Efn Lessonguide 45

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?
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TRANSCRIPT!
Hello, and welcome to English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45!!
My name is Lisa and this is the English Fluency Now podcast, a podcast which will help you
improve your English by listening to authentic English spoken by American English speakers.
The podcast covers topics related to everyday life, business, education, travel and a variety of
other interesting topics. !
If you want to get the Lesson Guide for this episode, go to my website
www.englishfluencynow.com and click on the products page. I recommend listening to the
podcast several times while reading along with the transcript. This is an excellent way to
prepare for English proficiency exams, such as TOEFL and IELTS. !
Also on the website, you can sign up for my free email course - 7 Strategies for English
Fluency. You will receive an email from me each day for seven days. In each email, I will
teach you about a powerful technique you can use to improve your English.!
Okay, lets begin! !
In todays episode, I am going to talk about MOOCs. MOOC or M-O-O-C is an acronym for
Massive Open Online Course. I have taken several MOOCs lately and my experience with
them has been wonderful. I am going to explain what they are, how they work and how you
too can take them. !
MOOCs started in the year 2008 when two professors offered a course called Connectivism
and Connective Knowledge. While the class had 25 tuition-paying students, they also opened
the class to others; there were over 2200 students who took the course online for free. The
course content was available through an RSS feed and the online students could participate
in a variety of ways, including blog posts, online discussions and even Second Life meetings.
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English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!
Soon after this first MOOC experience, other online entrepreneurs and universities started to
jump on the bandwagon, creating their own online courses and making them available to
people throughout the world. !
In the fall of 2011, the now famous Introduction into Artificial Intelligence MOOC was taught by
two Stanford University professors and had more than 160,000 students enrolled. One of the
professors, German-born Sebastian Thrun, subsequently co-founded his own company to
provide MOOCs called Udacity and two other guys launched Coursera. Coursera quickly
partnered with top universities to provide content for their online courses, including
American universities such as Stanford and Princeton, and the University of Pennsylvania. !
Not wanting to be left out of the game, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
created a not-for-profit known as MITx in 2012 to run their MOOC offerings. They were soon
joined by Harvard and renamed their site edX. Soon, prestigious universities such as the
University of California, Berkeley, Georgetown University and others joined edX and began
offering course content to millions of students across the globe.!
In the beginning, the MOOCs were made available to online students throughout the world for
free, but you could not receive any credit. It was basically a way to make course information
available, but you wouldnt be able to obtain a degree or any type of title or certification for
completing the courses. !
In January 2013, however, Udacity started to offer MOOCs-for-credit in collaboration with

San Jose State University in California. And in May 2013, they launched the first MOOC
masters degree program in collaboration with telecommunications giant AT&T and the
Georgia Institute of Technology. This MOOC-only masters program was set to cost only
$7,000, thousands of dollars cheaper than the normal cost of a masters degree program. It
has been so popular that they have had to turn away over 2,000 students, though in the
future, they hope to be able to offer it to more people. !
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Currently, the top three MOOC websites in the U.S. are edX, Coursera and Udacity. They
offer more than 100 different courses from over 30 different institutions around the world.
Many of the courses are in English and taught by American university professors, but they do
have some courses in other languages as well, including French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Chinese and Vietnamese. !
In fact, one of the courses that I am enrolled in right now is a Political Science course from a
university in Belgium. I am taking it simply as a way to use and improve my French. I have a
degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Cruz, so I am already
familiar with the topics being discussed in the course. !
There are also other companies and universities based in other countries throughout the
world that offer MOOCs, including alison.com, a company from Ireland that currently offers
more than 600 certified courses in 10 languages. !
Okay, so at this point, you might be wondering exactly what type of classes can you actually
take online. !
Well, if you take a glance at any of these sites, you will see that you can take a wide variety
of courses, including introductory courses in subjects such as history, computer science,
business, languages, engineering and more. Some of the sites also offer more advanced
courses in the areas of technology and science, as well as certifications in areas such as
computer programming and office skills. !
To give you an idea of the breadth and depth of course offerings, here are the titles of some
of the courses online at edX and Coursera: !
Light, Spike, and Sight: The Neuroscience of Vision!

Composite Materials Overview for Engineers!
Visualizing Postwar Tokyo!
The Biology of Water and Health!
Technology for Biobased Products!
Chinese Thought: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Science!
Introduction to Public Speaking!

