在线教育必须靠质量取胜
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.
其中一些课程由商学院开发，还有一些由商学院利用Coursera、FutureLearn、Iversity和Udacity等平台开发。一些平台鼓励教授们（尤其是知名学者）利用它们的基础设施创建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.
参与Mooc的人数也大幅增长。据估计，2012年在Coursera上有190万名学员，到2014年末这一数字上升至1000万。然而，课程完成率似乎很低，只有4%左右。在那些注册了课程的学员当中，大约有50%从未观看第一个视频。
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.
有人声称，商学院开发Mooc的动机是为发展中世界以及其他地区的少数群体提供教育机会。Mooc已被用于帮助定位机构的角色，同时也在吸引学生。向全世界提供免费教育也可能有助于淡化商学院给人留下的那种只有富人才能就读的印象，同时表明它们接受公共机构的研究资金是合理的。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，很难说机构是从Mooc、而不是从评估收费中来获得巨额收入。然而，一门课程的确能带来大约250万美元的收入，超过了开发和授课的成本——只要有10%的学生为获得上课证明付费。在线授课也可能节约成本，他们可以在整个校园和教职员间共享素材，反复使用素材，用Mooc代替校园授课，以及采取其他削减成本的创新方式。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.
在有关Mooc带来的威胁和机遇的报道中，有时人们会忘记，学校通常使用一系列技术来支持和强化传统的面对面教学。然而，这里的关键问题当然在于参与者投入时间进行在线学习的课程的质量。质量对在线和混合课程的设计和教学有着巨大的影响。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.
在线课程的设计对参与者成功完成课程非常关键。例如，FutureLearn采用一种结构化教学方式，有视频、音频和文章供学习者阅读，然后搞个小测验来检查他们是否理解，并在每周课程表上列明他们应该完成的活动。它还允许学员之间以多种方式互动。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”.
还有计入整体评分的知识测试以及可以从其他学生那里获得反馈的作业。大多数课程可以购买“上课证明”，以表明你完成了规定的课程并参加了考试。一些课程让学员有机会在当地中心参加一个有人监考的考试，后者将会提供一个“成绩证明”。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.
投资完善在线课程设计以及在传统项目中开设在线课程的一个原因是，教学方式的重要性日益上升。创造活跃和互动的教学体验将对提高课程完成率和树立学校（或许还有教授）名声极为关键。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.
这种将重点从在那些评价很高、科学家很少阅读而管理者就更少看的期刊上发表研究转向侧重教学，可能让培训和奖励教职员的方式产生巨大变化。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.
在欧洲管理发展基金会(EFMD)，我们一直在密切关注包括Mooc和Snoc（小型网络在线课程）在内的在线课程的发展，并且意识到有必要通过列出优质课程来支持商学院和它们的用户。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.
我们寻求积累我们在Equis和Epas认证体系上的经验，并成立了一个任务团队来研究如何才能最大限度地帮助扩大在线学习的影响。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认证机构——欧洲管理发展基金会首席执行官
