http://enews.ksu.edu.sa/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/UWN.jpgBy Jane Marshall. In a bid for France to catch up with the global development of MOOCs – massive open online courses – and establish itself as the leading francophone provider in the field, Higher Education Minister Geneviève Fioraso announced increased investment to promote the new French system as its first courses were launched this month.
Since the France Université Numérique, or FUN, site opened last October, 88,000 students, high school pupils, employees, job seekers and retired people have registered for the French MOOCs – also known as CLOMs, cours en ligne ouverts et massifs – which are free of charge.
France has been slow to join the MOOCs bandwagon, with only 3% of universities providing the courses, compared with 80% of US higher education institutions. Read more...