Songwriting!
New Models of Business in Society!
Introduction to Astronomy!
The Bilingual Brain (I just signed up for that one!)!
As you can see, you can pretty much find any type of class in the basic subject areas taught
at a university: the sciences, education, languages, law, mathematics, humanities, music,
social sciences, computer science and more.!
How do they work? !
Lets say you want to take a MOOC. !
What do you do? !
The first thing to do is to check out the various sites and decide which one youd like to use. I
have only used edX and Coursera, so far. You can browse the course offerings and read all
about the different classes. !
Each course has a description of what you will learn in the class; how the course will be
taught (some courses have one main professor and others use a team of professors); how
long the course will last (usually anywhere from 4-8 weeks); what types of activities you will
be asked to complete (such as additional readings, watching videos, taking quizzes, doing
writing assignments); and how you will be able to interact with other students (usually through
forum discussions). !
You can usually sign up for a course for free, though not all of them are free. Also, many of
the courses have the option of receiving a certificate. You will be offered the opportunity to
pay for the class, maybe $60 or more, so that you can receive a certificate of completion
once you finish the course. Each course has a variety of required assignments and they are
graded, whether or not you are getting the certificate. For the most part, the certificate is not
equivalent to credit from that university, but it is something that you could show an employer
or a potential employer if you needed to. Some people are now putting their MOOCs on their
resumes to show that they are continuing their studies in various areas. !
Once the course begins, you will be able to access the course content, usually one week at a
time. That is, the entire course is not available at the time of enrollment. The course content is
given a little bit at a time, like in a traditional classroom setting. !
The typical course includes video lectures, which you can watch at your convenience. One
weeks worth of lessons may include several short videos for you to watch. Transcripts are
also provided, since students come from all parts of the world and English may not be their
native language. !
Once you watch the video, you may also have some things to do, like answer some questions
to make sure that you have understood the material. You may also have some additional
reading to do. As a way to check your understanding, there may also be a variety of short and
long quizzes or tests, writing assignments, and a final exam. Sometimes you may also have
to do a larger project, like write a paper or create a presentation, which you can do by
recording a video or by using Power Point or something like that. !
Another aspect of taking a MOOC is interacting with the instructors, teaching assistants
and other students via the discussion forums. Sometimes you are asked to write something in
a forum and read and respond to other students. Sometimes you are also asked to grade
other peoples assignments. This is known as peer assessments. They tell you what to look
for and how to grade, and you get points for grading other students work. Its pretty easy to
follow the directions and its interesting to see what other people write. !
In the past few months, I have enrolled in a variety of courses, just for my own continuing
education and pleasure. I take courses related to topics I have an interest in and do as much
as I want of the course. I am not concerned with obtaining certificates or credit for these
classes. I am interested in the content. I have taken classes related to political science,
globalization, educational leadership, psychology and more. I am just finishing up a class
entitled Learning How to Learn, which has over 100,000 participants. I will share what I have
been learning with you in that class in future podcasts. !
Some people argue that taking MOOCs is not as good as taking classes in person with the
professors and other students. They believe that you cant really learn very much or as well
from a purely online course. !
In fact, completion rates are quite low for most MOOCs, sometimes less than 10%. This
means that even though 20,000 people may sign up for a class, only about 2,000 actually do
the work necessary to complete the course. I discuss some of the other concerns, realities
and drawbacks of MOOCs in the Lesson Guide. !
Personally, I think it just depends on your needs and interests, and what type of student you
are. The nice thing about a MOOC is that you have choice. You can do as much or as little as
you want. You are in control of your learning and you will know whether or not you are really
learning by your active participation in the class. !
Of course, if you need a university degree for your career, you still must attend an accredited
college and complete all the course requirements to receive a degree; but if you just want to
learn cool stuff, MOOCs provide an excellent opportunity for doing so. If you are a selfstarter and you enjoy self-directed learning, then the MOOC platform is ideal for you. !
My experience, so far, has been really nice, and I will continue to take classes that interest me
and that fit into my schedule. I like the flexibility of learning from home and using the course
materials for my own purposes, taking what I want and leaving the rest.!
Have you ever taken a MOOC? I would love to hear about your experience with MOOCs, so
please share on the English Fluency Now Twitter page or Facebook page. Well, thats all for
today.!
Thank you for listening to the English Fluency Now podcast. I hope you have enjoyed it.
Remember, repetition is key, so I recommend that you listen to the podcast several times over
the next few days. Get the Lesson Guide if you want to read along with the transcript and use
this podcast to study this topic more in depth.!
If you want to improve your speaking skills, pick up a copy of my course, Success with
Stories. It trains you to speak English automatically, without thinking and without translating in
your head. It is for intermediate and advanced learners who want to obtain a higher level of
English. You can find out more about this program and listen to some sample lessons at
www.englishfluencynow.com. !
Until next time, be well!!
VOCABULARY WORDS (v=verb, n=noun, adj=adjective, adv=adverb, phv=phrasal verb)!
acronym (n): a pronounceable name made up of a series of initial letters or parts of words!
She has worked for UNESCO (the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization) for the past five years. !
to jump on the bandwagon: to support something that is popular or get in on something that
other people are doing; to join others in doing something!
After they attended the rally and realized how many friends they had there, they jumped on
the bandwagon to support gay marriage. !
to enroll in (to be enrolled in): to register for a class, workshop, etc and be on the list of
students or participants!
He has enrolled in three different science classes this semester. I think its too much.!
subsequently (adv): after a particular thing has happened; afterward!

