1) http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/22/competency-based-educations-newest-form-creates-promise-and-questions (4/22/2013)
A look at two models for competency based credits being used by Capella and College for America. The growing movement towards competency based accreditation could of course lead to increased validation of MOOC certificates that are only earned by achieving competency on a final test.
2) http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/how-was-it-the-uks-first-coursera-moocs-assessed/2003218.article (4/18/2013)
A review of the UK’s first Coursera MOOCs
2) http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/25/moocs-may-eye-world-market-does-world-want-them (4/25/2013) .
Although MOOC providers may want to take on the world, not all parts of the world may want a part of MOOCs. A look at the suitability of MOOCS for developing countries whose needs and cultures are often quite different from that of the US’s
3) http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/04/25/moocs-do-not-represent-best-online-learning-essay. (4/25)
A look at the pedagogic value of MOOCs. This article re-iterates a common point about MOOC’s : MOOC 1.0, the article’s phrase for this first generation of MOOCs, work well for the motivated and the capable but not for struggling learners. MOOC 2.0, again coined by article, represents an emerging trend of new types of MOOC’s that use proven pedagogic techniques such as feedback from qualified instructors to help your typical or struggling student who would generally get lost in the masses and chaos of a MOOC 1.0 course.
4) http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-study-online-20130425,0,4714055.story (4/25) Look at a study showing that most students prefer face to face contact with instructor. Still, many students take online courses for a variety of reasons including the flexible schedule of MOOCs and online classes.
A caustic look at MOOCs , this article points out that free education has always existed (public libraries for instance) and that there are serious flaws in the model