MOOC U: Who Is Getting the Most Out of Online Education and Why

By Jeffrey Selingo

Contributing editor to The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of College (Un)Bound, Jeffrey J. Selingo follows in real time the stories of all the stake-holders in University of Virginia business professor Ed Hess's popular Grow to Greatness MOOC to distill for MOOC students (seven million and counting) what works, what doesn't, and what to expect next of the phenomenon that is massive open online courses.

When professors at top universities first began offering free online classes to the masses in 2012, the promise was that one day their experiment would revolutionize higher education forever by opening the doors to a first-class education for everyone. Since then, more than seven million students have signed up to take a massive open online course, or MOOC. But so far, MOOCs have failed to live up to the initial promises of their founders, with a vast majority of students failing to complete their courses. Lost in the rising chorus of emboldened MOOC critics are the expectations and experiences of the students who, in ever rising numbers, continue to sign up. What does a great MOOC look like, and why? Which MOOC students benefit the most? How do I get the greatest value out of taking a MOOC? To get answers, Jeffrey J. Selingo, contributing editor to The Chronicle of Higher Education and author of College (Un)Bound, embedded himself in University of Virginia business professor Ed Hess's Grow to Greatness MOOC. The result, MOOC U, is the real-time stories of the major players: students, professor, university, and MOOC provider. Written to answer the most pressing questions that MOOC students are asking, MOOC U chronicles how free online courses are changing how students learn, how professors teach, and how universities are rethinking what constitutes face-to-face education in the 21st Century.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Release date: Sep 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9781476783529

Jeffrey Selingo

Jeffrey Selingo has written about colleges and universities for more than two and a half decades and is a New York Times bestselling author of three books. Who Gets In and Why: A Year Inside College Admissions takes readers inside the admissions offices of three selective universities and was named among the 100 Notable Books of the year by The New York Times. Dream School: Finding the College That’s Right For You is based on two-plus years of research and an original survey of more than 3,000 parents. A regular contributor to The Atlantic, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Jeff is a special advisor to the president and professor of practice at Arizona State University. He also writes a biweekly newsletter on all things higher ed called Next and cohosts the podcast, Future U. He lives near Washington, DC, with his family.

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Reviews for MOOC U

[AnIncrediblyGinormousBookaholic · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Short but worth the time. I've taken classes on Coursera and thought they were good. Google in particular has partnered with them for several certificates that have the skills employers are looking for. If you want to try out courses from top tier universities, go ahead and try them out.