7 Reasons to Study through a Massive Open Online Course Program

MOOCs, or massive open online courses, bring high-quality education to people worldwide at the click of a button. MOOCs offer a wide range of learning materials to students across the globe.

Through MOOCs, you can study in a wide range of fields at top universities worldwide. These programs provide you with the opportunity to further your education or explore another area of interest to achieve your career goals.

Still not convinced that you should take a MOOC class? Here are seven reasons you should consider an online education through a massive open online course.

1. MOOCs Encourage Student Interaction

Taking a MOOC class encourages you to work with people from different backgrounds and have different perspectives from your own. Through discussion boards, chat rooms, email, and video conferencing, this approach to learning promotes open-mindedness, acceptance, and mutual respect.

2. MOOCs Promote Accountability

Taking online courses makes students more accountable since they must put in the time and effort necessary to learn the material. Another advantage of online learning through MOOCs is receiving immediate feedback on quizzes and tests.

In a traditional classroom, students would be forced to move on whether they understood the prior material or not. This can be a significant disadvantage if mastery of previous material is necessary to understand the next unit. Because they are not graded, MOOCs enable students to go back and retake units they did not understand the first time.

In other words, students do not have to move on until they are ready, which helps ensure they get the most out of all of the material presented. They are accountable for their own learning.

3. MOOCs Make Education Accessible

Massive Open Online Courses have done a lot to democratize education by providing free and sometimes low-cost learning options from some of the world’s best universities. With MOOCs, learners can access valuable education as long as they have access to an Internet accessible device, giving them more career opportunities.

As a bonus, online students have access to more resources than ever before. There are available videos and lectures recorded by top professors in their field, allowing students and educators worldwide access to advanced courses that have previously been limited by geography. Learning new skills through MOOCs is easier than ever.

4. MOOCs Foster Critical Thinking Skills

Courses offered through MOOCs present learners with challenges and tests at regular intervals. These activities can provide insight into how well you understand different concepts and show you where you need to focus.

You will also learn to differentiate false information based on evidence from factual information. Providing students with opportunities to practice critical thinking is one of the best ways that online education supports higher education in society.

Anyone who wishes to excel in life must learn critical thinking. Your education becomes more useful when you apply it to the real world. In this way, you can approach problems creatively and develop solutions that benefit you and those around you.

5. MOOCs Facilitate Self-Directed Learning

Your professor uses a specific lesson plan in a traditional classroom, which can change based on what information they want to impart. Online courses, however, require more self-directed learning, where students are given complete control over their educational path. While it may take longer to learn a particular subject in a self-paced environment, one benefit of distance learning is that you’re able to speed up or slow down as needed without consulting with anyone else.

Another perk? You get credit for self-learning time, so as soon as you complete the course, you can move on to another class. This kind of flexibility allows online learners to customize their education based on what they need most—and save some money along the way.

6. MOOCs Are Interactive

Learners can interact with other students responding to discussion questions. Participating in discussions increases knowledge and improves learning because students can reflect on their peers’ work. It’s important that course designers create engaging assignments that motivate participants to share information and start a conversation about relevant topics.

7. MOOCs Create Lifelong Learners

A downside of traditional education is that it ends—once your class is over, so are your interactions with classmates. MOOCs can help you continue to grow and share ideas online after a course has ended.

These courses also encourage lifelong learning by introducing new knowledge and ways of thinking about old information. That way, you’ll be able to adapt and keep up with changes in your field for years to come.

Conclusion

If you’re interested in expanding your knowledge without having to pay an arm and a leg, massive open online courses are an ideal addition to your education old men. The best part? You get access to thousands of hours of free instruction on almost any topic—all at once! What could be better than that?