THE AURORA OF MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES AND ITS ILLUMINATION IN THE FIRMAMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The MOOCs or the Massive Open Online Courses have caused a revolution in the academia. The aim of the research paper is to provide a tangible description of the idea of MOOCs with its myriad platforms which has been converted into reality in today’s academia.It will chart the course of origin, development, and evolution of MOOCs in the academia that is susceptible to fast paced changes. It will focus on the synchronic and the diachronic study of the MOOCs across a temporal dimension. The research paper will focus on the study of MOOCs across a spatial dimension juxtaposing the existence of MOOCs in a global scenario vis a vis the Indian scenario. The research paper will focus on the different kinds of MOOCs that exist in the academia and on their need-based existence. The research paper will deal with the technological dimension of the MOOCs. It will study the role of MOOCs in higher education. The research paper will delve into the concepts of blended learning and flipped classrooms in relation to MOOCs.The research paper will study the architecture of MOOCs and its structuration in the academia. It will focus on the advantages and the disadvantages of the MOOCs. The research paper will also focus on the futuristic possibility of MOOCs replacing the university education or MOOCs remaining as supplementary courses complementing the university curriculum. The research paper will delve into the marketing of the MOOCs and the generation of monetary benefits associated with it. The research paper will do a quantity versus quality study of the MOOCs which is associated with its market value and brand value. The research paper will study the standardization of the MOOCs in relation to the commodification of these courses. It will delve into the business model of such courses. The research paper will attempt to probe the fact that MOOCs are indispensable in today’s educational scenario. It will study MOOCs as an important medium for data mining in relation to the demographics of the students who are the end users of them. It will also study the demographics of the designers of these courses and the instructors who are academicians from the world-famous universities. The research paper will probe the fact whether MOOCs prepare the students to be ready for the industry as competent professionals, whether they bridge the gap between the academia and the industry or not and whether they are able to deal successfully with the practical component of a particular course through remote learning or not. These are all significant areas that are to be studied and analyzed.