I see that FutureLearn have published some preliminary data on participation on the first eight of their MOOCs. They’ve attracted a fair bit of interest with high enrollment rates. I was struck by some of the demographic data they’ve published, which I’ve embedded below. 80% of participants hold a degree or Masters and 70% are over 35 years old.
Are MOOCs really just like the traditional evening classes or adult courses that Universities have been offering their local communities for decades but now thanks to technology accessible to a global community? Is this the disruption – delivering evening classes online to a global audience rather than an end to higher education as we know it? I’ve not researched extensively but this preliminary data from FutureLearn seems to be similar to the demographic data emerging from Coursera MOOCs but happy to be be corrected if I’m wrong.