ATMOSPHERE

Massive Open
Online Courses
(MOOC)

a beginner's guide
 Outline
THE MAIN POINTS

What are MOOCs?

Who makes MOOCs?
Where do I take MOOCs?
Timing of MOOCs
How to choose a MOOC?
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Before starting a MOOC

Things to note
Sample
To keep in mind
Sources
 What are MOOC?
WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT THEM?
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 MOOCS ARE
COURSES
DELIVERED
ONLINE AND
ACCESSIBLE TO
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ALL FOR FREE.

 KEY FEATURE

They typically comprised of

video lessons, readings,
assessments, and discussion
forums.
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Atmoshere • 2020

Who makes
MOOCs?
MOST MOOCS ARE MADE BY UNIVERSITIES.
SOME OF THE FIRST AND MOST ACTIVE
MOOC MAKERS ARE STANFORD, MIT, AND
HARVARD.

SOME MOOCS ARE MADE BY COMPANIES,

SUCH AS MICROSOFT OR GOOGLE, OR BY
VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, SUCH AS IEEE
OR THE LINUX FOUNDATION.
Where can I take

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MOOCs? WHILE MOOCS ARE CREATED BY
UNIVERSITIES, THEY RARELY DISTRIBUTE
MOOCS THEMSELVES.

INSTEAD, THEY RELY ON COURSE

PROVIDERS SUCH AS: COURSERA, EDX,
FUTURELEARN, UDACITY.
SO IT’ S ON THOSE PLATFORMS THAT
STUDENTS ACTUALLY TAKE MOOCS
 WHEN DO MOOCS START?

Some MOOCs can be started at any time.

Others start at regular intervals — every few weeks
or months.
Some are seldom offered — sometimes reappearing
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after a year of absence. Finally, some stop being

offered entirely.
 HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO
COMPLETE A MOOC?

MOOCs range in length from 1 to 16

weeks.
Most provide an estimate of the weekly
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time commitment, although this may vary

significantly from one student to another.
 Do MOOCs have deadlines?
SOME MOOCS ARE SELF-PACED — YOU PROGRESS
THROUGH THEM AS QUICKLY OR SLOWLY AS YOU WANT .

OTHERS RUN ON A SCHEDULE: ALL THE COURSE MATERIAL

MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE FROM DAY ONE. INSTEAD, IT’ S
RELEASED IN FRAGMENTS WEEK AFTER WEEK, FORCING
STUDENTS TO PACE THEMSELVES. ASSESSMENTS MAY
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HAVE DEADLINES, PREVENTING STUDENTS FROM LAGGING

BEHIND.
 But even when they
involve a schedule, MOOCs
remain flexible: you study
when it suits you best, day
or night.
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 How to choose a MOOC?

SPEND 15 MINUTES STUDYING

THE SYLLABUS AND SKIMMING
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THROUGH THE COURSE

CONTENT
 How to choose a MOOC?

YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON:

IF ANYTHING PARTICULAR CAUGHT
YOUR ATTENTION
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IF YOU BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT

LEARNING MORE
IF THE COURSE IS WORTH YOUR
TIME
 To become better at

Before
what you are doing?

starting To improve your

any MOOCs
job/education
prospects?
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DO YOU WANT TO
For the pleasure of
TAKE A MOOC:
learning
 Another questions to
consider:
DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE FULL
MOOC OR JUST PART OF IT?

HOW MUCH TIME CAN YOU

DEDICATE TO THE COURSE
WEEKLY?
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ARE YOU LOOKING FOR AN

INTRODUCTORY, INTERMEDIATE,
OR ADVANCED COURSE?
 UP CO M I NG CO U R SE S MAY
SO ME TI ME S B E ACCE SSE D
B E FO R E TH E I R STAR T DA TE — I N
PAR TI CU L AR , CO U R SE S TH AT
R U N O N A R E G U L A R SCH E DU L E .

I N P R O G R E SS CO U R SE S CAN
O FTE N B E J O I NE D AFTE R TH E I R

Note: STAR T DATE — AL TH O U G H Y O U

MAY NE E D TO WO R K H AR D TO
FI N I SH TH E CO U R SE B E FO R E I T
CL O SE S.
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S E LF- P ACE D CO U R SE S CAN B E

J O I NE D AT ANY TI ME .
 MOOCS OFTEN OFFER TWO
ENROLLMENT OPTIONS:

FREE AUDITING — WHICH GIVES YOU

ACCESS TO VIDEOS, READINGS, AND

Note:
FORUMS FOR FREE.
PAID ENROLLMENT — WHICH GIVES
YOU ACCESS TO ALL THE CONTENT,
INCLUDING PAYWALLED ELEMENTS
SUCH AS THE CERTIFICATE OF
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COMPLETION.
 A SMALL NUMBER OF
COURSES ARE PAY-
ONLY.

YOU MAY ALSO

REQUEST FINANCIAL
AID IN ORDER TO
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RECEIVE A VERIFIED
CERTIFICATE
Sample
(click on it)
 STEP 2
STEP 1
Check the course syllabus
Create an account or join for
free

Click on it
STEP 3
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STEP 4
Enroll for free
(or audit the course) Start learning!
 IMPORTANT THINGS TO
REMEMBER

Peer-feedback Auto-graded If you finish a MOOC

assignments — quizzes — that is, with a passing
that is, quizzes that are grade, you may earn a
certificate of
assignments that automatically
completion.
are graded by graded upon Sometimes, the
other students submission, such certificate is free. But
according to a as multiple choice more often, you have
specific rubric. questions. to pay for it.
 IMPORTANT THINGS TO
REMEMBER

Interaction between Paid certificates

instructors and Instructors don’t often require ID
students is minimal grade students’ verification, which
or non-existent in
MOOCs. Many
work in MOOCs. involves sending a
picture of yourself
courses have
mentors
and a
monitoring the government-
course forums. issued ID.
 Sources

CLASS CENTRAL LEARNING HOW TO

https://www.classcentral.com/help LEARN
/moocs/ https://www.coursera.org/learn/le
arning-how-to-learn
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COURSERA PERSONAL EXPERIENCE!

https://www.coursera.org/ We have been taking several
MOOCs ourselves!