A comparative study of education systems

: from traditional education to massive open online courses

Abstract

This thesis compares traditional education approaches to the new forms of online education in order to identify the major differences between the systems. It is done through research about sample cases, expert conversations and existing literature. The comparison provides evidence how Massive Open online courses contribute to reach and richness of education. The study finds that the newest online offering, namely Massive Open Online Courses offers higher flexibility than traditional education, as well as more interactivity and richer Media than existing online offerings. The use of information technology in education can address current needs, including tuition costs and access to education. Traditionally, there existed a tradeoff between educating many learners and providing them with a rich experience. The use of information technology in education can address current needs as tuition cost and access to education. New forms of online education suggest a pattern of reach and richness, where the tradeoff is smaller than traditionally. Educating online increases reach tremendously compared to traditional education. In the same time the design of the new online courses provides a richer experience compared to existing online offerings, coming closer to a traditional experience.

Date of Award	11 Jul 2013
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Juan Andrei Villarroel Fernandéz (Supervisor)