The Benefits of the Anti-MOOC: Big goals achieved in small online classes
The past year was instrumental for online learning. The New York Times dubbed 2012 “The Year of the MOOC” and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have since become one of the hottest topics in education. It has become clear as most institutions are now developing online curricula that e-learning is not an educational fad but instead holds great promise for the future and democratization of education. MOOCs are clearly one means to these ends; however, other successful models of online education hold equal, if not more, promise to advance higher education as well as innovation and entrepreneurship. This paper considers the benefits of the “anti-MOOC” by providing concrete examples from MCAD’s MA in Sustainable Design program that is built on a foundation of small classes (<18 students per class) that cultivate tight-knit networks and attain the previously untapped potential for transnational projects, innovation, and collaboration conducted completely online.