Yet More Conflation of MOOCs with Online Education - Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed

A MOOC may contain a number of positive and negative attributes, but these attributes differ in both kind and degree from a traditional (small scale) online course. What distinguished a MOOC is not that it is delivered online, but that it is delivered at scale. What distinguishes a traditional online class is not the technology that students interact with the course, but the degree to which the instructor is able to build relationships and engage in collaborative knowledge creation with the students. The quality of a traditional online class, one that is cohort based and instructor led and is limited in enrollment, is best evaluated by the level of interaction and discussion and debate within the course. http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/yet-more-conflation-moocs-online-education-open-letter-dr-matloff