4 MOOC Trends We Expect to See in 2019

Last Updated: December 16, 2021

Andrew Ng, founder of Coursera popularized the notion of free education, quickly delivered on any smart device. But with the emergence of payment gateways and automated scoring mechanisms, MOOCs risk becoming less accessible and slightly impersonal. We explore how this popular learning tool could witness a comeback in 2019, with a little help from organizational leaders.

First introduced in the early 2010s, the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) trend has somewhat plateaued in the last couple of years. Originally conceptualized as a means for increasing the reach and accessibility of learning materials, providers today approach MOOC very differently.

On one hand, educational institutions often offer MOOC to raise their profile and garner market attention. On the other hand, L&D vendors are incorporating MOOC modules into their products, as part of a larger digital learning paradigm. So, what are the MOOC trends that lie ahead as we step into 2019? We look at the top four ideas.

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  1. MOOCs Will Become More Flexible

At its core, MOOC was always meant to be a flexible learning platform. With employees engaged in multiple tasks throughout the day, formalized training often becomes a challenge. MOOCs allow employees to brush up on existing skills and familiarize themselves with new ideas, at a time of their convenience.

That said, MOOCs were initially far more structured with materials released on a strict schedule, assignments due on specific dates, and certifications possible only after achieving pre-determined milestones. With the emergence of on-demand videos, automated assessments, and entirely digital certifications, the learner can now set their own pace and progression pathways.

A downside to this is that employees risk becoming demotivated and will need a higher level of self-discipline.

  1. Courses Will Become Much Shorter

Across the board, we are witnessing a shift towards micro-learning, with organizations embedding materials into several technology interfaces (the intranet, for example).

Therefore, it’s no surprise that MOOCs will become shorter in 2019. While courses could once stretch over two months, employees now can complete the entire course in less than a week. This has some obvious advantages; longer courses typically lead to lower completion rates and companies may be unwilling to invest in MOOCs if employees don’t go on to achieve the required certification.

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  1. Paid Courses Will Become the Norm

As the name suggests, MOOCs were once available completely free of cost, including the final certification. This meant that young job seekers could easily access new skills and knowledge repositories without having the necessary financial resources. Now, most job-oriented courses are covered by a paywall. The onus, therefore, is on the employer to offer MOOCs as part of the organizational learning strategy, and not expect employees to pay out of their own pockets.

Consider the case of SAP: the technology giant has its own MOOC platform called openSAP. The company added several new courses last year, aimed specifically at technical expertise. “Transforming today’s businesses into Intelligent Enterprises starts with empowering employees to integrate emerging technologies into their existing roles,” said Opens a new window Bernd Welz, chief knowledge officer at SAP SE.

“Learning how to automate and streamline processes through technology will allow businesses to achieve their desired outcomes faster and enable different LoBs to focus on innovation for further optimization.”

  1. Peer Discussions Will Take a Back Seat, Requiring Organizational Support

One of the biggest draws for any MOOCs is the live participation by instructors, fellow learners, and colleagues through discussion forums. However, with employees choosing their own learning pace, the chances that multiple team members are following the same course at the same time are significantly lower. While this is a definite advantage in terms of flexibility, the personal element has been slightly eroded.

This is where workplace communication tools will come in. Working hand in hand with MOOC modules these will allow employees to constantly communicate with each other, share their learning, and gain further insights from in-house Course Mentors.

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In Closing

Andrew Ng founded Coursera with the ambition of taking free education to anyone with a device connected to the internet. This was followed by massive enrollment numbers and exciting conversations among enlightened employers.

Today, while the potential remains, payment gateways, pre-recorded sessions, and impersonalized course delivery mechanisms have all had an impact. In 2019, we expect MOOCs to witness a form of ‘revival’. With digital transformation changing how we work, it’s imperative for job seekers and veteran employees alike, to pick up new skill sets. With buy-in from employers and a certain degree of self-motivation, MOOCs will help modern employees stay relevant in a competitive job market.

“Many open online courses in creative skills are set up to guarantee employment upon completion. Laureate International Universities, an online educational platform offering creative degree programs to over one million students worldwide including Latin America, provides attractive employment outcomes.

Graduates from 12 out of 14 Laureate institutions surveyed last year achieved, on average, equal or higher employment rates within 12 months of graduation as compared to graduates of other institutions in the same markets,” added Opens a new window Diego Olcese Diaz, Founder, and CEO of creative skills learning platform, Crehana.

Chiradeep BasuMallick
Chiradeep is a content marketing professional, a startup incubator, and a tech journalism specialist. He has over 11 years of experience in mainline advertising, marketing communications, corporate communications, and content marketing. He has worked with a number of global majors and Indian MNCs, and currently manages his content marketing startup based out of Kolkata, India. He writes extensively on areas such as IT, BFSI, healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, and financial analysis & stock markets. He studied literature, has a degree in public relations and is an independent contributor for several leading publications.
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