Comparison-Contrast Essay: Massive Open Online Courses
WRTG 101/101S Writing Assignment #1: Comparison-Contrast Essay First Draft Due on ___ Writing Assignment #1 will be a comparison-contrast essay on the perspectives of Dr. Karen Head and Thomas Friedman on the effectiveness of online writing courses. The following links feature the following: · a series of articles written by Dr. Head on her experience in teaching a composition course through a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) platform · a video interview with Friedman on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) · an article by Friedman on MOOCs. Friedman discusses MOOCs in general, while Head describes her experience in teaching a writing class using a MOOC platform. · Karen Head o the following link provides a series of short articles written by Dr. Head on her experience in teaching a freshman composition class through a MOOC: http://chronicle(dot)com/blogs/wiredcampus/author/khead o the following link is to an article written by Head called “Massive Open Online Adventure” http://chronicle(dot)com/article/Massive-Open-Online-Adventure/138803/ · Thomas Friedman o “A Conversation with Thomas Friedman, Part 2: Missing the Point on MOOCs, Cost vs. Value in Higher Ed and the '401(k) World'” http://vimeo(dot)com/66575133 o “Revolution Hits the Universities,” http://www(dot)nytimes(dot)com/2013/01/27/opinion/sunday/friedman-revolution-hits-the-universities.html?_r=1& Your essay should have the following: · an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. · at least three body paragraphs that illustrate at least three major points and defend these points by referring to the Head article, the Friedman interview, and the Friedman article. You will want to paraphrase or quote from the texts as appropriate. Don’t worry about citation style for this paper. If you quote from or paraphrase either author, simply put that author’s name in parentheses after the sentence that contains the quotation or paraphrase. Your body paragraphs should follow either the block pattern of organization or the alternating pattern of organization. As you prepare for this assignment, you might review the following video tutorial: http://polaris(dot)umuc(dot)edu/ewc/tutorials/comparisons/ · a compelling concluding paragraph. Please emphasize the differences between the two authors in this essay. You may want to point out the similarity or similarities. However, the main focus of your essay will be on their differences. Length: 1000-1200 words Due Date: to be determined by the instructor
Comparison-Contrast Essay
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Comparison-Contrast Essay
The prominent and efficient applications of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has remained both motivating and demonstrative of the broad acknowledgement, countrywide and globally, of incorporated technology inside the fields of higher learning. It as well offers an extremely promising view of the way conservative classrooms and enlightening systems have absorbed and used these apparatus in innovative means, which function to progressively improve the distribution, acceptance, and general practices of coaching and education. MOOCs are among the radical movements in education all over the globe (Friedman, 2013).
Several controversies rotate around it with some education personnel seeing it like an extremely expensive, however, of less worth. Moreover, different critics term it a cost effective replica of teaching mainly in higher education. Cost effective in the reasoning that several students may be reached whichever place they are, through a single tutor, however, of less worth in the reasoning that there is no direct mingling between the apprentice and the tutor. For example, Dr. Karen Head and Thomas Friedman have differing ideas and perspectives on similar matter, but they seem to concur on other important perspectives regarding the discussion for achieving an impartial knowledge (Friedman, 2013). The upheaval in education segment all over the globe that is formed through extensive application of the internet is appreciated through both Friedman and Head.
New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman does not script concerning education so much, but his scripts concerning power and concerning reforms on an international stage. However, he informed the people at EWA’s National Seminar that the education is simply some easy miles far from his focus. He acknowledged that the education is the greatest overseas rule matter. “Inside the “hyper-linked” globe we live in currently, each one is striving versus each other all over the globe. Each has availability of the superior software, resources, and individuals, rendering anyone who is simply average immaterial in the bazaar area. The entire international curve simply surged,” Friedman said. On top of Karen admitting that MOOCs is an insurgence step, she goes further to claim that MOOCs are not as much victorious as Friedman claims (Head, 2014). She argues that the information is challenging since several individuals have witnessed that MOOCs always have dreadful retention proportions, which is not a correct evaluation of prosperity.
Karen claims that; “only 21, 934 apprentices enrolled, out of which 14,771 were taking part in the learning. Despite this huge enrollment and participation, just 238 students got a termination certificate”. She said that their group was currently studying the reason some students terminated the course; however, they have a few hypotheses. Moreover, several students who did not finalize all three main tests hence would not excel in the course. Several had challenges with technology, mainly in the last test, whereby they were instructed to make a video illustration founded on an individual philosophy or norm. A few scholars for personal reasons decided not to finalize that test, even when the directives were altered and needed just an audio illustration with imagery characters. There were different scholars who entered the study later in the second week. They were warned that they will not have the capacity to excel in the course since there was no technique for performing peer assessment after a test’s due date had elapsed (Richmond, 2013).
On the other side, Friedman talks concerning his experiences education about those who have applied MOOCs in their personal studies, as well as his comrade Michael Sande...