Abstract
The term ‘educational value’ may be used to refer to several distinct kinds of value, which fit together in a complex pattern. This chapter reviews the most important kinds of value and then constructs a conception of educational value suitable for assessing the value of MOOCs as educational instruments. The key kinds of value of enduring importance in education are technical value – being good at various intellectual and practical arts, and use value – being good for some end. One subspecies of use value – beneficiality or being good for the good of a being – is of particular importance. Good education conduces to technical goodness that benefits learners. The book then addresses the twin questions: can MOOCs contribute to goodness at intellectual and practical arts, and are MOOCs beneficial – in the broadest sense – for learners?
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Notes
- 1.
My treatment of the concept of value derives substantially from G. H. Von Wright (1963). The extension of his framework to educational value is my own.
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Waks, L. (2016). MOOCs and Educational Value. In: The Evolution and Evaluation of Massive Open Online Courses. The Cultural and Social Foundations of Education. Palgrave Pivot, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-85204-8_1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-349-85204-8_1
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Publisher Name: Palgrave Pivot, New York
Print ISBN: 978-1-137-48594-6
Online ISBN: 978-1-349-85204-8
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