Research tips: Massive open online courses
Explore options for in-depth distance learning with help from research specialist Tarja Moles
Have you ever needed to research a particular topic in depth and didn’t know where to start? Instead of using Google or going to your local library as your first port of call, you could approach the challenge by taking advantage of Moocs.
If you’ve never heard of a Mooc before, the acronym stands for a ‘massive open online course’. The name may be awkward, but it means that the courses are ‘massive’ because they can be studied by thousands of people at the same time; they are ‘open’ because there are no entry requirements and (often) no fees; and they take place ‘online’ because you can study the course materials, listen to the lectures, watch videos, take tests and interact with teachers and other students via the internet. Basically, Moocs are a form of distance education and they have become increasingly popular in the past few years.