How MOOC [Massive Open Online Course] is Changing Employee Training

What is the MOOC massive open online course system, and why should you care about this?

Every other day, it seems as though some new software design or online education system is introduced to the market, falls out of favor, and fades into obscurity in a matter of a milliseconds. Each one has had their protagonists and critics along the way. So, when the net came abuzz with talk about MOOC, I was inclined to say “well, we’ll see how this fares…” As others before it, I was ready to wait for it to fade into obscurity.

This didn’t happen though, and in fact, the MOOC massive open online course system has changed the face of training, especially in business environments. Let’s take a look at what the principles behind this design are, and why it’s such a revolutionary innovation.

We all know that social concepts are a big movement in the digital age; everything from communication, marketing, customer support, and customer service to gaming. Social programs have effected how programming, computer science and even   the way we perform social research. Communities of like-minded people freely and ubiquitously share their ideas, beliefs and discoveries over a readily-available set of digital platforms. This has changed how we think and interact on a number of levels; the internet has created a new, non-locational dimension of society.

MOOC for Education

The MOOC system follows this trend by creating an environment where traditional educational materials such as literature, audio, video and project modules are now  social. With MOOC, the formalities of a standard (even virtual) classroom are forsaken for the social collective; all students may interact and think aloud, and work together not only help teachers achieve a faster, wider reach but also to training effectively in an organized, online scenario. People may even help one another by highlighting achievements or addressing shortcomings.

For instance, Employee A may have difficulty understanding a topic while training, but excel in a different  area where Employee B may experience trouble, and vice versa. In traditional scenarios, if they were to help one another, it would be limited to group periods of group interaction laid out within the course, or it may occur in their off time. They would have to identify the problem and how they could help one another.

With the MOOC system, this kind of networking and helping is easy.  Learners may quickly find others who need their help, and who can help them in turn and then provide the given aid. This is a key function of MOOC and is facilitated through integration of community forums, social networks, live channels and a number of other communications portals that are tied in as part of the greater structure.

MOOC in Business

Organizational learning has been a hurdle to overcome in business training because in business, individuals have grown comfortable in one specific area; they specialize in what their job tasks currently entail; and training for something new, will therefore  present obstacles.

With the MOOC massive open online course system, the social, co-dependent nature of how students interact and work together, translates to the business world.  It overcomes the hurdles of staff training without even making a big deal of it.

In conclusion, this is how MOOC changes employee training. And, in time it will change how education as a whole works. It can be implemented by basic schools all the way up to higher learning in major corporations. Check out MOOC and let me know what you think!