He graduated from university in June, and subsequently started to work at his fathers
business in July. !
to partner with (phv): to work with another person or business on a project!

She suggested to her boss that they partner with a local marketing firm to get the word out
about their new educational campaign on the dangers of texting while driving. !
top (adj): one of the best; great; prestigious!

Famous actors only want to work with top directors. !
to be left out of the game: to not be included in something!

They were willing to invest $10 million in our company because they didnt want to be left out
of the game. !
to run (v): to manage, operate, direct!

They are going to hire a new CEO to run the business, since the current one is leaving at the
end of the year. !
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prestigious (adj): esteemed, honorable, wonderful, well-known for being great!

He works for prestigious engineering firm in New York. !
content (n): the material, including text and images, that constitutes a publication or
document or used in a class or product!
The content of the course was overwhelming; there was just too much information. !
credit (n): official certification or recognition that a student has successfully completed a
course of study!
She is going to get full credit for participating in this course. !
to obtain a degree: when you finish all the required courses, you get a degree, a paper that
says what you have done and where and when!
He will obtain his degree this semester, upon completing his final two courses. !
in collaboration with: in partnership with, working with someone else on something!

We are planning on working in collaboration with both Apple and Microsoft. !
to launch (v): to start something, to release something to the public for the first time!
When are they planning on launching the new iPhone? !
to turn away (phv): to not allow someone to enroll in a class, workshop or other event!
The concert was sold out and they had to turn more than 1,000 people away.!
topic (n): a subject or area of interest!

One of my favorite topics is food!!
to be based in: where someone or something is located!

My company is based in Saudi Arabia, but I work for their office in Qatar. !
to wonder (v): to be curious about something; to inquire; to think about something!

I wonder when he is going to get back from his trip. !
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to take a glance at (phv): to have a brief look at something!

I didnt even have time to take a glance at my sons homework before he left for school.!
breadth and depth of (n): size in general, scope, how much something covers something
else and how deeply it goes!
The world is just starting to understand the breadth and depth of the pollution in the ocean.!
to check out (phv): to look at something; to have a glance at something; to browse!

Lets go to the mall and check out whats new at the clothing stores. !
to browse (v): to spend some time looking at something (e.g. a book, a website, a store)!
She likes to spend her evenings browsing Facebook, but her mom is always telling her to get
off and finish her homework. !
option (n): a choice, possibility!

You have two options: come with me now or go with your father later this evening. !
certificate of completion (n): a piece of paper that you receive when you successfully finish
the requirements of a class, course or program!
In order to obtain a certificate of completion, he had to write a 15-page paper and pay $50. !
to grade (v): to score a quiz, test or other type of assignment or task!

The teacher spent five hours grading papers on Saturday; she was exhausted.!
to be equivalent to/to be the equivalent of: to be equal to; having similar or identical effects!
This is not the equivalent of the Iraq War," Obama told NBC on the news tonight.!
potential (n): capable of being, but not yet existing!

He had the potential to become a great baseball pitcher before he injured his hand in the car
accident.!
resume (n): a document that you create to apply for a job in which you put relevant work
experience, training and education, etc (like a C.V.)!
She is working on her resume right now, so she can go job hunting tomorrow. !
setting (n): the environment or context in which something takes place!

This would be a great setting for a horror movie!!
at your convenience: at a time that is good for you!

You can listen to the audio files at your convenience; just let me know when you are done.!
additional (adj): added or supplementary!

I am going to need some additional help before I take my final exams. !
aspect of: a feature or element of a problem or situation; a facet of!

In this course we will explore several aspects of globalization.!
to interact with: to action or be in close relation with another person or thing!

She loves interacting with her students via Skype. !
to respond to: to answer; to provide some type of response!

