Thanks for the comment. Our analysis was limited to full time students at Augustana. As a function of being on trimesters (10 weeks terms), students’ full time load is a minimum of 8 credits. We rarely have a student take more than 16 credits in a term because our three credit courses are probably best compared to a four credit course on a semester calendar. I hope that gives you a more complete picture of our situation and the context of our analysis.

Mark

Love this discussion

I’m wondering if the development of moral judgment particularly during the first year can be attributed to the enculturation that occurs when an individual joins a new organization. We tend to learn the “ropes” informally from others in the organization. In our case, we have upper class students, faculty and staff who are doing all sorts of things that show they are responsible, caring individuals. We also have programs like Campus Connections and a regular focus on volunteering that communicate the message of being an educated citizen. Much of this emphasis started with the Lilly grant. I wonder how many of the other 32 liberal arts colleges had Lilly funding.

I appreciate and resonate with your perspectives on the MOOCs, and seeking to find ways of co-opting and collaboration.

I would like to add that I wish articles and blogs would more often make clearer distinctions between MOOCs and “online” classes, to help nuance the discussion. Misperceptions about what “online” learning is are still common, partly because it continues to evolve and is very different than what it was 10 years ago and what most people think it is. There are many ways now that content is delivered online. And unlike the online learning of the 1990s and early 2000s, neither “face to face” nor “relationships” can continue to be contrasted with all online learning, even if they can be contrasted with many MOOCs in that way.

MOOCs are indeed a powerful global force, and perhaps the most intriguing online and cultural learning movement at present. And I think it is extraordinary that world-class content can be so globally accessible. And I agree that this is very distinct from what a residential liberal arts college views as a full education. I simply want to highlight that additionally there are other (non-MOOC) online platforms (e.g. the Adobe professional video services that allow extraordinary use of face to face video and all kinds of additional media sharing and manipulation – used by folks like USC, U of Maryland, and other colleges and universities) out there already co-opting some of the great benefits that MOOCs give you (e.g. prepackaged world-class content knowledge) and combining them with the engagement that comes with face to face relationships with professors and applied breakout group dialogue with fellow students (as many of these courses are delivered with class sizes in the 10-15 students per course). These types of online course delivery methods tend to feel more like a “blended” course (as there is delivery of some items outside of “class time”), but the live class sessions just happen to also be online. While these courses are not free, nor exceptionally cheap, they are cheaper than traditional courses in many instances. All that to say, MOOCs may be online, but those terms are nowhere near synonymous. And better understanding the different opportunities of what can be done online will hopefully help us move into more proactive and nuanced discussions of how to respond (and co-opt) the best of what is happening with online learning.

I think you’re right that the key is that the experience be conceived of as an educational activity. It might be interesting to set up a much more extensive system of upper class students mentoring younger ones (like a cycling research lab structure) so that far more of the students’ work was clearly educational. I certainly got a lot out of grading and holding office hours as an undergrad.