What is
MOOC
A MOOC, which is an abbreviation of massive open online course, offers free education in an online environment, with no limit on class size. MOOCs are a relatively new development in education, representing a trend towards affordable education availability for the masses, in a collaborative, connected space, with traditional educational materials, like lecture slides and videos, supplemented with interactive elements. MOOCs’ original promise—to democratize and reduce the cost of on-demand learning internationally while making better use of faculty resources—has yet to be fully realized due to low completion rates, the outcome gap caused by online as opposed to face-to-face teaching and the fact that the majority of students enrolled n MOOCs still reside within developed countries.
A MOOC refers to an online course that allows users from across the world to learn the same material, without prerequisites, in a flexible learning environment. With MOOCs, feedback to learning is often instantaneous and there are no penalties for leaving a course. Increasingly, leading higher education institutions have partnered with online learning platforms for MOOCs, to share knowledge and showcase faculty capabilities. Those who take part in MOOCs often do so either for personal betterment or to acquire skills for the workforce, though no degree is awarded.
What does MOOC stand for?
MOOC stands for massive open online course.