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Anant Agarwal: Why massively open online courses (still) matter
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Anant Agarwal: Why massively open online courses (still) matter

Reimagining Education

In this section, the speaker discusses the concept of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and how they are revolutionizing education by providing access to courses from prestigious universities worldwide.

The Evolution of Education

  • Education has remained largely unchanged for centuries, with minimal innovation since the introduction of textbooks and the printing press.
  • Despite advancements in various fields like healthcare and transportation, education has lagged behind in terms of evolution and accessibility.

Transforming Education through Technology

  • Technology offers a pathway to transform education in terms of quality, scale, and access.
  • The speaker emphasizes the need to reimagine education entirely, shifting from traditional methods to online technologies like interactive labs and gamification.

Impact of MOOCs on Access to Education

  • Organizations like edX are leveraging technology through MOOCs to increase access to education globally.
  • An example is provided where 155,000 students from 162 countries enrolled in an MIT course via edX, surpassing the total number of MIT alumni in history.

Blended Learning Model

This section delves into blending online technologies with traditional classroom settings to enhance learning experiences for students.

Embracing Digital Communication

  • The speaker shares a personal anecdote about communicating with his daughter using text messages due to her preference for digital communication.
  • Acknowledging the digital inclinations of millennials, he advocates for embracing technology rather than resisting it in educational settings.

Integrating Technology into Learning Environments

  • Proposing a shift towards integrating online technologies into education by adapting to students' comfort with digital tools.
  • Suggesting a model where students engage with online content at their own pace before participating in interactive sessions within classrooms.

Flipped Classroom Approach

  • Advocating for a flipped classroom approach where students watch videos and complete exercises independently before engaging in collaborative activities during class time.

Learning Innovations in Education

In this section, the speaker discusses the success of blended learning courses at San Jose State University and highlights key ideas that contribute to effective learning outcomes.

Active Learning

  • Active learning involves replacing traditional lectures with interleaved sequences of videos and interactive exercises.
  • This method promotes student engagement by teaching through questioning, enhancing learning and retention.

Self-Pacing

  • Self-pacing allows students to control their learning pace by pausing, rewinding, or muting online lectures.
  • This approach caters to individual learning speeds and enhances comprehension.

Instant Feedback

  • Instant feedback provided by computers grading exercises engages students more effectively than delayed feedback from instructors.
  • Immediate feedback encourages repeated attempts and active participation in the learning process.

Enhancing Engagement Through Technology

The speaker explores how technology-driven strategies such as gamification and peer learning enhance student engagement and collaboration in educational settings.

Gamification

  • Gamification techniques leverage interactive elements to engage learners actively in educational content.
  • Incorporating gamified elements like online labs can make learning more enjoyable and effective for students.

Peer Learning

  • Peer learning through discussion forums fosters collaborative problem-solving among students.

Dreaming of the Future of Education

In this segment, the speaker shares a vision for the future of education, emphasizing a shift towards digital learning environments and tools while acknowledging the continued importance of traditional lecture halls.

Reimagining Education

  • The speaker envisions a transformation in education from physical lecture halls to e-spaces.
  • This transition involves moving away from traditional books to affordable tablets like the Aakash in India or Raspberry Pi, priced at $20.
  • Emphasis is placed on replacing brick-and-mortar school buildings with digital dormitories.
Channel: TED
Video description

2013 was a year of hype for MOOCs (massively open online courses). Great big numbers and great big hopes were followed by some disappointing first results. But the head of edX, Anant Agarwal, makes the case that MOOCs still matter -- as a way to share high-level learning widely and supplement (but perhaps not replace) traditional classrooms. Agarwal shares his vision of blended learning, where teachers create the ideal learning experience for 21st century students. TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes (or less). Look for talks on Technology, Entertainment and Design -- plus science, business, global issues, the arts and much more. Find closed captions and translated subtitles in many languages at http://www.ted.com/translate Follow TED news on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tednews Like TED on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TED Subscribe to our channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/TEDtalksDirector