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The collective state of UK’s working youth, full-time students, and higher education institutions presented challenges – most of which gave birth to other platforms of learning and skills development.
Moocs or massive open online courses are the current favourite in today’s learning platform menu.
Evolving Moocs
Moocs arrived at the time when educational stakeholders were gradually recognising various systemic flaws in the educational system. The frustration of seeing institutions fall behind the needs and ideals of its postmodern society gave unconventional learning platforms room for growth.
Interestingly, as much as education stakeholders are giddy for solutions, their scepticism over emerging alternatives remained steadfast. No platform had witness as much mudslinging as Moocs had. Some of these critiques were well-founded, as is the case for misconceptions surrounding its use.
Yet, as the case for bold inventions, the Mooc evolution didn’t back down. Its stubborn growth relied on better education models, active use of collaborative features, and seamless design that invites and proffers convenience to its user-learner.
The latest addition on this “evolution” is called, Qualt.
Mobile learning experience
Qualt’s entirely mobile features permit participants to learn right from their gadgets. It doesn’t necessarily require Internet connection. This permits learning that fits well with tighter schedules. Ultimately, this feature complemented with that of the gadget’s pocket- and mobile-features.
The developers of the “first mobile-only MOOC platform” used technological developments, particularly, app-platforms and mobile gadgets, to create Qualt. This creation has led to better learning access: from the common stationary experience, to a mobile learning experience.
Professional qualifications
With the existing Mooc-courses, participating learners are to follow a digital path to academic-level study. Qualt, on the other hand, boasts of professional subjects. These offered subjects are “backed by a recognised industry body,” which could actually guarantee learners professional qualification.
Of course, a completed course in a mobile Mooc platform cannot suffice alone: learners must still tap particular firms to obtain hands-on training. This could also work well for those who enter the labour force fed well in experience, but feel challenged in several other aspects of the job.
Qualt promises the opportunity to sit down after a full-four hour’s work, and productively spend break hours to learn more. Considering that these employed learners are already waddling in a work environment, the opportunity to immediately integrate their learning at work is ever-present.
As Floream cofounder, Michael Curry, puts it:
What mobile MOOCs can do here is disrupt the norm, offer a taster, and start to build a new way of thinking about professional qualifications.
This mobile-only Mooc platform stands to showcase the practical potentials possessed by Moocs. Perhaps, it is by no means surprising to have collected support from the likes of the minister for skills and enterprise, Matthew Hancock.
Qualt promises more
Employers, up to now, are ambivalent towards Mooc courses as qualifications. However, HR practitioners and recruitment specialists all concede: the interest or consideration lie close to how the candidate applies Mooc-derived lessons to the field.
With Qualt’s professional integration, the gap between relevance might see gradual closure.
Is it time for UK’s youth to consider independent mobile learning?
