Learning how to use MOOCs is essential to capture the vital benefits that digital education has to offer. For those new to this term, a MOOC stands for Massive Open Online Course and is precisely what the name suggests. These are online video courses on various topics that are typically free to watch and learn from.
Where to Find Them and How do They Work?
Various websites are offering online courses that provide pretty much the same services to online learners. Some of the most popular ones are Coursera, edX, Udemy, among others.
These providers offer various online courses by some of the top universities globally, covering all interests and academic fields. You can find classes based on your interests, enroll in as many as you want, and most importantly, for free.
The Three Different Ways on How to Use MOOCs
Make Use of the Certificate Option
Furthermore, users can also choose a paid option if they want to receive a certification of completion for a specific course. The creator of the course issues this certification, usually a university, and is a valuable feature for those wanting to highlight their new skills and knowledge on their CV.
Opting for this paid option is one effective way of using MOOCs, as this certification is official proof of your new knowledge. This is an excellent way to fill in the gaps of your CV with valuable skills in the field that you want to pursue a career in. This small detail can make a difference in the competition for this position.
Simply Audit the Course
MOOCs may not be the traditional type of education that we are used to, but that does not mean that they are a walk in the park. Going for the certificate requires a lot of effort, and it adds pressure to the whole experience.
Whether an employee or a student, free time is limited, and we’ve learned to cherish it. That is why completing quizzes and assignments discourage many. But, simply auditing a course is also a good way on how to use MOOCs.
Auditing a course is simple. You just need to watch all the online video learning courses at your own pace and convenience without completing the assignments. By auditing, you may not have a certificate for the specific course to show your employer, but there are other ways to show that the knowledge is there.
Sample the Course
Completing a MOOC, apart from their apparent differences, is pretty similar to attending an academic course in a semester. They all require attending hours of lectures every week, while assignments that are usually weekly require extra time.
Sampling a course is the answer to those having little time to spare and wondering how to use MOOCs. As the amount of information and knowledge provided by a MOOC is considerable, learners can selectively choose to watch only a couple of video lectures on a specific topic they are interested in learning about.
Yes, indeed, there are also other online resources to obtain that knowledge, but MOOCs are really of high quality. Plus, whatever you want to learn about, having a college professor explain that to you is irreplaceable.
Sampling a course is still beneficial to your career as you receive targeted quality information without wasting too much time. Most of the time, sampling is used on a per-need basis to quickly brush up or learn something new required to complete a task.
Conclusion
If you are wondering how to use MOOCs to advance your career, these are some of the ways that you can do it. Choosing each one of them depends on what you want to achieve and the amount of time available.
For example, if you are just starting your career and your CV needs a boost, you would probably want to go for the premium option of receiving certification. Alternatively, auditing and sampling courses are most suitable for professionals that want to learn something but have limited time.
How m-game Project Uses MOOCs to Advance the Careers of Youth
The Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED) participates as a project partner to the European funded Erasmus+ project m-game. This project wants to bolster youth skills in Mobile Game Development by creating a MOOC for them.
As MOOCs are effective mediums to strengthen learners’ skills, the project partners hope to increase the competencies of youth and help them find employment as game developers in this promising sector.
