MOOCs: the New Educational Frontier of the 21st Century

Abstract

Abstract Objective: Over and above being widespread in various sectors of the economy and fi-nance, the uncontrollable expansion of digital technology is also conquering areas reserved for education and training, going beyond the traditional models of demand / supply, frontal and long distance lectures. The article aims to analyse the phenomenon of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) and how, together with new trends in the context of digital teaching, they can represent an incentive for universities to reflect on the changes that are taking place in educational policies and in academic culture, possibly re-evaluating their mission with the aim of improving the quality of content and learning experiences. Methodology: Through the study of various experiences and publications. Findings: Since their appearance, MOOCs have generated a huge interest in the field of higher education, establishing themselves more and more worldwide as an important online training system, aimed at a large number of users. Value Added: The MOOCs can represent valid support for training in companies and lastly they can represent a valid means of allowing access to education in developing countries. Recommendations: The article suggests how the development of MOOCs, through distance learning, flexible and open, is a great opportunity both for mature knowledge-based societies and for developing countries.