Editing McDonaldization (section)

==Education==
It has been argued by a westerner that an example of the phenomenon of McDonaldization can be seen in education, where there is seen to be increasing similarity between that of Western classrooms and the rest of the world. Slater<ref name="Slater 1999">Slater (1999)</ref> argues that the class size, layout and pedagogy in Peru closely resemble that of America, with clear examples of Western culture focused on efficiency of transfer of knowledge in other parts of the world. Furthermore, Slater<ref name="Slater 1999"/> goes on to demonstrate that the McDonaldization of education could have many negative side effects; particularly that it does not promote inquiry or creativity. Therefore, schools will become less effective at educating children as they will fail to develop critical and creative thinkers.

According to Wong, the influence of McDonaldization has also affected Higher Education classrooms.<ref name=":0">Wong (2010)</ref>
* Efficiency – Computer graded exams limit the amount of time necessary for instructors to grade their students.<ref name=":0" />
* Calculability – Letter Grades and Grade Point Averages are used and calculated to measure a student's success over the course of their academic career.<ref name=":0" />
* Predictability – Course availability and requirements have become more standardized amongst universities, making it easier to find similar courses and content at different locations.<ref name=":0" />
* Control – Courses are structured very specifically and must meet certain requirements and follow certain guidelines. Courses begin and end at the same time on the same predetermined days and last for a specific number of weeks.<ref name=":0" />

A study by Carroll (2013) describes how e-learning has become one of the biggest phenomena of educational literature in recent years. Although the potential promise of e-learning is often expected within the process of learning, much of the emphasis is in fact on the electronic issues to facilitate learning, with little regard for its consequences on the learning process. Consequently, this often erodes the human factor in learning – making the learning process a more isolated experience. This article suggests that academics should become more cautious with their acceptance of facilitating learning through e-learning platforms without fully understanding the impact on students learning experiences. It also explores the changing role of students in discovering, questioning, and seeking knowledge into that of ‘consumers of pre-packed education.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1080/21568235.2013.833405|title = E-learning – the McDonaldization of education|journal = European Journal of Higher Education|volume = 3|issue = 4|pages = 342–356|year = 2013|last1 = Carroll|first1 = Noel|s2cid = 54702355|url = http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/1951/1/Carroll%20McDonalization%20of%20Education%202013.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181201135207/http://eprints.teachingandlearning.ie/1951/1/Carroll%20McDonalization%20of%20Education%202013.pdf|url-status = dead|archive-date = 2018-12-01}}</ref>

The McDonaldization of Education is not only limited to physical classroom settings. It is predicted by George Ritzer<ref name=":1">Ritzer (2013)</ref> that MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) will make future education even more McDonaldized. While it is possible to create a new original MOOC every semester, it is more likely a basic structure will be created and subsequently altered each time in order to make their creation more efficient. Over time as the interest and quality of MOOCs increases, the same pre recorded MOOCs may be used by many different universities, creating predictable content for MOOC students. Computer graded exams will be used more frequently than written essay exams to make it more efficient for the instructors. Yet since MOOCs limit the amount of contact between student and teacher, it will be difficult to engage the course on a deeper and more meaningful level.<ref name=":1" />