MOOCs Massive open online courses, educational programs delivered via the Internet to large numbers of participants Also known as: massive open online course Written by Lorna Muir Contributor to SAGE Publications's The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Mass Media and Society (2020) whose work appears in Britannica as part of a joint publishing agreement with SAGE. Lorna Muir Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Feb. 25, 2026 •History MOOCs, educational courses offered over the Internet designed to accommodate massive enrollments, often reaching tens of thousands of students. The term massive open online course, abbreviated as MOOC, conveys both the scale of participation and the technological infrastructure required for these courses to function effectively. The concept was first applied to a course offered by the University of Manitoba in 2008. While many higher education institutions have adopted MOOCs, commercial platforms such as Coursera also...

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