Me and My MOOC by Richard Hickam

So I’m almost halfway through my first MOOC (Massive Open Online Class), and I have to say . . . Wow! I haven’t told anyone yet because the dropout rate is so high I wanted to see if I could actually finish it, but I decided to spill the beans anyway. One widely quoted dropout figure for students in massive open online courses is 90 percent. Some of the reasons people list as not completing are:

• Takes too much time
• Assumes too much knowledge
• Too basic, not at the level of top universities
• Lecture Fatigue
• Poor Course Design
• Bad Peer Review & Trolls (a person who sows discord on the internet)

I’m taking a music class from Coursera, specifically from Berklee School of Music, with an instructor I’ve heard about and now understand why he’s so good. The ability to transfer knowledge in an understandable, interesting, and engaging manner is a precious thing.

While there are a number of issues and hype about MOOCs and their ilk (like the fantastic Khan Academy), the power of distance learning and online communities is evident to me. So what does all of this have to do with this blog community? A few thoughts have come to mind...

• Harnessing the power of technology in new and creative ways to spread the gospel is going to be a more and more potent avenue for evangelism (vs. the 19th century style still advocated by many as the true way in our denomination).
• We still have an untapped area to teach through the internet.
• Churches with this new social media component of ministry can sow seeds of which were not previously thought.  (Those interested who attend Florida Hospital Church need to connect with our Social Media Ministry leader, Disney marketer Tony Mourino!)
• The improvement/addition of this media in worship (i.e., FHC worship cafe(s), improved streaming quality, improved website, etc.) are all indicators of a church moving forward to meet people where they are.

Do you ever have those conversations that you reflect back on and say, “If I had only said that”? I had one of those a decade ago at a large church that I was attending. While on the worship committee, I was advocating the addition of broadcasting the service on the internet. The cost in particular was an issue, and I was being opposed by a well-meaning English professor who said, “We don’t need technology for technology’s sake.” At the moment I had no retort, and the conversation soon ended. (On a side note they eventually added it.) What I wish I had said, what I am witnessing at FHC, and what I believe now is not technology for technology’s sake, but technology for Christ’s sake. It’s that spirit of sacrifice and adventure that will continue to sow seeds into unknown realms. Let’s keep moving ahead in our work for Christ!

Richard Hickam