The potential and challenges of MOOCs in Pakistan: a perspective of students and faculty

Abstract

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation.*Related content and download information correct at time of download. Design/methodology/approach -The data were collected through interviews and focus group, and the respondents had completed at least one MOOC offering. This research used content and thematic analysis with the triangulation of methods and sources.Findings -The finding of this study reflects that MOOCs are inspiring great number of learners in Pakistan despite of factors impeding the surge of e-learning. MOOCs in regional languages with better electricity and internet connectivity could be very useful for the rural areas' people but it requires extra ordinary interest from government and academicians.Research limitations/implications -This is an exploratory qualitative study highlighting the potential and challenges of MOOCs from the perspective of faculty and students. However, it does not incorporate the views of university officials. Similar study could consider university officials and university owner as respondents. In addition, future studies could also investigate the factors inhibiting completion of MOOCs. Originality/value -Despite of the sharp rise of published literature on MOOCs, there is less contribution from the developing countries. This research enables us to develop better understanding of the potential and challenges of MOOCs in the social context of Pakistan.

Toward a framework for strengthening participants' self-efficacy in online education

“…The gap regarding online education between Western and Asian countries is obvious; in this context, Ahmed et al (2017, p. 102) found “Western online education platforms are undoubtedly valuable but they lack our domestic cultural needs and practices.” This cultural difference can be convincingly illustrated by the four-dimensional model of cultural differences (see Table 1) developed by Hofstede (1986).…”

Supporting newly graduated medical doctors in managing COVID-19: An evaluation of a Massive Open Online Course in a limited-resource setting

“…The qualitative reports in the questionnaire identified some factors as inhibiting use of the MOOC, including the limited internet access in some regions, especially in remote areas. Limited internet access as a drawback of the use of MOOCs for CME has been similarly reported in other developing countries [15,17,18]. The use of varied forms of content, not only video lectures that use large internet bandwidth, was helpful.…”

Adoption of E-Learning at Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review

“…Studies (Mehall, 2021;Wu et al, 2010) have shown that the absence of face-to-face interaction and lack of classroom environment are the major obstacles that hinder the successful implementation of e-learning systems. Similarly, a study (Naveed et al, 2017) Another study (Kamba, 2009) proficiency in the English language, cultural beliefs, and students' inadequate access to the internet and computer (Ahmed et al, 2017;Mumtaz et al, 2021). This low proficiency in the English language and lower technological skills result in a lack of self-motivation among students regarding using e-learning systems.…”