Southampton welcomes 200,000th MOOC learner

The University of Southampton has welcomed its 200,000th learner on to a MOOC - Massive Open Online Course.

 

A MOOC is a free programme of study, accessible via mobile, tablet and desktop, that is designed to be delivered to large numbers of participants in a way that allows each learner to fit their learning around the other demands of their life. To take part in a MOOC, no previous experience is required, there is no admission interview and no need to have ever studied online or even in higher education.

Working with Futurelearn, owned by the Open University, Southampton offered its first MOOC in November, 2013, focusing on the pioneering discipline of Web Science. Since then we have strengthened our portfolio to 12 MOOCs in a wide range of subjects, from archaeology to history and oceanography. Key partnerships have developed, including the British Council for our Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching MOOC, which has resulted in increased recruitment levels for our joint online Masters in English Language programme.

Our 200,000th learner is studying on Contract Management: Building Relationships in Business. The course, which helps a wide range of business professionals cut through the complexities of contract management, has been developed and delivered by the University’s Faculty of Business, Law and the Arts in association with the Crown Commercial Service, the UK Cabinet Office, Civil Service Learning and the International Association of Contract & Commercial Management (IACCM).

“We are delighted that MOOCs enable our academics to showcase their extraordinary work and enable us to reach out across the globe to inspire a flourishing network of online learners,” said Kate Dickens, the University’s MOOC Programme Manager. “Since we launched our first MOOC in 2013, we’ve been at the forefront of providing a beneficial and accessible education experience for all of our learners, helping people develop new skills and understanding, at a time and place that suits them and with minimum expense.”

To find out more about the University’s MOOCs, please visit the MOOC website.