The University of Southampton has welcomed its 200,000th learner to a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC).
MOOCs are free聽programmes of study聽accessible via mobile, tablet and desktop.聽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.聽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 , Southampton offered its first MOOC ()聽in November 2013. 聽Since then, we have strengthened our portfolio聽and now offer聽12 MOOCs in a wide range of subjects, from to and .聽Through our MOOCs, we’ve聽developed key partnerships with institutions such as the British Council聽(specifically through our聽 programme), which resulted in increased recruitment for our joint online Masters in English Language.
Our 200,000th learner is studying .
鈥淲e 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,鈥�
said Kate Dickens, the University鈥檚 MOOC Programme Manager.
鈥淪ince we launched our first MOOC in 2013, we鈥檝e 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.鈥�
More information about the University’s MOOCs can be聽found聽