Beginners Guide to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
What are MOOCS? MOOCs are courses delivered online and accessible to all for free. MOOC stands for massive open online course:
Massive because enrollments are unlimited and can run into hundreds of thousands.
Open because anyone can enroll — that is, there is no admission process.
Online because they are delivered via the internet.
Course because their goal is to teach a specific subject.
MOOCs typically comprise video lessons, readings, assessments, and discussion forums. For example, here’s the information page of a MOOC that teaches programming in Python.
Who makes MOOCs? Most MOOCs are made by universities. Some of the first and most active MOOC makers are Stanford, MIT, and Harvard,universities in Australia offer free courses as well. (To see the full list, click here.) Some MOOCs are made by companies, such as Microsoft or Google, or by various organizations, such as IEEE or the Linux Foundation. (To see the full list, click here.)
Where can I take MOOCs? Although MOOCs are created by universities, universities rarely distribute MOOCs themselves. Instead, they rely on course providers such as:
So it’s on those platforms and others that students actually take MOOCs.
When do MOOCs start? Some MOOCs can be started at any time. Others start at regular intervals — every few weeks or months. Some are seldom offered — sometimes reappearing after a year of absence. Finally, some stop being offered entirely.
Do MOOCs have deadlines? Some MOOCs are self-paced — you progress through them as quickly or slowly as you want — while others run on a schedule:
All the course material may not be available from day one. Instead, it’s released in fragments week after week, forcing students to pace themselves.
Assessments may have deadlines, preventing students from lagging behind.
But even when they involve a schedule, MOOCs remain flexible: you study when it suits you best, day or night.
How long to complete a MOOC? MOOCs range in length from 1 to 16 weeks. Most provide an estimate of the weekly time commitment, although this may vary significantly from one student to another.
How are students tested in MOOCs?MOOCs can include:
Auto-graded quizzes — that is, quizzes that are automatically graded upon submission, such as multiple choice questions.
Peer-feedback assignments — that is, assignments that are graded by other students according to a specific rubric.
Your performance on these assignments then determines your overall course grade.
Note that instructors don’t grade students’ work in MOOCs. It's learning for fun and self improvement!