摘要：MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses. MOOCs started as a form of collaborative online learning with people interacting and learning from each other and being exposed to different perspectives, views and ideas. MOOCs use strategies similar to social networking to connect the masses but with the added benefits of subject matter experts to facilitate the content and to coordinate a vast array of free, online materials. Accessibility, student engagement, and experiences for lifelong learning are recognized as the advantages of MOOCs. Through considering the possible causes of MOOCs in the higher education world, this paper aimed to enlighten a comprehensive picture of MOOCs. Thus, this paper presented a background of MOOCs, difference between MOOC and Open Courseware, emergence of MOOC providers, MOOC’s pedagogy, problems of MOOCs, and significance and sustainability of MOOCs.
