UK universities to start offering free, open online courses

Chronicle of Higher Education : Although massive open online courses ( MOOCs ) have become extremely popular in the US, the UK has been slow to embrace that educational model. MOOCs are defined by several key features: They are open to anyone, don’t cost anything, allow any number of participants, and don’t usually offer college credit. Now, however, two schools in the UKâmdash;the University of Edinburgh and the University of Londonâmdash;have started offering such courses through an American company called Coursera . Next year more schools will be signing on through a new company, called FutureLearn , that is being created by the UK’s Open University . Yet, according to Martin Bean, the OU’s vice chancellor, the UK version will feature a “distinctly British” twist on the American model.