MOOCs - Massive Open Online Courses: Jumping On The Bandwidth

The idea of massive open online courses [MOOC] is becoming increasingly popular. Technology can't be stopped, but educators must assure that these courses meet academic standards

These are trying times for researchers across the globe, and I think it matters not whether one is in the UK, US or anywhere else; the lack of funding is impacting science in many ways, and not for the better. Scientists are running scared, funds for research are becoming scarce, labs are closing, tenure is being denied. I do my best not to project negativity to the burgeoning scientists (students and post-docs) in my own lab, but they are bright enough to understand what is going on: they see that a career in science is a never-ending fight to keep going. Ultimately, this is leading to the attrition of talented young scientists from the academic track.

But life as an academic scientist is comprised of the triple-threat: research, teaching and service (administration). And it appears that the life of science educators is also hanging in the balance. MOOCs are on the move.