MOOCs are the “online phenomenon collecting momentum over the past two years or so; a MOOC integrates the connectivity of social networking, the facilitation of an acknowledged expert in a field of taking a look at, and a collection of freely available online assets. Perhaps most importantly, a MOOC builds at the active engagement of several hundred to numerous thousand “college students” who self-organize their participation consistent with studying dreams, earlier knowledge and abilities, and common hobbies. Although it may share in a number of the conventions of a regular direction, together with a predefined timeline and weekly subjects for attention, a MOOC usually carries no prices, no stipulations other than Internet get admission to and hobby, no predefined expectancies for participation, and no formal accreditation” (McAuley et al., 2010).
Looking at their capabilities, early MOOCs often emphasized open-access functions, such as open licensing of content material, shaping and mastering goals, and selling the reuse and remixing of resources. Some later MOOCs use closed licenses for their course materials while retaining free access for students.
Some different crucial features of MOOCs are
• They are generally defined by signature characteristics that include free guides, lectures formatted as brief movies, and formative quizzes that might be reachable via generation gadgets with internet connectivity (Daniel, 2012).
• Most OCs are loose or able to offer a meager value to customers. Customers can also utilize them on clever cellular telephones.
• They offer the ability of peer and self-exams to contribute to a significant studying revel besides the automated assessment (Duderstadt, 2012)
• They are more dependable and advanced, employing eminent professors, educators, and difficulty specialists.
MOOC platforms – Indian state of affairs
In India, the government has taken many tasks to introduce e-records offerings like the National Knowledge Network (NKN), a nation of the artwork multi-gigabit pan-India community for offering a pace community, a returned domestic for all expertise associated institutions in the country. Initially, the goal was to provide open assets in repositories and depositories, which had been made available to the general public. Some of the efforts in the course started as the National Digital Repository of IGNOU, Sakshat presenting e-content, and Shishya for 11th and 12th requirements by the CBSE board. Those initiatives aimed to put education on hand for many first-year students. One name that falls under the thunder course is Education and Research Network (ERNET), which connects school institutions by providing network connectivity. Education Satellite (EDUSAT) is a satellite that was released for schooling in India. The Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) uses the energy of television for instructional know-how dissemination and information, and the Library Network Centre (INFLIBNET). This is a self-sufficient inter-university center that connects college libraries. Additionally, it has begun several different applications. These are all tasks closer to open training and schooling with information technology, but MOOC has still become out of its reach.
There are diverse establishments, each non-profit and industrial, that offer courses in India with the assistance of MOOC providers. Few are cited under;
• NPTEL :
National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning. It is venture-funded using MHRD, which was initiated in 2003.
• MooKIT :
MooKIT is a lightweight MOOC management device constructed by the Indian Institute of Kanpur (IITK) in 2004 using open-supply technologies.
• IIT Bombay X:
IIT Bombay X is a non-income MOOC platform developed using IIT Bombay to use the open-supply Platform Open edX in 2014.
• SWAYAM:
SWAYAM stands for ‘Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds’, which was released by the Ministry of Resource Development (MHRD).
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are witnessing a massive call for many college students, with the majority of Indian students enrolling in overseas universities. MOOCs can provide Indian college students the requirements to compete in the international market. It can be a highly fruitful association for the learner, university, and industry, contributing to remodeling the face of our state’s young people; this isn’t always a stop; it is simply the beginning of the discussion for the possibilities of MOOC in India.
