Are MOOCs The New Books? The Answer May Surprise You.

Sorry, you’ve been upworthied! 1I really dislike upworthy headlines and this is a poor attempt at humor. But, check out this quote regarding education and books.

Learning to read is different, moreover, from learning by reading. Reliance on apprenticeship training, oral communication, and special mnemonic devices had gone together with mastering letters in the age of scribes. After the advent of printing, however, the transmission of written information became much more efficient. It was not only the craftsman outside universities who profited from the new opportunities to teach himself. Of equal importance was the chance extended to bright undergraduates to reach beyond their teachers’ grasp. Gifted students no longer needed to sit at the feet of a given master in order to learn a language or academic skill. Instead, they could swiftly achieve mastery on their own, even by sneaking books past their tutors – as did the young would-be astronomer, Tycho Brahe. (Eisenstein 38) 2Eisenstein, Elizabeth L. The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.

Have books replaced teachers since the creation of the printing press? Do you still think videos and MOOCs will replace teachers?

Notes

Notes
1 I really dislike upworthy headlines and this is a poor attempt at humor.
2 Eisenstein, Elizabeth L. The Printing Revolution in Early Modern Europe. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. Print.

Tim Lepczyk

Writer, Technologist, and Librarian.

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