Dive Brief:
- Harvard University and MIT have released a report on what they've learned in the four years since the launch of massive online open courses in 2012, which the schools say have served more than 2 million users.
- According to the study of more than 290 courses, the schools enrolled more than 1,500 unique participants daily over the measured period. The average learner in these courses was a 29-year-old male living outside of the United States.
- More than 30% of learners in MOOCs self-described as active or former teachers and more than 250,000 students earned certification through these programs.
Dive Insight:
The report gives an unprecedented view of the scale of MOOC influence on professional development and higher education and should give colleges and universities a more accurate sense of how important developing online learning will become in the coming years.
For executives at larger elite institutions, there is an opportunity to extend their global reputations through MOOC delivery. And for smaller schools, using MOOCs to offer regional certifications in growing industries will be the next wave of enrollment management and corporate partnership building.