Although the concept was born in Canada in 2008, the MOOC (massive online open course) has only really been a buzzword since 2012, when Ivy league schools like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT launched free online courses that enrolled millions around the world. Yet in spite of much recent media coverage of this trend, last time researchers asked, fewer than 25 per cent of the public had heard of a MOOC.
Those who are familiar with these free online courses include many naysayers, skeptics, critics — including some faculty, founders, and participants — who have pointed to business and pedagogical flaws in the MOOC model at Coursera, edX, and Udacity. Those negative reviews focus chiefly on costs incurred, copyright concerns, low student completion rates (~13 per cent), and confusion around credentialing.
Not just for university students
But MOOCs are no longer limited to redelivering higher ed courses online for free. Providers are busy innovating, some have pivoted to focus on online professional development, and more platforms are coming online for lifelong adult learners. New research shows that employers are increasingly receptive to job candidates with online course certifications. The key is being able to demonstrate skills learned online where it counts — in the workplace.
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Some MOOC courses are free, some have fees, others come with certificates, some are just for interest’s sake. The best part is the customizable, flexible delivery — letting you learn when it makes sense in your day, or night. The real challenge may be making the time to take all the intriguing classes you discover. For example, some free business options include:
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- The Science of Everyday Thinking (edX) starts March 2. Instructors from University of Queensland.
- Introduction to Public Speaking (Coursera) starts March 31. Instructor from University of Washington.
- Professional Writing: Proposals, Memos, Letters, Reports (Saylor) starts anytime. Instructor: Mary Morley Cohen, PhD
- Foundations of Business Strategy (Udemy) starts anytime. Instructor from University of Virginia Business School.
- Networks, Crowds and Markets (edX) starts March 2. Instructors from Cornell.
- The Design of Everyday Things (Udacity) starts anytime. Instructors from IDEO, Harvard and California College of the Arts.
- Operations Management (Udemy) starts anytime. Instructor from Northwestern University Business School.
- Entrepreneurship: Developing Innovative Ideas for New Companies (Coursera) starts March 3. Instructor from University of Maryland.
- Your Brand and New Media (canvas) starts anytime. Instructors from Cornell.
Instead of dismissing MOOCs as an educational fad then, consider how these new online professional development offerings can benefit you. Chances are you’ll discover a class on something you’ve always been curious about and want to learn.
Inevitably you’ll see courses informed by research, designed and delivered by professionals, covering concepts and tools you need to know now. Take one to pick up skills you can put into practice at work and list on your resume.
Investing time in lifelong learning will ignite new ideas and enable you to ask better questions. The right MOOC is a key to unlock your creative thinking, inspire your next innovation, and accelerate your career mobility.
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