MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) Ted Talks

MOOCs 101 (click me)

 Anant Agarwal: Why MOOCs still matter (ditto)

Sugata Mitra: Build a school in the cloud (ditto of ditto)

1. What is the nature of the case - is it an intro to new material, review, extending learning, etc? - In highlighting MOOCs and/or the idea of schools in the cloud, I am not focusing on a particular and limiting technology / tool, but rather that open access to education itself via technology.
   
2. How do you know the students are learning? - Not applicable to selected videos. That said, some tech skeptics reduce tech tools and applications to mere trickery, fulfilling nothing more the the "R" in the SAMR model.  In this scenario, it is simply access to technology and the wealth of information and collaborative tools that when coupled with a motivated audience becomes limitless in its learning potential.
3. What is the teacher doing?  I.E. What elements of the lesson (pedagogy, modeling, questioning techniques, etc) did you observe?  Was there anything different about them from “traditional” learning? - Again, not applicable to videos selected. However, regardless of technology employed, all lessons should maintain clarity around what students are to do, a context, i.e., why students should care / why important, student investment with external support, and a sufficient challenge.
4. Could you potentially use this lesson? - Good instruction is good instruction.  Tools that provide teachers and students feedback about learning trump animated powerpoints any day.