Did the university already prank you?
Evert* was a first year’s master student Food Technology at the WUR when he subscribed for the Food Components and Health course of WUR. It was only when he arrived in his classroom that he noticed something was not quite right. He saw that there were a lot of camera’s hanging everywhere, but little did he realise he was about to be pranked.
He just set down behind a desk when Prof S. Kersten walked in. The prof started talking: “The course” he said, was going to be entirely online and freely available for the whole world. He continued: “From the millions of people that follow WUR MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) all around the world, you are going to be the only person actually paying for the course!”. He started laughing and pointed at the hidden cameras while he cried out: YOU GOT MOOCED!
For Rick* the MOOC story was even more embarrassing. “I feel really stupid now, when I think back, but at first I just didn’t notice a thing.” “My course started out by watching some nice videos, I thought it was educative and helpful.”
Only later things started to get weird. “The Professor asked us make some educative videos of our own, and edit them to make interesting online courses. Rick recalls: “ I didn’t even know they were going to be online and for sure never expected them to be massive!”. He had know clue that his professor had tricked him into making MOOCs until he received an email. “Look online” it said “it’s massive” and “YOU GOT MOOCED!”
Did you also get MOOCed? Let us know and send in your story at thejester.wageningen@gmail.com
*Not their real names.