Massive open online courses – MOOCs – offered by top universities have expanded worldwide over the last three years, gaining students globally for courses designed in the United States and elsewhere and disseminated globally on platforms like Coursera, edX and the British-based FutureLearn.
Many conventional MOOCs are developed and designed for Western teaching and learning experiences, says Auh, the lead project designer for MOOC 2.0. “But the general consensus here [among those working on MOOC 2.0] is that MOOCs education must be a collective effort from all parts of the world.”
What is important, according to Auh, is that to avoid a “type of neo-colonialism”, receiving countries must collaborate in devising the MOOCs their students will study.
“The stance of MOOC 2.0 is higher education should find ways to address the needs of those at the bottom of the pyramid while being sensitive to their culture,” Auh told University World News.