MOOC – THE NEW VISTA OF OPEN EDUCATION
Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs have been introduced since late 2011. The philosophy of open education is the guiding principle for this technology driven third millennium education pedagogy. MOOC is for anyone who is passionate about learning anything across diverse disciplines and subjects, from any part of the world for free and/ or with nominal fee. The availability of high speed internet network, even in the developing economies, has proliferated the opportunities before learners from different cross-section of people –languages, races, culture and ethnicity, levels of educational attainment, age, locations and socio-economic backgrounds. More than 200 of leading universities and institutions of higher learning in the US, UK, European Union, Australia, India and in many other countries are partnering with different MOOC platforms to provide high quality education for the potential learners across the world. In the era of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary educational curricula, MOOC is also very effective for specialized education along with formal education. MOOC varies from school level, under-graduate level modular courses to highly specialized education. These courses are generally 6-12 weeks of duration, with 2-10 hours of engagement required per week for the learner. Learners in MOOC platforms do have the opportunity to interact with real experts and multi-cultural peer groups, and the pedagogy is so designed to facilitate outcome driven learning which is crucial for professional development and skill development in today’s competitive economy.
Some of the more famous MOOC platforms are Coursera, EdX, FutureLearn, Udacity, etc.
FutureLearn:
Started in late 2013, this company is owned by The Open University, UK. It offers courses under the categories of Business & Management, Creative Arts & Media, Health & Psychology, History, Languages & Cultures, Law, Literature, Nature & Environment, Online & Digital, Politics & the Modern World, Science, Math & Technology, Sport & Leisure, and Teaching & Studying. FutureLearn free online courses are mostly self-paced and accessible on mobile, tablet & desktop. Registering is necessary for joining any course. E-mail notifications for new & upcoming courses are sent to the interested learners. There are opportunities for those who could not complete a course in stipulated time to re-join the course if and when it is rerun. Old courses are also archived for references, sans peer forum. On successful completion of a course, one can have the option for purchasing a Statement of Participation. For some courses, an invigilated examination at a local test centre is necessary. Passing the examination would enable a learner to get a Statement of Attainment. Apart from these paid for certificates presently FutureLearn courses are however not accredited. A Statement of Attainment neither implies the award of credit points, nor the conferment of a university qualification.
Coursera:
This MOOC platform believes in stronger student learning outcome is possible in online learning, which is designed and developed with video lectures, interactive quizzes, mastery learning, learners’ forum and peer graded assessment; than in face-to-face interaction. The courses are divided into On Demand courses which are free and learner has the flexibility of self-paced learning; and Classic courses with stipulated course duration, which are further, categorized into Verified Certificate & Specialization courses. Courses are available under wide subject categories ranging from Arts, Biology & Life Sciences, Business & Management, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics & Finance, Education, Teacher Professional Development, Energy & Earth Sciences, Engineering, Food & Nutrition, Health & Society, Humanities, Information Technology & Design, Law, Mathematics, Medicine, Music Film & Audio, Physics, to Social Sciences, Statistics and Data Analysis. Apart from English language, many other European and Asian languages courses are also available. The assignment grading system is quite similar to the grading system of conventional university courses where you have to maintain the Hard Deadline in order to receive credit. Your Effective score will be the score of your first attempt made before Hard Deadline. Classic courses generally release the final course grade within 2-3 weeks after the final assignment deadline. Grades can be viewed in the Accomplishments page of the learner. Some classic courses offer Statements of Accomplishments to learners who successfully complete course requirements which are signed by the course instructor. Signature Track is Coursera’s unique online identity verification system, designed and developed to support learners who are seeking formal recognition for their achievements. Joining Signature Track requires a webcam, a physical keyboard of your laptop/ desktop and your photo ID like your passport or national ID card. The price to join Signature Track varies by course. The price for each course is displayed on the course’s Signature Track sign up page. However, complying with some terms & conditions, Coursera offers financial aid to learners from economically weaker sections. A Verified Certificate can be earned by completing a course on Signature Track. A Verified Certificate generally depicts the Course Instructor’s Signature, logo of the partner institution/ university offering the course, a statement attesting to the learner’s confirmed identity, and a certification URL that allows others to check the certificate’s authenticity. A Specialization is a group of related courses designed to help the learner deepen his/her expertise in a subject. After successful completion of specialization, the learner would earn a Specialization Certificate. One needs to earn a Verified Certificate for each course in the specialization. Then one has to complete a final Capstone Project.
Edx:
Through its institutional partners, the XConsortium, along with other leading global members, EdX presents the best of higher education online with cutting-edge technology, innovative pedagogy, and rigorous courses. From Science to Art to technology EdX offers 300 + courses by top notch professors from some of the best universities, colleges and organizations in the world – MIT, Harvard University, University of California Berkeley, University of Texas System, Australian National University, Delft University of Technology Netherlands, University of British Columbia, Caltech, Columbia University, Cornell University, IIT- Bombay, BITS–Pilani, Kyoto University, Peking University, Seoul National University, University of Hong Kong, University of Tokyo, etc. Interactive online classes on a range of subjects – Architecture, Art & Culture, Biology & Life Sciences, Business & Management, Chemistry, Communication, Computer Science, Design, Economics & Finance, Education, Electronics, Energy & Earth Sciences, Engineering, Environmental Studies, Ethics, Food & Nutrition, Health & Safety, History, Humanities, Law, Literature, Math, Medicine, Music, Philosophy, Physics, Science, Social Sciences, Statistics & Data Analysis – are offered through EdX platform. Here also, for learners attaining various levels of education – starting from High School to highly specialized courses for professionals – are being offered. In EdX, first the learner has to sign up by creating an EdX account, and he/she has to register then for the course of his/her choice. Presently, universities do not offer formal academic credit for EdX coursework and do not certify that MOOC students have met the same requirements as regular university students taking the original course on which the MOOC is based.
Unless you choose for a Verified Certificate, registration is free. Professional education courses are however, not free. For most courses (except Verified Certificate courses) the learner does not need to specify an audit track. One would have access to videos, lectures, readings, etc., and can participate according to one’s convenience. Completing assignments and examinations are not mandatory for a registered learner. If you audit a Verified Certificate Course and pass, you will not receive a Verified Certificate of Achievement, but you can participate in any or all activities and exams. An Honor Code Certificate of Achievement certifies that you have successfully completed a course, but does not verify your identity. Honor Code Certificates are currently free. Many of the EdX past courses are available as archives. These courses can only be audited, and some features such as the discussion forums, may not be available. No certificates are being offered for archived courses. Verified Certificate of Achievement shows that you have successfully completed your edX course, and verifies your identity through your photograph and ID (a webcam is must for these courses). Fees for Verified Certificate Courses vary by courses and can be paid by credit/ debit cards only. Some of the schools offer an XSeries Certificate of Achievement when you complete and pass a series of courses in a specific subject. The requirements vary for each institution, but generally you must take and pass a series of courses as outlined by the school and receive a Verified Certificate of Achievement in each course.