在線教育必須靠質量取勝
The past few years have seen an exponential increase in the number of Moocs(massive open online courses). In Europe, for example, it is estimated that the number nearly tripled in the two years to 2015 (from 276 to 770). Of these, about 120 are business Moocs.
Some of these courses have been developed by business schools, and some by schools utilising platforms such as Coursera, FutureLearn, Iversity and Udacity. Some platforms encourage professors, especially well-known academics, to use their infrastructure to create a Mooc.
其中一些課程由商學院開發，還有一些由商學院利用Coursera、FutureLearn、Iversity和Udacity等平臺開發。一些平臺鼓勵教授們（尤其是知名學者）利用它們的基礎設施創建Mooc。The number of Mooc participants has also shot up. It is estimated that there were 1.9m Coursera students in 2012, which rose to 10m by late 2014. Completion rates appear to be low, however, at about 4 per cent. Some 50 per cent of those who register never watch the first video.
參與Mooc的人數也大幅增長。據估計，2012年在Coursera上有190萬名學員，到2014年末這一數字上升至1000萬。然而，課程完成率似乎很低，只有4%左右。在那些註冊了課程的學員當中，大約有50%從未觀看第一個視頻。
It has been claimed that business schools are motivated to develop Moocs to provide access to education in the developing world and to under-represented groups elsewhere. Moocs have been used to help position institutions while also attracting students. Offering free education to the world may also help to soften the impression of schools’ exclusivity and wealth and to justify research funding received from public bodies.
有人聲稱，商學院開發Mooc的動機是爲發展中世界以及其他地區的少數羣體提供教育機會。Mooc已被用於幫助定位機構的角色，同時也在吸引學生。向全世界提供免費教育也可能有助於淡化商學院給人留下的那種只有富人才能就讀的印象，同時表明它們接受公共機構的研究資金是合理的。At present it is difficult to see how institutions can generate significant revenues from Moocs other than by charging for assessment. However, one course did generate revenues of about $2.5m — above the cost of development and delivery — with just 10 per cent of students paying for evidence of participation. Online delivery may also produce savings by sharing materials across campuses and faculty, using the materials multiple times, replacing campus courses with Moocs and other innovative ways of cutting costs.
就目前而言，很難說機構是從Mooc、而不是從評估收費中來獲得鉅額收入。然而，一門課程的確能帶來大約250萬美元的收入，超過了開發和授課的成本——只要有10%的學生爲獲得上課證明付費。在線授課也可能節約成本，他們可以在整個校園和教職員間共享素材，反覆使用素材，用Mooc代替校園授課，以及採取其他削減成本的創新方式。In the coverage about the threats and opportunities posed by Moocs it is sometimes forgotten that schools often use a mix of technologies to support and enhance conventional face-to-face teaching and learning. However, the key here surely lies in the quality of what the participants learn by devoting time to study online. This has serious implications for the design and delivery of online and blended courses.
在有關Mooc帶來的威脅和機遇的報道中，有時人們會忘記，學校通常使用一系列技術來支持和強化傳統的面對面教學。然而，這裏的關鍵問題當然在於參與者投入時間進行在線學習的課程的質量。質量對在線和混合課程的設計和教學有着巨大的影響。The design of online provision is critical to participants successfully completing their course. FutureLearn, for example, has a structured approach which provides learners with video, audio and articles to read, followed by a short quiz to check understanding, using a weekly timetable showing activities they should aim to complete. It also allows interaction with fellow students in a variety of ways.
在線課程的設計對參與者成功完成課程非常關鍵。例如，FutureLearn採用一種結構化教學方式，有視頻、音頻和文章供學習者閱讀，然後搞個小測驗來檢查他們是否理解，並在每週課程表上列明他們應該完成的活動。它還允許學員之間以多種方式互動。There are tests designed to examine knowledge that count towards the overall grade and assignments that may generate feedback from other students. Most courses have the option to purchase a “statement of participation” to demonstrate that you have completed required elements and taken the tests. Some courses offer the chance to take an invigilated exam at a local centre that will provide a “statement of attainment”.
還有計入整體評分的知識測試以及可以從其他學生那裏獲得反饋的作業。大多數課程可以購買“上課證明”，以表明你完成了規定的課程並參加了考試。一些課程讓學員有機會在當地中心參加一個有人監考的考試，後者將會提供一個“成績證明”。One implication of investing in the design of online courses and of the inclusion of online elements in conventional programmes is the increasing importance of the way content is taught and learnt. Creating vibrant, interactive experience will be critical in enhancing completion rates and building the reputation of the school, and perhaps the professor.
投資完善在線課程設計以及在傳統項目中開設在線課程的一個原因是，教學方式的重要性日益上升。創造活躍和互動的教學體驗將對提高課程完成率和樹立學校（或許還有教授）名聲極爲關鍵。This shift in focus from research targeted at highly rated journals that few scientists and fewer management practitioners read, and toward student teaching may create significant changes in the way that faculty are developed and rewarded.
這種將重點從在那些評價很高、科學家很少閱讀而管理者就更少看的期刊上發表研究轉向側重教學，可能讓培訓和獎勵教職員的方式產生巨大變化。At EFMD, we have been monitoring the development of online courses, including Moocs and Snocs (small network online courses), and are conscious of the need to support business schools and their customers by signposting high-quality provision.
在歐洲管理髮展基金會(EFMD)，我們一直在密切關注包括Mooc和Snoc（小型網絡在線課程）在內的在線課程的發展，並且意識到有必要通過列出優質課程來支持商學院和它們的用戶。We are seeking to build on our experience with the Equis and Epas accreditation systems and have set up a task force to examine how we can best help to support the impact of online learning.
我們尋求積累我們在Equis和Epas認證體系上的經驗，併成立了一個任務團隊來研究如何才能最大限度地幫助擴大在線學習的影響。Prof Eric Cornuel is chief executive of the European Foundation for Management Development, the management education accreditation body
本文作者是管理教育認證機構——歐洲管理髮展基金會首席執行官
