The University of Southampton has welcomed its 200,000th learner to a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
MOOCs are free programmes of study accessible via mobile, tablet and desktop. Specifically designed to be delivered to large numbers of participants, MOOCs allow individuals to fit their learning around the other demands of their busy lives. No previous experience is required to take part in a MOOC, there is no admission interview and no need to have ever studied online or in higher education.
Working with Futurelearn, Southampton offered its first MOOC (Web Science) in November 2013. Since then, we have strengthened our portfolio and now offer 12 MOOCs in a wide range of subjects, from archaeology to history and oceanography. Through our MOOCs, we’ve developed key partnerships with institutions such as the British Council (specifically through our Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching programme), which resulted in increased recruitment for our joint online Masters in English Language.
Our 200,000th learner is studying Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business.
“We are delighted that MOOCs enable our academics to showcase their extraordinary work and enable us to reach out across the globe to inspire a flourishing network of online learners,”
said Kate Dickens, the University’s MOOC Programme Manager.
“Since we launched our first MOOC in 2013, we’ve been at the forefront of providing a beneficial and accessible education experience for all of our learners, helping people develop new skills and understanding, at a time and place that suits them and with minimum expense.”
More information about the University’s MOOCs can be found here.