Carl Straumsheim writes for Inside Higher Ed that instructor grading will be offered in an MITx philosophy MOOC this fall. “You can still achieve scale through partially automating courses, but keeping some bits of human interaction that are really important, like the interaction between you and the person you are writing a paper to,” explains Prof. Caspar Hare.
Dan Butin writes for Inside Higher Ed that MITx will begin offering students taking a popular philosophy MOOC the chance to have their work evaluated by professional philosophers. “MITx has solved a real problem in the MOOC world – of quality feedback and engagement – and has done so in a way that sustains the ability to scale,” Butin writes.
Chronicle of Higher Education reporter Jeffrey Young speaks with MIT student Battushig Myanganbayar about how students taking MOOCs need greater opportunities to apply their education. President L. Rafael Reif explains that in addition to creating an entrepreneurship MOOC, MIT aims to “help the people who are learning with us learn how to think differently."
Inside Higher Ed reporter Carl Straumsheim highlights how the new Online Education Policy Initiative report stresses the central role of faculty members to online learning. Prof. Karen Willcox notes that the report discusses “ways online education can make what we do better.”
As part of the Chronicle of Higher Education’s special section on tech innovators, Jeffrey Young spotlights the work of Sanjay Sarma, vice president for open learning. Young writes that Sarma is transforming higher education “by pushing the lecture model into the margins and using technology to rethink the professor’s role.”
In a series of articles for Inside Higher Ed, Joshua Kim writes about a new report out of the MIT Online Education Policy Initiative analyzing the current state and future of higher education. Kim writes that the report, “has lots to say about the future of higher education,” adding that, “it really doesn’t get more exciting for us online learning nerds.”
Politico reporter Allie Grasgreen Ciaramella highlights how a report out of the MIT Online Education Policy Initiative stresses the importance of cross-collaboration to improve learning. “The authors noted that drawing together fields that may not be traditionally linked, such as education experts and neuroscientists, can better provide ways to optimize the online learning experience.”
In an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education, Corinne Ruff highlights MIT’s new “MicroMaster’s” credential. Prof. Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX, noted that the pilot program offers a new path for admissions into MIT’s Supply Chain Management program.
Prof. Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX, has been honored with a 2016 Harold W. McGraw Prize in Education, writes Ruth Hammond for The Chronicle of Higher Education. Agarwal was cited for his “leadership in the development of massive open online course, or MOOCs.”
Prof. Anant Agarwal, CEO of edX, writes for U.S. News and World Report about how MOOCs can improve lives around the world. Agarwal writes that MOOCS have, “demonstrated potential benefit as a catalyst for change within universities and all over the world. MOOC platforms have helped entire countries build their labor forces and create conduits for dramatic social change.”
In an effort to help students master physics, postdoc Zhongzhou Chen is developing teaching techniques that break down physics concepts into specific skills, reports Jill Barshay for U.S. News & World Report. Chen tested his approach in one of MIT’s physics MOOCs. "If we're going to find ways to use technology to have breakthroughs in learning, it's probably going to come from educators like Chen,” says Barshay.
Fortune reporter Claire Zillman writes that MIT is starting an “‘inverted admissions’ program in which students who excel in a series of free online courses—and a subsequent examination—will have better chances of being accepted into the school’s full master’s program.”
“That makes MIT’s approach seem pretty noble: finally, a more affordable way to get the same high-caliber degree, no matter your academic record, so long as you can prove your mettle,’” writes Christian Science Monitor reporter Molly Jackson of MIT’s new path to a master’s degree.
Drew Bent writes for The Tech about MIT’s new pilot program, through which students will be selected to enter the Supply Chain Management master’s program based on their performance in online courses. “The hybrid model allows for both types of learning to take place while also letting more students receive an MIT education,” writes Bent.
AP reporter Collin Binkley writes about MIT’s “MicroMaster’s” credential and the new path to an MIT master’s degree in Supply Chain Management. "Anyone who wants to be here now has a shot to be here," explains MIT President L. Rafael Reif.