Learning from the MOOCs model

摘要

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a form of distance education, with internet-based [earning courses intended for large-scale participation. The key word is 'massive'. The business model is that thousands of participants give large economies of scale, with low marginal costs: hence, it is possible to have large-volume, low-cost offerings. Many MOOCs provide free access to learning materials, and charge for assessment and certification; some MOOCs also charge for access to the materials. Web 2.0 technologies enable both live chats or synchronous discussion, and asynchronous discussion forums. The business model assumes that the participants or learners will become a de facto self-help community, so a relatively small number of instructors can serve a large number of learners.