article thumbnail

A Decade of MOOCs: A Review of Stats and Trends for Large-Scale Online Courses in 2021

Edsurge

In 2021, two of the biggest MOOC providers had an “exit” event. Ten years ago, more than 300,000 learners were taking the three free Stanford courses that kicked off the modern MOOC movement. I was one of those learners and launched Class Central as a side-project to keep track of these MOOCs.

MOOC 193
article thumbnail

In China, Online Degrees on Hold, Even as MOOCs Rise

Edsurge

In fact, the country has no institution that is approved to deliver online degrees, even though it has moved rapidly to embrace MOOCs, free or low-cost online courses offered to millions throughout the country. It’s a confounding paradox, since you’d think China would view remote higher education as a piece of its global ambitions.

MOOC 137
Insiders

Sign Up for our Newsletter

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

article thumbnail

For Best Results, Pair MOOCs With In-Person Support

Edsurge

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) transfixed higher education in the early 2010s, so much so that The New York Times dubbed 2012 "The Year of the MOOC." At the time, many thought MOOCs might become a replacement for both classroom instruction and ingrained models of learning. It’s easy to see why.

MOOC 149
article thumbnail

With ‘MicroBachelors’ Program, EdX Tries Again to Sell MOOCs For Undergraduate Credit

Edsurge

The nonprofit MOOC platform edX, originally started by MIT and Harvard University at a time when pundits predicted large-scale online courses could replace college for some people, is trying yet another new approach, launching the first of what it calls a “MicroBachelors” program.

MOOC 117
article thumbnail

Much Ado About MOOCs: Where Are We in the Evolution of Online Courses?

Edsurge

A lot has changed since 2012 or, the year the New York Times dubbed the "Year of the MOOC." The premise back then was that classes would make high-quality online education accessible for all—and for free. Today, many MOOC providers now charge a fee. So the rate at which new users are coming into the MOOC space is decreasing.

MOOC 140
article thumbnail

MOOCs Find Their Audience: Professional Learners and Universities

Edsurge

This led to a feeling of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) across higher education and Silicon Valley, both of whom invested huge amounts of capital and resources to launch free online courses without any concrete plans to recoup the costs (or get return on their investment). The Internet had finally come after its latest victim—higher education.

MOOC 117
article thumbnail

What a New Strategy at 2U Means for the Future of Online Higher Education

Edsurge

What happened to this market that many analysts consistently describe as profitable and growing, and that many critics fret would take over and privatize much of higher education? The Acceleration The acceleration is that 2U is going all in on the education platform strategy that started with the company’s acquisition of edX last year.

Strategy 144