MOOCS: Digesting the facts
| Published | May 2014 |
| Journal | Distance Education Volume 35, Issue 2, Pages 159 - 163 |
ABSTRACT
The techniques used in massive open online courses (MOOCs) are compared with supersizing in the fast food industry. Similarities include the profit motives, marketing techniques, criticisms, industry defences, and evolution of the two controversies. While fast food restaurants strategically increase the size of their meal courses and consumer base, MOOC providers increase the size of their student enrolments and the amounts of online course material they provide for the students to consume. In the two contexts, franchise owners and educational administrators deliver the supersized courses to their customers with apparent disregard for their widening negative effects. Educational institutions are encouraged to consider the ethics of these practices in order to prevent the unmonitored spread of junk education.| Keywords | junk food · marketing strategies · massive open online courses · MOOCs · profit motive · supersizing |
| ISSN | 1475-0198 |
| Refereed | Yes |
| Rights | Copyright © 2016 Informa UK Limited |
| DOI | 10.1080/01587919.2014.919710 |
| Other information | Distance Education |
| Export options | BibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar |
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