NEW AGE TEACHING: MOOCS IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are one of the most popular, controversial, and pressing issues in higher education today. This is a qualitative study that analyzes the impact MOOCs have on higher education through archival analysis and interviews with professors at the Private University and the Public University. This thesis applies Barley’s theory of “interpretive materialism” through a comparative analysis of the two schools to investigate how different institutions with existing structures integrate the same new technology. The results support Barley’s theory that the technology will be incorporated differently based on existing structure. The data from the interviews are then used to find themes and tensions to analyze how MOOCs are actually being used at the Private University as the technology is in the process of stabilizing.