Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Theoretical and Practical Considerations for Knowledge Management

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) has emerged as a potentially disruptive force in higher education. Today there are hundreds of MOOCs available and millions of individuals around the world participating in these open and unlimited web-based courses. Much of the discourse surrounding the MOOC phenomenon questions its efficacy in replacing or supplementing traditional face-to-face formats in colleges and universities. Detractors point to such issues as low retention rates, difficulties in classroom management and dubious methods of grading and assessment. While these might be legitimate concerns, the discussion often loses sight of the more far-reaching impacts that such open environments might provide for knowledge creation and learning in more generalized populations. Attention needs to be paid to the potential that MOOCs might play in non-academic environments (i.e. personal, corporate and global) for knowledge creation and dissemination. This article traces the evolution of the MOOC, explores its theoretical foundations and stresses its potential as a practical knowledge management tool. It is argued that MOOCs may have a more far-reaching role to play and that the true value of MOOCs has yet to be realized