What is a MOOC and how do they work?

Open -online mass courses offer registration at the online university level to anyone who is interested (less registration rates). But are it worth your time?

With MOOC (or massive open courses), you can expand your knowledge, venture into new fields and even improve your professional perspectives.

I always had interest in the economy, programming, literature or something else, but isn’t it sure if it is for you? A MOOC on the subject could be the perfect opportunity to immerse the tip and try it without too much commitment.

We have everything you need to know about these open access courses. Keep reading to exercise if they are suitable for you.

What is a MOOC?

The acronym ‘Mooc’ means Mass open line. It refers to short university level courses offered online through distance learning. Most of the time, they are free.

Instead of having conferences and seminars every day, MOOC is taught completely online. Contact with teachers is done by email and group discussions that are made in the forums.

The courses and evaluation work differently depending on the course you take and which university is offering the program. In general, you will observe a few weeks per course, which will require a couple of hours every week.

Accessible education

The main objective of these courses is to make knowledge at the university level accessible to anyone who wants to learn, regardless of their location or personal circumstances.

Mooc should not be confused with open university courses, which are totally accredited university titles offered online For students who want to study in their own time. This will imply years of commitment and registration rates at the degree level as well.

MOOC provide high quality teaching of some of the most respected professors in the best universities in the world, but require very little commitment and have No entry requirements.

For example, the University of Oxford entered the world of distance learning by offering His first Mooc In 2017. The course focuses on understanding the economy and is taught by Sir Paul Collier, professor of economy and public policies at the Blavatnik Government School.

We have more information about the MOOC of the University of Oxford in our guide.

Credit: Mallmo – Shuttersock

Most of the MOOCs will not offer a formal rating once the course has completed, but can pay around £ 30 – £ 50 for a certificate if you want a test.

Futurelearn is the largest Mooc supplier in the United Kingdom, which offers countless short short courses in a variety of topics. You will have to pay to receive a certificate at the end, but you can also opt for your unlimited plan. This costs around £ 250 per year (or sometimes less during a sale) and allows you to obtain a certificate for hundreds of short courses.

Are they free of Mooc?

You can get Full access to Mooc Free. However, if you want an accredited qualification of them, you are likely to have to pay.

But it is not just qualifications. Free courses can improve your professional perspectives and look good in your CV.

Having done additional courses online demonstrates future employers who have a genuine desire to learn and expand their knowledge.

Some universities have also begun to take their first steps to offer accredited online titles (or at least partially).

However, although access to all course materials and online enrollment itself is free, you must approve each block and pay a certificate to progress in the degree at the end.

Is it worth the Mooc?

Credit: NBC

Online learning is not for everyone, and Mooc tend to be more popular among graduates who seek to recharge their knowledge on a topic to progress in their careers.

However, that does not mean that current students cannot benefit from them. If your CV looks a little thin, having some extracurricular learning helps. Show that you are actively interested in learning outside your field will impress graduate employers.

To maintain simple things, here is a list of some of the reasons why you want to try it (and reasons why MOOC may not be for you).

Reasons to make a MOOC

Are you not sure if Mooc education is suitable for you? We recommend that you try a mass open line if:

Reasons No To make a MOOC

We would do it No I recommend that you do a mooc if you:

• They are looking for a tangible reward (that is, qualification) of it, unless you are willing to pay
• Fight to motivate and, usually, needs to request compliance with the deadlines (abandonment rates can be very high)
• Fight with computers: how the entire course is performed online, a certain level of computer literacy is crucial
• He feels that he needs individual contact with tutors and classmates: all contact is made online and will get much less contact with the tutors.

Where to find Mooc’s best courses

There are thousands of Mooc available online from around the world. Although most courses have been based in the US. In the past, the launch of Futurelearn in 2012 has also seen universities throughout the United Kingdom get involved in online learning.

These are the best places to find MOOC:

• Futurelear will – Originally initiated by the Open University, Futurelearn works with more than 200 world -renowned universities and institutions such as the British Library and UNESCO
• Cursera – One of MOOC’s largest suppliers based in the United States, which offers hundreds of free online courses of more than 300 partners around the world.
• Edx – A non -profit provider created by MIT and Harvard University, with more than 86 million users and more than 4,600 courses.

Interested in other types of free online courses? Our guide covers our best options.