Learning and earning
慕課的回歸
Educational Lego
樂高式教育
Universities can become more modular, too. EdX has a micro masters in supply-chain management that can either be taken on its own or count towards a full masters at MIT. The University of Wisconsin-Extension has set up a site called the University Learning Store, which offers slivers of online content on practical subjects such as project management and business writing. Enthusiasts talk of a world of “stackable credentials” in which qualifications can be fitted together like bits of Lego.
大學(xué)同樣可以變得更加模塊化剑肯。EdX 有一個關(guān)于供應(yīng)鏈管理的微學(xué)位，既可以在他們那邊完成也可以計入 MIT 的完整學(xué)位之中劫拗。The University of Wisconsin-Extension 設(shè)立了一個名為 Learning Store 的網(wǎng)站，在線提供了諸如工程管理以及商業(yè)寫作的一些實踐類小課程。支持者希望像樂高玩具那樣提供各式各樣教育最終形成“累積式認(rèn)證”益缠。
Just how far and fast universities will go in this direction is unclear, however. Degrees are still highly regarded, and increased emphasis on critical thinking and social skills raises their value in many ways. “The model of campuses, tenured faculty and so on does not work that well for short courses,” adds Jake Schwartz, General Assembly’s boss. “The economics of covering fixed costs forces them to go longer.”
但是作為學(xué)校能在這方面走得多快以及多遠(yuǎn)尚有待觀察贬养。學(xué)位的重要性不需多言权烧，而對于批判性思維和社會技能的要求則增加了此種重要性翠肘。General Assembly 的老板 Jake Schwartz 認(rèn)為“學(xué)校和教職員工目前扮演的角色尚不足以適應(yīng)短期課程的需要檐束，抵消固定成本的需求使得課程時間必須變長【馇眩”
Academic institutions also struggle to deliver really fastmoving content. Pluralsight uses a model similar to that of book publishing by employing a network of 1,000 experts to produce and refresh its library of videos on IT and creative skills. These experts get royalties based on how often their content is viewed; its highest earner pulled in $2m last year, according to Aaron Skonnard, the firm’s boss. Such rewards provide an incentive for authors to keep updating their content. University faculty have other priorities.
學(xué)術(shù)機構(gòu)同樣困擾于如何提供日新月異的內(nèi)容厢塘。Pluralsight 出版圖書時茶没，使用了這樣一個方式肌幽，即聘用1000 名專家來撰寫和更新關(guān)于 ＩＴ以及創(chuàng)意技能的視頻。這些專家通過內(nèi)容的點擊量來獲得報酬抓半；集團老板 Aaron Skonnard 聲稱喂急，其中收入最高者去年得到了兩百萬美元。這些獎勵刺激作者去保持所提供內(nèi)容的持續(xù)更新笛求。學(xué)校職員則有更加重要的事項廊移。
Beside costs, the second problem for MOOCs to solve is credentials. Close colleagues know each other’s abilities, but modern labour markets do not work on the basis of such relationships. They need widely understood signals of experience and expertise, like a university degree or a baccalaureate, however imperfect they may be. In their own fields, vocational qualifications do the same job. The MOOCs’ answer is to offer micro credentials like nanodegrees and specialisations.
除了費用之外，慕課解決的第二個問題是認(rèn)證探入。親近同事之間了解互相的工作能力狡孔，但是當(dāng)代勞動市場并不基于這種同事關(guān)系。他們需要廣受認(rèn)可的專業(yè)性和經(jīng)驗蜂嗽，比如學(xué)校學(xué)位苗膝，不管這種學(xué)位是否高含金量。在工作領(lǐng)域的內(nèi)部植旧，職業(yè)認(rèn)證也扮演了同樣的角色辱揭。慕課的解決方案是像微學(xué)位和專業(yè)化一樣提供微認(rèn)證。
