Studying without any financial aid or credits – is that incentive? Maybe not. But it is to 40,000 new course participants at Lund University.
For two weeks, Lund University has offered courses open to anyone, regardless of previous background or nationality. The concept is called Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC).
And it draws a crowd. The European Business Law course at the Faculty of Law started in early January, and has drawn 27,000 education-craving people from a grand total of 185 countries.
Knowledge Attracts
Also, the course Greening the Economy: Lessons and experiences from Scandinavia has started, attracting 16,000 applicants.
“It’s approximately the amount we had expected – it’s terrific,” says Marita Ljungqvist, MOOC Project Manager at Lund University.
No financial aid or credits. What makes these courses so attractive?
“Many of the applicants want to learn more about the course subject. Some of them already work within a certain field, and want to develop. In general, however, it’s matter of pure interest. If you want to, you can have a reference letter, but it’s the knowledge that is attractive,” she says.
Global Audience
Since the beginning of the 2010s, the number of MOOCs has increased exponentially. Institutions such as MIT and Harvard University have been standing up for the development, and millions of students have applied – now, Swedish universities are coming alive as well.
“For one, we do it for the philanthropic aspect of it. We want to spread our knowledge to a global audience,” says Marita Ljungqvist.
However, the courses are not given for the sole purpose of friendliness.
“Lund University and our teaching staff receive exposure on a global arena. Our educational and research programs get into the spotlight, and this is, of course, a way of recruiting new students,” she explains.
Not Earning a Dime
And it is the very publicity that constitutes the financial aspect. The University does not earn a single dime on its thousands upon thousands of students participating on these courses. On regular distance courses, the University receives educational financial aid for the students, but for MOOC they draw a blank. And the courses are not exactly free of charge to administer.
“Naturally, it’s expensive, as it needs funding. But the material designed can be used later on for other courses as well,” says Marita Ljungqvist, explaining that the participants should consult each other in communities, rather than consulting supervisors and mentors.
“In a way, you could compare this course to course literature. You are supposed to create communities with other participants.
A Supplement
The future is at the feet of Internet-based education. The technology is available, and the interest stretches far. So far, however, Marita Ljungqvist only considers the courses as a supplement to regular studies.
“There is a wide-spread interest in developing the MOOC concept. We are gradually moving in the direction of material being more openly distributed, but I see it as a supplement to regular education. It is meant to supply something to the educational programs that we already have,” Marita Ljungqvist concludes.
Text: Casper Danielsson
Translation: Maximilian Aleman-Tennell
Photo: Jens Hunt
First published at lundagard.se
