MOOCs (The MIT Press Essential Knowledge series)

This book is extremely well written, clear, and easy to read. It is full of helpful information regarding online learning and basically free education. I am strongly recommending this book to specific people groups who are currently being denied access to higher education for political reasons. No one should be denied the ability to study and increase their potential to help solve our world's very serious problems. I love this book. The author did an outstanding job and it couldn't have come at a more desperate time. Mr. Haber should receive great recognition for this masterful work. I would want the author to know that he has helped bring an awareness to an educational paradise for many people who would have absolutely no hope without it! Thank you Mr. Haber!

Author Haber dedicated 2013 to attempting to learn the equivalent of what a student would get from being enrolled in a four-year liberal arts degree program using only MOOCs and other forms of free learning. Previously he'd graduated in the '80s with a degree in chemistry. During 2014 he completed courses from Coursera, Harvard, Udacity, Ohio State University, Holy Cross University, Wesleyan University, edX, Indiana State, Yale, Udemy, Concordia, California Institute of Technology, Saylor.org, Stanford, University of Virginia, Berkeley, and MIT. Topics included 'How to Reason and Argue,' Introduction to Law and Economics,' Statistics, How to Build a Startup, Understanding Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity, Art History, China, Pragmatism, Technology Entrepreneurship, and Kant's Critique of Pure Reason.' I'm certainly impressed - both with the content, breadth, and reputation of the course providers.His freshman year was from January until the end of March, and the sophomore year was wrapped up at the end of June; however, by that time he'd also started some of his third year classes.Summarizing the experience, Haber believes the typical MOOC is easier. Some of the course discussion-board comments were really, really thoughtful, others really, really misguided; most gravitate to the same old left/right debate. At least half his fellow-students were outside the U.S. As for essays - not much of an issue now, though EdX plans to release open source software that grades essays; meanwhile, in one of his classes (25,000 enrolled) students graded each other's essays using specified rules.One wondering where to take a particular course can check out various professors at Rate My Professor, or even iTunes.Bottom-Line: While there are problems (eg. some professors aren't good at getting the microphone close enough to students, discussion boards often drown in comments) Haber believes MOOCs will make a big contribution to changing education. He believes that self-motivated individuals can get as much out of a MOOC class as a traditional brick-and-mortar class.

This is a comprehensive, fair, and penetrating overview of every aspect of MOOCs that I’ve been interested in, and even more aspects I hadn’t previously considered. The historical section gives a good understanding of the provenance of online learning and MOOCs. The text then moves on to explore the many different types of MOOCs, and the issues and controversies surrounding them. Because the author has taken a number of MOOCs over a year's period as part of his research process, the text is well-informed and balanced. The writing is elegantly straight-forward, which makes the book an enjoyable as well as an informative read.I highly recommend this terrific book for anyone who might have an interest in MOOCs and the MOOC phenomenon. It is the best book I have ever read in relation to MOOCs and online learning.

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