December 4, 2015 at 19:52Mostly successful people are interested in online courses.
Science Magazine publishes a study by John Hansen of Harvard and Justin Reich of MIT on social analysis of people who use Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) to improve their own education. It turned out that the availability of such services on the Internet is mainly used by people with a fairly high social status, living in areas with a better-off population than the average Americans.
The study was carried out using data from students of 68 courses who studied at the MOOCs courses from 2012 to 2014. The parameters by which students were evaluated was the average level of family affluence and the level of education of their parents. These statistics were taken from the census. After the analysis, it became clear that most of the students who enrolled in the courses and successfully completed them, having received a certificate, lived in income-safe areas and had more educated parents.
Interestingly, the main topics of online courses are science, technology, engineering and mathematics, that is, mainly those that provide a significant advantage in the market. It is obvious that the quality of online courses does not play a role, because on the one hand they were used by students who have the opportunity to evaluate them due to their level of education, and on the other, the courses were sponsored by universities known for their high authority.
Thus, the results of a study by Hansen and Reich cast doubt on one of the goals of the MOOC online courses - to enable people from different social backgrounds to receive high-quality education. As a result, the researchers conclude, since online education services are unnecessary for people with low social status, this opportunity actually increases the difference between people even more. Probably, to solve this problem, in addition to creating the courses themselves, they also need to be popularized, explaining their significance for the future of young people.
The study was carried out using data from students of 68 courses who studied at the MOOCs courses from 2012 to 2014. The parameters by which students were evaluated was the average level of family affluence and the level of education of their parents. These statistics were taken from the census. After the analysis, it became clear that most of the students who enrolled in the courses and successfully completed them, having received a certificate, lived in income-safe areas and had more educated parents.
Interestingly, the main topics of online courses are science, technology, engineering and mathematics, that is, mainly those that provide a significant advantage in the market. It is obvious that the quality of online courses does not play a role, because on the one hand they were used by students who have the opportunity to evaluate them due to their level of education, and on the other, the courses were sponsored by universities known for their high authority.
Thus, the results of a study by Hansen and Reich cast doubt on one of the goals of the MOOC online courses - to enable people from different social backgrounds to receive high-quality education. As a result, the researchers conclude, since online education services are unnecessary for people with low social status, this opportunity actually increases the difference between people even more. Probably, to solve this problem, in addition to creating the courses themselves, they also need to be popularized, explaining their significance for the future of young people.