Making sense of the MOOCs debate

Abstract

This article considers recent public debates about massive open online courses (MOOCs) and their potential to transform higher education. Drawing on reports and media commentary, it probes the claims and counterclaims of MOOC proponents and MOOC sceptics. It considers the implications for students, governments, institutions and scholars themselves. The paper concludes that mass-scale online courses have the potential to reshape the sector significantly over time.

Keywords:

• blended learning
• business models
• disruption
• innovation
• learning analytics
• MOOCs
• student markets
• unbundling