Your boss asked me to respond to his emails, but I cant find them. Do you know where they
are? !
to be concerned with: to be worried about; to be thinking about someone or something!

I wouldnt be too concerned with these minor issues; we have much bigger issues to worry
about.!
to argue (v): to support a point of view (can also mean to fight with someone with words, as
in a disagreement)!
The author argues that spending money on new books is better than spending more money
on sports equipment.!
purely (adv): merely, only, solely!

I am purely trying to help you and your family. I dont want anything else. !
drawback (n): a disadvantage or inconvenience!

One of the drawbacks of this program is that it costs over $2,000.!
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to be in control of: to be the one that manages something in a controlled way!

His mom is in control of the situation and will make sure that all the kids get home on time. !
accredited (adj): given official approval based on certain criteria!

She attended an accredited school for acupuncturists in Brazil. !
self-starter (n): a person who can do things independently, on his or her own, without
needing a lot of help or encouragement from others!
She has been a self-starter her entire life; she always has a new project going on. !
platform (n): a format for doing something; a structure!

This new platform for web development is much superior to the previous one. !
flexibility (n): the ability to adjust to different circumstances; being able to adapt!
The employee said that his dream job would give him more flexibility to set his own daily
schedule. !
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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS - Did you understand what you heard/read? !
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1. What does MOOC stand for?!
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a. Motorcycles or Ocean Cruisers!
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b. Massive Online Orbiting Comets!
c. Massive Open Online Courses!
d. Many Open Online Classes!
2. What was the title of the first MOOC?!

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a. Introduction to MOOCs!
b. Connectivism and Connective Knowledge!
c. Introduction to Artificial Intelligence!
d. Learning How to Learn!
3. Which universities are involved with edX? !

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a. Stanford and U.C. Santa Cruz!
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b. U.C. Berkely and Harvard!
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c. Cornell University and Columbia University!
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d. Oxford and Yale!
4. Why am I taking a MOOC from a university in Belgium? !

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a. to learn more about political science!
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b. to use and improve my French!
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c. to learn more about Belgium!
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d. to understand how MOOCs work!
True or False!
5. MOOCs are very expensive. !
6. MOOCs are a form of distance learning. !
7. Only Americans can take MOOCs. !
8. All MOOCs are given in English. !
9. MOOCs offer a good way to learn about things that you are interested in.!
10. People who take MOOCs dont really learn anything.!
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EXPANSION QUESTIONS!
This is your turn to interact with the content and use English in a real way. !
Answer with complete sentences. !
1. Have you ever taken a MOOC before? If so, what course did you take and how did you
like it? If not, would you like to try one? !
2. Do you think people can learn something well just by watching videos, reading and taking
quizzes? !
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of MOOCs? !
4. Do you think MOOCs will destroy universities? !
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If you are interested in improving your writing, make sure you answer these questions
completely and then work with a tutor or helper to check your answers. !
These are also good questions to use as conversation starters when working with a tutor or
language exchange partner. !
Another good writing exercise would be to write on the EFN Facebook wall and share your
thoughts with other members. When I have time, I respond. !
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OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION!
More on MOOCs !
Completion Rates!
One of the realities of MOOCs is that people often do not complete the courses. They enroll
and start the course, but by the first week many people start dropping out. In fact, according
to wikipedia, completion rates are typically lower than 10%. That means that only about 10%
of the people who enroll in the course actually finish it. !
This shows that while a lot of people come in with a strong initial interest, their commitment to
participating in the class and actually doing the required work is not sustained. So even if you
have 20,000 enrolled, maybe only about 2,000 will actually do the work. !
In fact, many people take these classes much in the same way that I do, to get out of it what
they want. This means that some people may only watch the videos or do some reading, but
never take a quiz. !
Some people drop out because they realize that the course requires too much time or is too
difficulty for them. Sometimes they dont realize that they have to actually purchase additional
materials, such as books. !
Cheating!
While the courses are designed for adult learners and the expectation is that each student will
agree to follow an honor code, there are ways to still cheat. This is something that the course
designers are working on, in order to prevent students from working with others on tests or
doing other things that may be considered cheating, especially when a student is taking the
course for credit or a certificate. !
Human Interaction!
Some people just prefer human interaction and learn better in the company of others. If you
are this type of person, then a traditional classroom setting with perhaps an online component
may be more suitable for you and help you learn better. !
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ANSWERS!
COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS!
1. C! !
2. B!
3. B! !
4. B!
5. F! !
6. T!
7. F ! !
8. F!
9. T! !
10. F!
EXPANSION QUESTIONS (possible answers - your answers may vary)!
1. Have you ever taken a MOOC before? If so, what course did you take and how did you
like it? If not, would you like to try one? !
Yes, I have taken MOOCs before and I love them. Its a really great way to learn things on my
own and at my convenience. !
No, I have never taken a MOOC, but it sounds like fun. The problem I have is that I dont have
much extra time for anything new. !
2. Do you think people can learn something well just by watching videos, reading and taking
quizzes? !
It depends on what you are learning. I think it is possible to learn about history and other
social sciences that way, but I think it would be difficult to really learn about science without
some hands-on lab work and doing experiments. !
3. What are the advantages and disadvantages of MOOCs? !

