening World of Massive Open Course”
(http://www.onlinecolleges.net/2012/07/11/the-world-of-massive-open-online-courses/)
This infographic provides insights into why MOOCs are becoming so popular, some benefits and some issues, major providers, and more.
“The Evolution of Distance Learning”
(http://www.evolution-of-distance-learning.com/)
This is not a traditional infographic, but rather an interactive one. Scroll down through it to reveal the nuggets of information associated with each year in the image, starting with 1892 (when the University of Chicago created the first college-level distance learning program) all the way through to 2035 (where it is predicted that individuals minds will, “converge and communicate through bioengineered technologies …”).
“Tomorrow’s College Will Be Free (or Else)”
(http://www.onlineclasses.org/2012/10/22/mooc/)
Unfortunately, this infographic makes the case for MOOCs with a rather negative spin on college in general. While its certainly valid to question the cost of some degrees in comparison to potential earnings they can bring, painting a picture of college as generally not worth the investment in misleading. That being said, there is no doubt that MOOCs are going to put some pressure on higher education to lower costs.
“What’s A MOOC?”
(http://www.onlinecolleges.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/)
This shortened version of an infographic offers quick insights into what a MOOC is and how it works.
Related Posts (if the above topic is of interest, you might want to check these out):
Longwood University Combines Gaming and MOOC Technology to Offer Free Career Readiness Education to High School Students Everywhere
My MOOC Journal: Coursera Operations Management Course – Weeks 2 through 4
How will MOOCs impact the future of college education?