As MOOC providers look to establish their niches and business models this year, international students have emerged as an audience for whom massive online courses may have a unique appeal. Keep an eye out, too, because ss more schools begin to offer the giant classes, the results stand to benefit prospective (paying) international students, as well as universities in search of better ways to vet them.
And the list doesn't end there. There are at five compelling reasons that international students should consider MOOCs, according a writer Devon Haynie at U.S. News & World Report. Those reasons include the following:
- Price (They're free)
- MOOCs may come in students' native languages
- The joy of learning
- Impressing college admissions deans and employers
- Demonstrating college readiness
Those last two points should have universities thinking. If a student has the fortitude and interest in taking a MOOC from your institution, they may be worth a second glance. Schools want students with demonstrable interest and preparedness for what they have to offer. MOOCs seem like a near frictionless way to gather information about both, no matter where in the world those students may live.