What Is a MOOC?
MOOCs are online courses available to anyone with a computer and Internet connection. They offer students a way to learn in a setting similar to an online class, but are usually loosely structured and can be accessed without paying tuition or committing to an academic program. Whether a student should sign up for a MOOC will depend on his or her academic and professional goals. To learn just for fun or to get a certificate for a small fee, MOOCs are ideal.
The 3 Primary Characteristics of MOOCs
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Open to Everyone
If an individual wants to learn, has access to the Web and a computer that meets the hardware requirements for the MOOC, then they can enroll. Because the class information and materials are available electronically, and there is no physical classroom, there are usually no limits to the number of students who can enroll in a MOOC.
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Free
In most cases, MOOCs are entirely free. While some MOOC providers do charge a fee, it’s usually a small fee in exchange for a certificate of completion or some other non-degree credential earned upon successful MOOC completion. Some MOOCs do result in academic course credit; however, these are usually offered only to students who are already formally enrolled in an academic institution.
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Flexible Course Structure
Given the online class format and the fact that anyone can sign up to take a MOOC, the coursework is generally self-paced. Students can dive into learning at their own pace and on their own time. When a student is enrolled in a MOOC to obtain a certificate or academic credit, there will be more structure, such as grading and a rough schedule for class progression.
A MOOC and an online college course have many similarities, but they’re not exactly the same. MOOCs are different from online college courses in the following ways:
Similarities
- MOOCs are offered online.
- MOOCs are often taught by the same professors that teach online college classes.
- MOOC course materials are often exactly the same as the course materials provided to college students taking online classes.
- MOOCs are sometimes offered in partnership with colleges and universities.
- A set of MOOCs can sometimes be offered for academic credit. However, in these instances, the student will have to be officially enrolled in a college or university and pay tuition to receive academic credit for the MOOC.
- MOOCs offer self-paced study, allowing students to complete coursework and take tests on their schedule.
Differences
- MOOCs are free.
- MOOCs have unlimited class size.
- Anyone can enroll in a specific MOOC, even if they’re not “qualified” to take it.
- Students can start and stop the course at any time, without any formal consequences.
- Upon completion of the course, a student will not have a tangible or formally recognized degree, certificate or transcript of completion.
While most MOOCs are offered for free, some do require a fee – and that’s why sometimes MOOCs are confused with online college classes or online academic programs. It’s important to remember that paid MOOCs offer a tangible or formally recognized credential, while free MOOCs do not. Free MOOCs don’t offer anything more than the joy of learning something new.
For example, Coursera, one of the major MOOC providers in the world, has a partnership with the University of Illinois to provide an online MBA degree program at a fraction of the cost of the traditional MBA program. Another major MOOC provider, Udacity, has joined with Georgia Tech to offer a Master of Science in Computer Science online degree program.
Even though Coursera and Udacity offer paid, degree granting MOOCs, the majority of their course offerings are still free and open to everyone.
Where to Find MOOCs: MOOC Resources
Looking for MOOCs? These providers are a great place to start.
MOOC Participant Profiles: WHO benefits from MOOCs?
While MOOCs are not a total replacement for traditional education or even online college programs, they serve a much-needed demand for convenient, quality education. Depending on an individual’s academic needs, MOOCs can be the perfect learning delivery method. The following groups of individuals benefit from MOOCs in their own, unique ways.
5 Reasons to Explore MOOCs
MOOCs aren’t for everybody, but they provide an unparalleled learning opportunity that is only rivaled by the Internet itself. Here’s why taking a MOOC is a great idea for most.
Supplements other learning methods
Even though most MOOCs do not provide academic credit or result in a degree, some of the biggest beneficiaries of MOOCs are students formally enrolled in an academic program. Most students will struggle with at least a few classes in their academic career. And not all students have the money or resources to access additional assistance, whether from tutors or special academic programs. MOOCs provide a free way for students to obtain additional academic assistance that wouldn’t otherwise be available.
Provides lifelong learning opportunities
One of the biggest ways to make learning fun is to learn something because you want to – and MOOCs are the perfect way to learn on your terms. The fact that anyone can stop taking a MOOC without worrying about hurting their academic record or losing out on tuition takes away a lot of the pressure that can make learning less fun.
