A Comparative Analysis of MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) Platforms

Abstract

IntroductionThe rapid development of technology has influenced many aspects of our lives, especially related to studying and education. Electronic devices, software, learning platforms and internet have made learning easier and faster and also their quality seems to be improved by these new technologies. A recent development in higher education and distance learning is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that offers free access and interactive participation to learners all around the globe through internet and other technologies. The purpose of MOOC platforms is to reinvigorate teaching and learning and to create a brand new virtual space for educational interaction. Furthermore, this approach of online learning is a great opportunity to both sides: consumers and providers, for consumers it is represented by the variety and the prestige of courses to be chosen from; for the providers it is about being free of obligation regarding the success of the course completion.What is a MOOC?A MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) is an online educational environment that allows a large number of students from anywhere in the world to follow online courses in any field of study. The instructors come from elite universities and teach using videos and presentations. At the same time, people who enroll in these courses are able to connect with a community of instructors and learners with similar interests. At the end of the course, students who graduate may obtain a certification.[1]MOOCs began as a development of the OER (Open Education Resources) movement that encourages free learning, teaching and research materials. The first MOOC took place in 2008; it was called Connectivism and Connective Knowledge and was led by George Siemens and Stephen Downes in front of 25 tuition-paying students and over 2200 online students. Online students had free access to the course content through RSS feeds, blog posts, online discussions and meetings. [2]Based on the education models, study authors split MOOCs in two categories: cMOOCs centered on George Siemens's connectivism theory and xMOOCs that look a lot like traditional courses. xMOOCs are criticized by cMOOCs co-founder Stephen Downes for the reason that they are not different by much from digital textbooks or television shows with an online quiz component. [3]As Stephen Downes explains in a 2011 Huffington Education article, the connectivist approach is not about transmitting and memorizing course content, but about forming neuron connections as a result of experience, through interaction with a community of fellow learners. He identifies four main activities in connectivist MOOCs: aggregation of content as each participant should select what seems important from the material, remixing by associating materials they read, repurposing concepts or ideas they learned about and feeding forward which means sharing one's work with the world. [4]Alternatively, xMOOCs are based on traditional learning methods: they are organized around short video lectures followed by assessments in the form of quizzes. xMOOCs are usually provided by higher education institutions or for-profit companies rather than a group of individuals with a passion for a specific area of study. The first xMOOC took place in 2011 when 160 000 students registered for ''Introduction to Artificial Intelligence course led by Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig from Stanford University, thus increasing MOOC's popularity. [5]Lifelong learnersKnowledge acquiring is unavoidable and prepares us for real life experience in the world around us. This is the motivation of lifelong learners for self-development, both personal and professional. Lifelong Learning Platforms are designed for every person, no matter the stage of his/her life or the level of knowledge. Lifelong learners are self-motivated individuals driven by their actions to move forward with the same speed that technology does. …