MOOCs

What is MOOCs?

It is a massive open online course (MOOC)is an online course aimed at unlimited participation and open access via the web.In addition to traditional course materials such as filmed lectures, readings, and problem sets, many MOOCs provide interactive user forums to support community interactions among students, professors and teaching assistants (TAs). MOOCs are a recent and widely researched development in distance education which was first introduced in 2006 and emerged as a popular mode of learning in 2012.

The advantages of MOOCs:

1. You can organize a MOOC in any setting that has connectivity (which can include the Web, but also local connections via Wi-Fi e.g.)
2. You can organize it in any language you like (taking into account the main language of your target audience)
3. You can use any online tools that are relevant to your target region or that are already being used by the participants
4. You can move beyond time zones and physical boundaries
5. It can be organized as quickly as you can inform the participants (which makes it a powerful format for priority learning in e.g. aid relief)
6. Contextualized content can be shared by all
7. Learning happens in a more informal setting, at a place of your convenience and often around your own schedule.
8. Learning can also happen incidentally thanks to the unknown knowledge that pops up as the course participants start to exchange notes on the course’s study
9. You can connect across disciplines and corporate/institutional walls
10. You don’t need a degree to follow the course, only the willingness to learn (at high speed)
11. You add to your own personal learning environment and/or network by participating in a MOOC
12. You will improve your lifelong learning skills, for participating in a MOOC forces you to think about your own learning and knowledge absorption

The Disadvantages of MOOCs:

        1. Can’t provide for personalized courseware and attention from a tutor
        2. It is difficult to keep track of students’ assignments and involvement
        3. Learners with disabilities and a poor Internet connection can’t use          MOOCs
        4. Language can be a barrier while offering MOOCs
        5. MOOCs can’t be used as a credit-earning course at universities