Mooc fans step out of the shadows

By Hannah Fearn. Surprising data from the first wave of massive open online courses show most students are male, educated and living in a developed country. When the higher education sector pioneered massive open online courses (or Moocs, as they are more commonly known) it was heralded as an exciting step towards accessible education for all. For the first time, access to university-level education was no longer dependent on merit or means but simply on enthusiasm and commitment. More...