Title: What is a MOOC? - A definition
Course: Digivisio DEMO: Planning and creating a MOOC > Section: Starting points for planning a MOOC

MOOCs are currently quite popular, and everyone seems to be talking about them. But what is a MOOC, really?

The acronym MOOC stands for massive open online course. In practice, MOOC means a course offered to large numbers of students that is completed fully in a virtual learning environment using digital materials and tools. MOOCs are typically highly scalable in terms of the number of participants, but scalability also depends to a large extent on the type of MOOC. MOOCs are usually open courses where participation is free, but again, this can vary between universities.

Watch the short video below that describes the special features of MOOCs. The video was created using the Biteable application.

A text alternative for the video

There are many types of MOOCs, however, and their special features may differ from the general definition of MOOCs given above. The different types of MOOCs are discussed in more detail in this material as part of the pedagogical planning process and the ways in which different MOOC types affect the selected pedagogical solutions.

References

Bates, A. 2015. Teaching in a digital age. Available: https://www.tonybates.ca/teaching-in-a-digital-age/