Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are open access courses available online and to an open public. In 2015, a study showed that the majority of users who utilized MOOCs were from developed countries, had at least a bachelor’s degree, and were currently employed full-time. They also reported a very low completion rate. This statistic was a bit disappointing to me. With these technological advances, it was the hope that education could be provided to those that would normally be unable to access it, such as those from low-income communities. It’s disheartening to hear that people who should be benefitting from this technology are not and that those who are using it, do not use it to completion. The reasons they list for people not using MOOCs is lack of access to internet and simply having not heard of MOOCs. However, when you look into how MOOCs are used in developing countries, things are a little better.

A study by the University of Washington reported on the use of MOOCs in developing countries such as Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa. A large majority of those who used MOOCs in these countries, around 80%, are from low to middle income populations. Many users were reported to have low ICT (information and communication technology) skills, showing that one did not need to come into MOOCs with high skill levels. Almost 50% of those who used MOOCs received certification and around 30% completed at least one course. The reasons for people not using MOOCs in this country was mainly due to lack of time, not lack of access as many would have thought. Awareness was still an issue in these countries. I believe if governments, in all countries, made more of an effort to publicize MOOCs, those from disadvantaged groups could take advantage and benefit from this new technology and education can become more widespread.