The vast majority of MOOCs are free
Learning has traditionally cost both money and time. With MOOCs, it now just costs time. The fact that there is no tuition or fees for MOOCs (as long as the student isn’t getting academic credit or a certificate of completion) means that many individuals can now receive a high-quality education, one that is effectively exactly the same as a student paying $50,000 per year at an elite private university.
Provides recognized certifications
Many highly skilled jobs have mandatory requirements, such as a specific degree or certificate. But in some jobs or industries, what’s important isn’t the academic credential, but rather the actual knowledge an individual has. Before MOOCs, individuals could only prove their knowledge with an academic degree or certificate. Although online certifications can provide a more convenient alternative to on-campus programs, they can still be cost-prohibitive for some individuals. MOOCs can provide an alternate method to proving skills and understanding of a variety of topics without forcing individuals to commit to a full degree or expensive credential.
MOOCs offer a wide range of subjects
Very few academic institutions can provide the same plethora of academic and technical subjects that MOOCs offer. Topics can range from middle school biology to theoretical mathematics for use in artificial intelligence and Big Data. And while it’s true the Internet has offered this wide range of knowledge almost since its inception, individuals usually did not have the information presented to them in an organized manner.
Steps to taking a MOOC
Interested in taking a MOOC? You can usually get started within minutes as long as you have an e-mail address. But to get the most out of your time and ensure your academic and professional goals are met, you may need to take additional steps.
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Figure out your reason for taking a MOOC
If you’re taking a MOOC because you’re interested in writing your own apps for smartphones as a hobby, that’s one thing. On the other hand, if you’re taking a MOOC to get a certificate of completion or obtain academic credit, that’s a different story. For example, in order to get a certificate of completion, you may need to take the course during a set period of time and pay a fee. If you’re getting academic credit for taking the MOOC, you’ll need to make arrangements with your school.
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Determine if a prerequisite is required
Because even the most advanced MOOCs are available to anyone, it may not seem like prerequisites should matter. But to make the most of what the course has to offer, it will help to have an understanding of the foundational concepts before taking the MOOC. If you’re paying a fee to get a certificate of completion, not only do you risk not learning the material, but you risk not getting that certificate.
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Confirm technical requirements
If a student has an Internet connection, they can take a MOOC. However, if a particular MOOC has large data requirements, such as videos, an online text book or other course materials, a broadband connection may be essential. Additionally, special software may be necessary to access or view course materials, such as a PDF. While most computers will have the ability to run the necessary software, some computers running older operating systems may not be compatible with certain courses.
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Register with the MOOC provider
Registration usually consists of just providing a name and e-mail address. After that, individuals can immediately start taking their MOOC. In situations where the individual wants to receive a certificate of completion or other recognized credit, a formal application may be necessary. It may ask for the individual’s reasons for taking the MOOC, academic history and relevant work experience.
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Pay the fee
Most MOOCs are free and those that aren’t often provide some form of recognition upon completion of the MOOC, such as academic credit or a certificate. Depending on the MOOC, fees may be paid upfront or as the student makes progress through multiple courses.
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Apply to the relevant academic institution
If a MOOC offering will result in an academic degree, a formal application to the degree granting institution will be required. In many situations, a school’s online degree program will be offered through a MOOC provider. In this sense, the MOOC provider isn’t offering a degree. Rather, a school has chosen the MOOC provider to deliver the online course material to the student.
MOOC Technology
MOOC course materials are often delivered in multiple formats, such as video lecture recordings, written text and academic exercises. Rarely will lectures be offered live, but this is occasionally available. Some MOOCs consist mostly of written text, including lecture slides, quizzes and worksheets requiring students to read the material and engage in written exercises. Others will have a stronger emphasis on video lectures.
Because the course materials are offered electronically, students must ensure they have the hardware and software needed to successfully review all materials. The typical laptop that can open PDFs web pages and run online streaming videos should have no problem with the clear majority of MOOCs. Individuals with only a smartphone for Internet access may struggle with some of the course materials, such as completing certain exercises. It may also be difficult to read large amounts of text on a small screen. Additionally, those without a broadband Internet connection may become impatient with the slow loading of videos and downloading of course materials.
Most MOOCs can be taken at any time with no set schedule whatsoever. However, some MOOCs, such as those offered with a certificate or for academic credit, must be taken during a certain time period, usually lasting several weeks to several months. There are also MOOCs that are completely self-paced, yet have a particular starting date. Some special programs consisting of multiple MOOCs will strongly recommended courses be taken in a particular order.
