The MOOC: What the research says

Abstract

This article presents a critical overview of the MOOC (massive open online course) in university education. We review the history of this innovative education delivery mode, highlight the main university actors who developed the MOOC, address the issue of the “openness” or cost-freeness of the MOOC, and describe how the MOOC works. We also discuss the issue of supergroups: how can 100,000 students be taught at once? We then look at assessment methods and so-called connectivist MOOCs. We conclude by reviewing the results of about 100 studies on the MOOC.