DIGITAL REVIEW MOOCs echnology has always been intimately linked to new educational methods. This has Tincluded distance learning, learning through multimedia and finally computer-based learning. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are so called because they can be taken by an unlimited number of people (massive); they are open, as they have no student selection criteria and no fees are charged to take the courses; they are entirely online and usually require a reasonable (broadband) internet connection as many involve videos and online assessments. This digital review focuses on a number of the most popular MOOC platforms. MOOC platforms, I found an introduction Although MOOCs have existed since MOOC platforms 2007 with platforms such as ALISON, to urology course which seems suitable ALISON (Advance Learning Interactive they were popularised following an for medical students or junior doctors System) was founded in 2007 and experiment by Sebastian Thrun and (www.edx.org/course/introduction- can claim to be the first MOOC. The Peter Norvig. The experiment was to urology-kix-kiurologyx). At present, majority of ALISON’s learners are in the offer three Stanford University courses, very few MOOCs have content that is developing world countries. It has five including the entire three-month directly related to urology or surgery. million learners in over 200 countries ‘introduction to artificial intelligence’, However, there are a wide variety of and offers up to 600 free online courses. online to an open audience. The courses available from hundreds of (www.alison.com) experiment was a phenomenal success institutions worldwide. A selection with 160,000 people from 190 countries of courses that are relevant include Coursera is a for-profit educational signing up to take the course. Twenty medical teaching courses, the use technology company founded by Andrew thousand people finished the course, and of technology in medicine, medical Ng and Daphne Koller from Stanford when the assessments were analysed, statistics, programming for app or web University. In April 2015, Coursera none of the top 400 students taking the design, research assessment methods, offers more than 1000 courses, from course were from Stanford. Sebastian leadership and management courses. more than 100 institutions, to over 190 Thrun realised the potential of online Building a course can be more onerous countries and has more than 12 million learning and founded Udacity in 2012. than producing a traditional course users. All of the courses on Coursera are Subsequently, Thrun’s colleagues at a university and typically requires accessible for free, or chargeable should from Stanford University, Andrew Ng videographers, IT specialists and you wish for a verified certificate from the and Daphne Koller, started Coursera as a platform design specialists. However, institution offering the course (starting at rival MOOC platform. The early success there are an increasing number of free $49). Coursera has come under scrutiny of these two MOOC platforms was the tools available to assist with MOOC for not offering its course materials catalyst to many further MOOCs (see course creation including: under the creative commons licence and below), as universities were keen to • edX (www.edx.org) therefore not being fully open. exploit potential new revenue streams. • moodle (www.moodle.org) (www.coursera.org) MOOCs deliver courses through online • coursesites (www.coursesites.com) educational videos. MOOCs differ from • udemy (www.udemy.com) edX.org was originally started by the instructional videos as they have a form • versal (www.versal.com) Massachusetts Institute of Technology of assessment. The assessment method and Harvard University in May 2012. is typically a quiz and is carried out at These are still early days for MOOCs and Subsequently, they have been joined by the end of modules to assess we have yet to utilise the full potential more than 60 schools from around the understanding. Typically a university of online learning. In the not too distant world. They offer more than 300 courses accredits most MOOCs, although there future, all of our postgraduate learning in a variety of disciplines and have more are also MOOCs for pre-university and continuing medical education than three million users. (www.edx.org) subjects including Khan Academy may be delivered through a version of (www.khanacademy.org). MOOCs. Until then, it’s always useful to Udacity was originally founded by On searching through the various learn something new. Sebastian Thrun, in 2011. Udacity urology news | JULY/AUGUST 2015| VOL 19 NO 5 | www.urologynews.uk.com DIGITAL REVIEW is partnered by many Silicon Valley funded company it receives its income companies (Google, Facebook, AT&T) and from learners signing up to receive either offers courses on modern programming, a statement of participation £29 (for software development, data science, completing a course) or a statement of product design, and entrepreneurship. attainment £119 (via a test at a specified (www.udacity.com) test centre). (www.futurelearn.com) SECTION EDITOR Future Learn is a private British company MITOpenCourseware makes the Ivo Dukic, developed with backing from the Open materials used in teaching of MIT’s Post CCT Fellow in Urology, University. In May 2015, they have grown subjects available on the web. Courses Southmead Hospital, to over a 1.5 million registered learners. can be accessed by topic, course number North Bristol NHS Trust, UK. Future Learn courses on offer include or department. There is a wide range and E: [email protected] Twitter: @urolsurg everything from succeeding at interviews the course materials are available for to a course about the discovery of the free. (www.ocw.mit.edu) Higgs Boson. As Futurelearn is a privately urology news | JULY/AUGUST 2015| VOL 19 NO 5 | www.urologynews.uk.com.