Review of The Massive Open Online Courses (moocs) and Their Benefits to Educational System

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are becoming more popular than ever before due to a variety of issues that face higher education institutions. “A massive open online course (MOOC) is a free Web-based distance-learning program that is designed for the participation of large numbers of geographically dispersed students. A MOOC may be patterned on a college or university course or may be less structured. Although MOOCs don’t always offer academic credits, they provide education that may enable certification, employment or further studies” (TechTarget, 2017).

The creation of MOOCs was a major step in the right direction for education and for students who needed training for a job/career to enhance their overall quality of living. In many fields, a certification will significantly enhance the paygrade of individuals who lack a college degree, since most cannot afford to acquire one. With more people opting to pursue MOOCs, universities began to embrace the idea of offering them to broaden their student base.

“Elite universities, especially in America, are engaging enthusiastically in massive open online courses, or MOOCs. They see opportunities for brand enhancement, pedagogic experimentation, recruitment and business model innovation. Top institutions are providing brand, content, funding, staff, badging and policy support to MOOCs, while smaller or less prestigious institutions have not engaged strongly with MOOCs because of lack of appetite, capacity or opportunity” (MacGregor, 2013). The fact that elite and top universities are incorporating MOOCs as opposed to smaller institutions is significant for individuals taking these course(s) since they will have the backing of one of these universities on their resume when applying for a job or job promotion.

Massive open online courses are opening doors for individuals who otherwise would not have had access to college courses through any other setting. “Online education has become a hot topic recently, with more and more institutions wanting to expand offerings. And that makes studies of the quality of online education important-and controversial. One study stated that on average, students in online learning conditions performed better than those receiving face-to-face instruction-a conclusion that received much attention and applause among advocates for online education. But it was also found that the findings were flawed and that online learning in higher education is no more effective than face-to-face learning” (Wojciechowska, 2010). All of this may seem rather upsetting, but I would argue that online and face-to-face learning has simply to do with the learner. The student must be willing to put in the effort and time necessary to excel in either type of school they choose.

MOOCs are advantageous in a variety of ways, with the main being the cost. They are “free for students who register and cheap for those who seek credit” (Peterson, 2013). Educators should be willing to embrace the idea of MOOCs for the benefit of all students. This would allow for equal access to courses for the advancement of careers, performance, and even just for the knowledge aspect. Overall, MOOCs will greatly benefit society by helping to educate more people than ever before.