Over the past several months, I have written about the many benefits of using MOOCs in training programs and suggested how L&D departments can most effectively incorporate this new training format. In this article, we’ll look at some of the MOOCs that have been developed specifically for training purposes and business audiences, as well as how some companies are already using these courses as part of their workplace training and development programs. are part.
MOOCs for Business and Training
Some entrepreneurial startups have recently developed training MOOCs. For now, these are mostly in the area of technology, but its scope is expanding rapidly. In addition, major MOOC providers now offer a variety of MOOCs targeted at business audiences.
- Aquant Gymnasium. Aquent, a staffing agency for the marketing and creative industries, recently launched Aquent Gymnasium, a MOOC provider that offers technology courses for creative professionals. The first course, “Coding for Designers”, is a basic programming course to help professional designers work more effectively with software developers. The next two courses that will focus on technologies for web design.
- Saraswati. Job search site The Muse has expanded into MOOCs. Although the target audience is job seekers, the courses available focus on soft skills that can be used for training, such as “Becoming a Networking Master” and “Management 101.”
- openSAP. The business management software company offers several MOOCs for SAP developers including “Introduction to Software Development on SAP HANA,” “Introduction to Mobile Solutions Development,” and “In-Memory Data Management.”
- MongoDB. Database company MongoDB provides training to MOOCs on their database products.
- Open Education Alliance. The Open Education Alliance is a recently announced collaboration between MOOC provider Udacity and companies including Google, Autodesk, AT&T, and NVidia. Each of the participating companies has pledged $250,000 toward developing MOOCs to bridge the gap between the skills students learn at traditional universities and what employers are looking for. The alliance is also working on an alternative credentialing system for free online courses.
- Academic MOOC. As part of their ongoing search for a viable business model, Coursera and edX are also making drama for the business market. This fall, the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania puts its first-year MBA course on Coursera. All courses through the Signature Track program are eligible for attested certificates. MIT also recently announced plans to develop an XSeries on supply chain management on the edX platform. Students who complete all three courses will earn a verified certificate from MITx. Lastly, Stanford’s Novoid platform hosts a variety of entrepreneurship MOOCs, including leadership, finance, and decision-making courses. The Stanford Graduate School of Business launched its first MOOC, “The Finance of Retirement and Pensions,” on stage this fall.
Examples of How Companies Are Using MOOCs
It is difficult to know exactly how many organizations are already using MOOCs and MOOC elements in their training and development programs, but we can point to some high-profile examples.
- McAfee. according to a Forbes Reports, computer security company McAfee recently used the MOOC model to solve one of its major training problems: Its new-hire orientation process took more than 80 hours, and many employees didn’t complete the process. Was doing. To tackle this problem, McAfee “turned the classroom around,” so that students can access materials on their own schedule and use class time for discussions and activities. McAfee told Forbes The change resulted in a reduction in training time and an increase in sales.
- Yahoo! Yahoo! Sponsors its employees to earn Verified Certificates through Coursera’s Signature Track program. Yahoo! According to Patricia Brogan, manager of Key Developer Academy, the company partnered with Coursera to encourage employees to continue to develop their technical skills so that they can apply them to design and create innovative new products. Can you
- JLT Group. Insurance company JLT is using MOOCs as part of its employee training and development at multiple levels. According to an interview with Training Manager Sundar Ramachandran, the initiative aims to meet the training needs of a diverse, young and changing workforce. So far, JLT employees have attended Coursera’s “Introduction to Public Speaking,” “Intro to Operations Management,” and a few introductory finance courses. According to Ramachandran, JLT has had “moderate success” with the program and is experimenting with using MOOCs in conjunction with small individual study groups.
There are benefits to using MOOCs in corporate and workforce education. For MOOC providers, training courses are a potential source of revenue, while for organizations they represent a way to deliver more effective training more quickly and at a lower cost. With large company-funded initiatives such as the Open Education Alliance, we can expect to see more MOOCs developed specifically for training purposes in the near future. And as organizations continue to look for new ways to improve their L&D programs, we will undoubtedly see more businesses choosing the MOOC model. For companies looking for new ways to deliver training, more meaningfully engage employees in the learning process, or provide more flexible and accessible training solutions, now is a great time to consider trying a MOOC.
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