That can also happen in two-year long programs as well, especially in those that allow you for less than a semester from proposal to defense. I can certainly perceive a scaling issue in academia. Will MOOC-style initiatives be able to solve this problem in the future?
> That can also happen in two-year long programs as well, especially in those that allow you for less than a semester from proposal to defense.
I can imagine that. My own programme had two terms with exams in January and May/June, then the dissertation from June till September and it was a nightmare!
> I can certainly perceive a scaling issue in academia. Will MOOC-style initiatives be able to solve this problem in the future?
If I were running a university, I'd definitely move the large early undergrad courses to MOOCs to free up lecturers time for more advanced/specialised courses and direct supervision of students. It seems crazy to me that there are thousands of basic algorithms, calculus, etc courses being taught across the world by people who could use their time a lot more productively teaching the more specialised knowledge they have acquired through their research.
neodypsis|3 years ago
Penyngton|3 years ago
I can imagine that. My own programme had two terms with exams in January and May/June, then the dissertation from June till September and it was a nightmare!
> I can certainly perceive a scaling issue in academia. Will MOOC-style initiatives be able to solve this problem in the future?
If I were running a university, I'd definitely move the large early undergrad courses to MOOCs to free up lecturers time for more advanced/specialised courses and direct supervision of students. It seems crazy to me that there are thousands of basic algorithms, calculus, etc courses being taught across the world by people who could use their time a lot more productively teaching the more specialised knowledge they have acquired through their research.