The advantages are that they are free, they are flexible, they are interesting and you can
explore a lot of topics. The disadvantages are that you dont get any credit and you may not
learn well online, by yourself. !
4. Do you think MOOCs will destroy universities?!

No, I dont think MOOCs will destroy universities. I think people will still prefer to meet in
person with professors and other students and that the universities still have the science labs
and other equipment that students need to really master certain subjects. I think online
coursers are good for people who cant afford to attend a university though. !
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Articles!
Georgia Tech MOOC-Based Degree Program Turns Away Nearly 2,000 Applicants!
http://campustechnology.com/articles/2014/01/21/georgia-tech-mooc-based-degree-programturns-away-nearly-2000-applicants.aspx!
The MOOC Backlash, Udacitys Pivot!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-haber/the-mooc-backlash-udacity_b_4339487.html!
The Real Revolution in Online Education Isnt MOOCs!

http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/10/the-real-revolution-in-online-education-isnt-moocs/!
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Videos & Photos!

Critical of MOOCs - Online Ed: Teaching Millions or Making Millions?!
http://youtu.be/7vkKPt0Aacg!
Why MOOCS (still) matter by Anant Agarwal!

http://www.ted.com/talks/anant_agarwal_why_massively_open_online_courses_still_matter?
language=en!
Reflections on Online Education by Sebastian Thrun!

http://youtu.be/uNNSRPX-YAk!
What we are learning from online education!

http://youtu.be/U6FvJ6jMGHU!
Andrew Ng, Co-founder of Coursera!

Innovation in Education: MOOCs, Scalability, and Pedagogy!
http://youtu.be/RzkwtIMPkrs!
Learning How to Learn with Barbara Oakley!

http://youtu.be/O96fE1E-rf8?list=UUsT0YIqwnpJCM-mx7-gSA4Q!
16

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English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

Hello, and welcome to English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45!!

Okay, lets begin! !

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

In January 2013, however, Udacity started to offer MOOCs-for-credit in collaboration with

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

Light, Spike, and Sight: The Neuroscience of Vision!

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

How do they work? !

Lets say you want to take a MOOC. !

What do you do? !

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

VOCABULARY WORDS (v=verb, n=noun, adj=adjective, adv=adverb, phv=phrasal verb)!

subsequently (adv): after a particular thing has happened; afterward!

to partner with (phv): to work with another person or business on a project!

top (adj): one of the best; great; prestigious!

to be left out of the game: to not be included in something!

to run (v): to manage, operate, direct!

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

prestigious (adj): esteemed, honorable, wonderful, well-known for being great!

in collaboration with: in partnership with, working with someone else on something!

topic (n): a subject or area of interest!

to be based in: where someone or something is located!

to wonder (v): to be curious about something; to inquire; to think about something!

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

to take a glance at (phv): to have a brief look at something!

to check out (phv): to look at something; to have a glance at something; to browse!

option (n): a choice, possibility!

to grade (v): to score a quiz, test or other type of assignment or task!

potential (n): capable of being, but not yet existing!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

setting (n): the environment or context in which something takes place!

at your convenience: at a time that is good for you!

additional (adj): added or supplementary!

aspect of: a feature or element of a problem or situation; a facet of!

to interact with: to action or be in close relation with another person or thing!

to respond to: to answer; to provide some type of response!

to be concerned with: to be worried about; to be thinking about someone or something!

purely (adv): merely, only, solely!

drawback (n): a disadvantage or inconvenience!

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

to be in control of: to be the one that manages something in a controlled way!

accredited (adj): given official approval based on certain criteria!

platform (n): a format for doing something; a structure!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

2. What was the title of the first MOOC?!

3. Which universities are involved with edX? !

4. Why am I taking a MOOC from a university in Belgium? !

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION!

English Fluency Now, Inc. 2014!

English Fluency Now Podcast Episode #45 - What is a MOOC?

EXPANSION QUESTIONS (possible answers - your answers may vary)!