What is MOOC or massive open online courses? : Learn all about Open and Massive Online Courses: study with the best universities for free and without leaving your home!
In Simple Words, Open and Massive Online Course. They are distance courses taught online by many universities, colleges and schools around the world. Typically, they are open to anyone interested; a single course can admit up to thousands of students. The only essential requirement is to have internet access.
By the method of MOOCs, it is possible to study almost any field, including taught by some of the most famous universities in the world, such as Harvard, MIT, Oxford, Cambridge and many more. Their purposes are very varied, and can be treated as independent studies for individuals interested in a certain subject or as the continuation of a complete course that you are already following.
What is MOOC or massive open online courses?
The term appeared in the United States in 2008 to describe free, accessible and online courses. MOOCs don’t always result in formal qualifications, but they mean you can gain knowledge in any field of study, at your own pace and from anywhere in the world. You can use a MOOC to build professional skills, prepare for another academic course, or explore a new interest.
There are no limits and usually no entry requirements either. You can study them regardless of where you live or your financial situation. As they are taught online, you can take the same course as thousands of other people – that’s why they are called “massive”.
MOOCs give students the option to study something in depth without the restrictions of a traditional university course. As the resources are all online and do not require previous qualifications, they are open to anyone, whether or not they have studied the field before or already have a bachelor’s degree.
Platforms for MOOCs
There are some already quite famous platforms for MOOCs, which bring together dozens, sometimes hundreds of different online and free courses in one place. See examples of the most famous ones:
- Coursera
- edX
- udacity
- Udemy
- FutureLearn
All of them host courses from renowned universities around the world. In the vast majority of cases, they are taught in English, but several already have subtitles and/or materials in different languages, including Portuguese.
edX, for example, is an American provider of open and free online courses, created in partnership by Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). It maintains numerous academic disciplines taught by the professors of both institutions. It’s your chance to take a course at two of the best universities in the world without leaving home and paying nothing.
In almost all the platforms listed above, you will find several free courses, however, the certificate of completion is paid and has varying prices, usually in dollars.
But there are cases of MOOCs being available directly on the website of the university itself, as is the case of MIT, in the United States, and the University of Alberta, in Canada, and many others.
How do MOOCs work?
MOOCs often have specific start and end dates. They also have different start dates throughout the year, so if you miss one, you can plan to start the course in no time with new availability.
They often last for weeks, sometimes a few months, rather than the years that traditional university courses take. They are almost like undergraduate or graduate courses. If you attend some MOOCs, it would be similar to putting together your curriculum with the subjects that interest you.
During a MOOC, you will use a wide variety of online media and interactive tools to interact with teachers and other students, such as video lectures, articles, discussions, chats, assignments, quizzes and social media.
Due to the large number of people doing MOOCs, you will usually receive support from the community of enrolled students, as well as from a support team at the university that offers the course or even the platform where it is hosted. The important thing is that you know that, in the vast majority of cases, you will not be helpless and will be able to find guidance if you have any problems or questions regarding the content.
Your progress in the course can be assessed through peer-reviewed assignments or computer-corrected tests.
Courses don’t always offer academic credit, but they can lead to certificates or skills development and additional learning that enhance your career prospects. You can, for example, add the completion of MOOCs to your CV or LinkedIn profile .
6 benefits of MOOCs
I think that by now, you already have an idea that MOOCs provide a series of benefits for different purposes. But here are some more advantages of taking an Open and Massive Online Course:
1. “Tasting” a course
With the MOOC, you can do a test drive. As it is free, short-term and of high quality, it is like getting a taste of the field of study before choosing a full undergraduate or graduate degree.
2. Flexibility
MOOCs are flexible courses, you can start now and study at your own pace. As they usually have a very quiet period of duration – for example, they are open for a few months –, you are free to program yourself to study it as and as much as you want during that window.
Plus, you know how many hours you’ll need to dedicate to the course before you even start.
3. Free registration
You can register for as many free as you like and many MOOCs are certified courses, that is, with officially recognized quality.
4. Feedback
Receive and give feedback to your classmates in discussion groups with people from all over the world.
In some MOOCs, more than 50,000 students are taking the same classes online and participating in discussions with professors and peers. You can engage and connect with people from diverse nationalities and backgrounds, all interested in the same subject you’ve chosen to study.
5. Materials and resources
Access different content, study materials and resources for free. Including some that you can download and keep even after the end of the course.
6. Quality
Interactive MOOCs are developed by experts in their fields at top universities around the world. Classes and materials are as good as those given in the institutions themselves.