About Massive Open Online Courses
"Acharya Nagarjuna University has taken up cause of Digitalising India and Knowledge Mission of Andhra Pradesh and started exploring ICT and its potential to reach out the unreached, to enhance the quality in instruction and to balance the inequalities in Knowledge, Skill and Application. ICT enabled Learning modes have been developed, Video Lessons and Virtual Class Rooms were successfully prepared and launched, Competence to organise Admissions to Examinations ‘online’ have been accomplished.
With this confidence in competence, Acharya Nagarjuna University now unveils a new initiative “ANU MOOCs”. The first MOOCs emerged from the open educational resources (OER) movement. The term MOOCswas coined in 2008 by Dave Cormier of the University of Prince Edward Island. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from a relatively modest beginning in 2008, began to evolve rapidly in terms of pedagogy and platforms and attracted large number of students increasingly. It all began with just one course, and today more than 2400 courses are offered in this mode world wide.
The Higher Education scenario globally is driven by the following drivers and trends:
- Globalisation and the increased momentum for internationalisation of higher education
- Worldwide growth and increasing demand for access to higher education, with the projection that there will be 120 million students worldwide by 2020
- Changing learner demographics, experience and demands of the dramatically increasing numbers of lifelong adult learners
- Highly increased access to personal technology and social media
- The need for changes in cost, affordability and economic models for higher education
ANU MOOCs would ensure
Open Access
Anyone can learn a course for free on Online mode.
Scalability
Courses are designed to support larger number of participants.
Contemporary
Courses are planned to meet the contemporary global needs of employability and knowledge up-gradation.
Information and Communications Technology
Acharya Nagarjuna University is alert to the continuous dynamics in technological advancements and would harness even the Mobile and Smart Phone Platforms to deliver MOOCs.
Wealth Creation and Self Sustenance
ANU MOOCs will aim at Entrepreneurial Development and Skill Development to enable
the future generations to become self-reliant and create wealth.
