MOOCs: Vital Tool or Online Fad? (Learning World S6E11, 2/2)

The vast majority of people who sign up to these free, online courses – more than 90 percent – do not complete them.

Some underestimate the amount of work involved, others realise early on that a particular course is not for them. Many people register as a no-strings experiment as most MOOCs are free.

The high drop-off rates have led to criticism that MOOCs have failed to have the transformative impact on the education landscape that had been expected.

But educational expert Charles McIntyre, Co-founder of EdTech Europe, disagrees with the argument that MOOCS have passed their peak and have been unimpressive so far.

“MOOCS have only just arrived on the scene, they’ve only been around for a few years. The fact that people try it [a MOOC course] and taste it and then decide subsequently that they don’t want to finish that particular course – I think just reflects the fact that there is an exploration going on... And that exploration points to a new world that’s happening in learning, and we’re very much at the start of that.”

Watch Part 1 on our series on MOOCs, with the example of China's NetEase Open Course here:

World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) is an international, multi-sectoral and action-oriented platform for innovation in education that connects innovators, nurtures new ideas, and recognizes and supports successful initiatives that are helping revitalize education.