Volume 1 - Issue 8 - ICTACT.IN

Tech TalkMOOCChanging the face of EducationRam Singampalli, Vice President, SyntelMOOC - Massively Open OnlineCourses, are online courses offered viathe Internet and include video lectures, liveclasses, automated grading methods andat times, peer evaluations. MOOC is a nextgeneration of online education, e-learningand distance learning. A key attribute ofMOOC is the large number of students simultaneouslyenrolled, with peer learningfacilitated through social media technologies.Stanford University was a pioneer instarting what could be considered as thefirst MOOC in mid-2011. Several otherslike edX, Udacity and Courser a followedsuit in 2012, albeit with minor variations.MOOCs offer a plethora of subjects likeScience, Mathematics, Technology andArts. As an example, one could learnAstronomy while having access to a globalnetwork of robotically controlled telescopesfrom the University of NorthCarolina, U.S.in the comfort of their homeand paying as little as $65. While most ofthese courses are offered for free, somecharge for assessment. In India, theMadras Management Association (MMA)offers a Mini MBA course that includesvideo classes jointly developed by IIMRanchi, online tests, collaborative platformsand live classes. Within the first sixmonths of launch, more than one lakh studentshave enrolled for this program.The benefits of MOOC include access toworld-class content and lectures, minimalor no cost, the ability to learn at yourconvenience, more importantly, to learnalong with participants across the globe.Even then, as the models, authenticationand courses are evolving, they have notachieved adequate recognition as a fulldegree, and the Industry is yet to considerthese courses for offering jobs. However,with the investment and rapid evolution ofMOOC, the industry will soon be pushedto consider MOOC credits or use themto train employees. Some infrastructurechallenges like internet bandwidth hamperadoption of MOOC in India and while registrationsare high, the completion rate remainslow.Though there is an argument thatMOOCs cannot substitute live classrooms,and learning facilitated by in-personinteractions, MOOC can be effectivelyharnessed by students, faculty and professionalsto supplement their learning.Some MOOCs even offer course credits,which can be used for under-graduate/graduate programs. MOOC is an extremelyeffective way of improving education offeredby traditional institutions. We hopethat MOOCs will evolve to offer free andopen education for all, unhindered by geographicand economic boundaries!June 2013 I 14