Have you ever dreamed of following a ‘Justice’ course from Harvard University? ‘Financial Market’ from Yale? ‘Political Sciences’ de l’ Université Catholique de Louvain? With MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) all these courses and over 2,500 other ones, along with 11 online degrees, and 170 micro-credentials are now available to you, from your own living room and for free! Keep reading. Here are a few reasons why you should take MOOCs.
Sounds like science fiction right? Well, it is. Only today we call it MOOCs. Massive Open Online Course.
What Are MOOCs?
MOOCs are courses provided by universities all over the world. They are presented as videos, recorded by professors at their universities. These videos are then followed by assignments and quizzes that you can fill in to obtain grades. If you have enough grades, you can even purchase the certificate for the course you have studied.
MOOCs have had so much success that hundreds of universities from all over the world have followed the experience.
Reasons Why MOOCs Are Popular & Top Reasons To Take A MOOC
There are more than 6,800 courses out there for you to explore and take advantage of. Due to that quality MOOCs have been qualified as the revolution of online learning. Therefore, many researchers and educational scientists have started to take a look into these MOOCs to understand how these work for a person studying them. What are the reasons why you should go for a MOOC exam.
There is a finding that intrigues many researchers out there which means that many people find difficulty in studying for these MOOCs.
So the question is, are MOOCs really that great? What are the reasons for the growing popularity of these MOOCs? And if they are that great, how come are they so tough to crack and why do people experience difficulties?
In order to answer these questions, I base myself on theories of Motivation.
Why Motivation When It Comes To MOOCs?
Why motivation? Because motivation is acknowledged to be one of the biggest predictors of our performances in learning. There are many theories of motivation but one of the most popular ones is the self-determination theory.
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The Self-Determination Theory’s Relation To MOOCs
According to this theory, we all have 3 basic and universal needs. And it is only when these needs are satisfied that we can actually have a better performance. If we take a look at MOOCs we understand why they are so popular. It is because they help us with their characteristics and their tools to fill in these needs.
Now, Let’s take a look at these needs and how MOOCs help us to fulfill them.
Autonomy
The need for autonomy means that we need behavior to come from preferences and desires in order to have a better performance. MOOCs are great in that way because they allow us to choose the place from where we want to learn, when we want to learn, and more specifically, what we want to learn.
You can choose whichever course you want to learn and even better, you don’t even have to follow the whole course. All you have to do is, choose the chapter of the course you need and just go for it. You can even get yourself a certificate after the completion of the chapter or course, which certifies your success.
But why are students still unable to overcome these difficulties in MOOCs?
It is because they do not know how to use these tools.
-Choosing Your Preferences
So, in terms of autonomy what happens is that many students get lost in all these possibilities and they are unable to make a choice. So, therefore, you have to choose your preferences.
Suppose there’s an Ice-Cream truck right down the road with around 15 new flavors for you to choose from. Will you taste every flavor? Are you going to try them all at once? No, because you know your stomach will not be able to take it.
Also, the ice cream truck is right down the road so you can go back anytime you want to taste another one!
Well, for MOOCs, it is exactly the same thing. Only in MOOCs, there aren’t 15 new flavors. There are 1000+ flavors of knowledge. So the more curious you are, the more tempted you will be to enroll on all of these courses.
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But do not forget the most important thing. These MOOCs take time to study. Ask yourself, are you sure you have the time to study all of these courses? So when you enroll, first thing, take your agenda. Look at how much time you have on your hands. Maybe start with 1 MOOC. The one you prefer the most and if you see that you have more time, you can enroll for another one. Just like the Ice cream truck is down the road, your MOOC is down the hall.
-Picking The Perfect Spot!
You know that you can study wherever you want to pick a place where you feel more concentrated and most importantly, more comfortable. But make sure you aren’t too comfortable!
Competence
The second need is the one of competence which means that when we want to pursue something, we need to feel competent at the task. Most help us with courses that are a different level of difficulty. So, how to use it well?
Check the prerequisites of that particular MOOC before you enroll. Also, these MOOCs are available in many languages so try to choose the course in your preferred language. They also come with subtitles to help you follow the course.
Studies have shown, the more technical the MOOC, the more difficult it gets. This is another reason why you should take a MOOC.
Imagine an English-speaking student taking a Quantum Physics class in French with English subtitles. Not that easy right? Also, try to attempt those quizzes and assignments when you follow the MOOC. This helps you by keeping track of your knowledge and it gives you a feeling of engagement with the course.
Relatedness
Last but not least is the feeling of relatedness. This means, to feel motivated to engage in an activity, we need to feel related to others and belong in a group. Not only is this factor one of the most important in motivation, but it is also what makes MOOCs more special. It is one of those online courses which allows you to connect with other learners and teaching staff from all around the globe. So you have forums, Google Hangouts and so many more tools to stay connected with such a community. This inspires you to create your own community of learners. So why not?
So I hope with these tips you will be able to go ahead and push yourself towards a MOOC along with 58 million learners that are already out there.
So before taking your first MOOC, choose your preferences, take into consideration the competencies you have and keep in touch, stay connected.
Thank you for reading this blog on Reasons To Take MOOCs. If you’re interested in knowing more, here are some blogs that might be of interest to you:
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I have done Bachelor’s in Culinary Arts from India and completed my graduation in the year 2022 .I am 22 years old. After graduation, I have done 1 year paid internship from USA .Now, I would like to take occupational experience and learn culinary skills and also do masters in Culinary arts.How can I find the college n best course / country where I can persue studying further