A study by University of Washington researchers shows developing world learners use massive open online courses (MOOCs) very differently than their developed world counterparts. The research shows that the low completion rates and homogeneous demographics found among users in the United States and similar nations do not hold true worldwide. However, developing countries have their own barriers to online learning to overcome.
Based on surveys of 1,400 MOOC users and 2,250 non-users aged 18 to 35 in Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa, the study is the first to include multiple MOOC providers in the developing world. It is also the first to analyze individuals not using MOOCs.