MOOC – Way of Learning in the Networked World
When the question is about identifying online resources or tools to learn the basics of data science, there is a big shout out for MOOCs. What is a MOOC? In an expanded form, it is Massive Open Online Course.
Is MOOC different from the regular classroom-based study approach? Not really! Just like any other course, it has lesson bifurcation, a lecturer or facilitator to teach the students, participants or students, as well as tests to evaluate one’s understanding of the subject(s).
Concept of MOOC
Anyone with an internet connection is eligible to take up a MOOC program from Udacity, edX, Coursera, etc. Not only has this concept made the complex tertiary education system approachable for all but has also brought down the cost of study.
What role are MOOCs going to play in the future of education?
The offerings of MOOCs are simple. They are a repository of Open textbook curriculum distributed across the networked community for a participatory and life-long learning system. Due to their popularity, Universities have already established partnerships with MOOCs like Coursera, or edX and thus, one can now acquire a computer science degree at a much affordable cost (instead of the expensive course admission fees in Universities directly).
Flipped classroom structure- a common concept implemented by the authorities of High schools allow students to learn their subjects online from home and then come to the class for some active learning. As the students study using MOOCs, they can take repeated tests to understand a topic. Not only does MOOC allow a student to become vigilant of their own progress, but also enables instructors to collect data on each student’s performance. This, in turn, helps them to track a student’s performance, their bottlenecks, and develop a strategy to work on their areas of difficulty and offer targeted help. With extreme dependence on web-based education or MOOCs in today’s networked world, Universities like Harvard, MIT, Standford, etc. have already integrated their course curriculum with MOOCs like Coursera, edX, Udacity, etc. So, now you can even earn a complete computer science degree using this online study program with MOOC.
Before long, with the help of MOOCs, the development of tertiary education system is expected to grow at a much faster pace than what it was a few years ago. MOOCs have already revolutionized the way one looks at education system. They have already set the benchmark for online learning and how students from all backgrounds can rely on such learning process for higher education as well as continuing education. Today, employees working for a certain industry are expected to upskill themselves quite frequently. MOOCs course certificates attained by employees from different sectors are good enough a reason for them to tackle the continuous fear of becoming obsolete when compared to employees with more knowledge and expertise.