Computer science, education, and other specialists from Europe and South Africa provide 12 chapters that discuss massive open online courses (MOOCs). They address their relationship to universities, the economic and educational implications of pricing disaggregation, their use in the continuing education of engineers and scientists, and different business models; pedagogical concerns like requirements, learning theories, learning objects, assessment activities, and the use of visualization for reflection; case studies of a course on bullying and foreign language; and the connection to work in terms of assisted mechatronics learning.
– ProtoView Reviews
The major strength of the book is that it provides guidelines for the implementation of MOOCs in practical terms, away from the clichéd terms (such as “revolution,” “hype,” or “innovation”) that are often associated with them. While the MOOCs revolution is rumored to be coming to an end, the authors assign to the movement a role that could still be made to higher education. To this end, the book calls for pedagogical refinements as well as a clear analysis of the financial viability of MOOCs.
– Reflective Teaching