BACK TO THE FUTURE WITH MOOCs

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), whereby tens of thousands of students can join free higher education courses online, have made dramatic strides recently. This paper traces their origins back to ideas about e-universities in the previous millennium and asks what is different this time? Discussed is the relationship of MOOCs to developments such as Virtual Learning Environments/Learning Management Systems and Open Educational Resources. Also examined are the drivers and enablers in the global economy and emerging business models that are fuelling this explosive growth. Considered as well is the likely impact of MOOCs on universities worldwide.

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