30% of courses at Malaysian public universities to be offered online

By 2015, 30 per cent of courses at public higher education institutions (IPTAs) will be offered online, said Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offered at Coursera by leading universities such as Harvard University and the University of Tokyo have already begun.

Jusoh added that by adopting new technology in teaching and learning, this will help democratise quality education.

How effective are MOOCs?

Early studies on MOOCs however felt that this could reinforce the advantages of the "haves" rather than educating the "have-nots".  According to Emanuel, better access to technology and improved basic education are needed worldwide before MOOCs can genuinely live up to the promise.

Coursera, a leading provider of MOOCs, reported that 40 per cent of its students come from developing countries and 90 per cent who sign up don't finish. The company is in the process of understanding how the lack of access to computers with broadband connections might affect educational outcomes on MOOCs.

Are we ready for MOOCs?

Malaysia came in second behind Russia among 26 nations with resource and efficiency-driven economies in the Connectivity Scorecard 2013, thanks to its wide broadband penetration. Malaysia surpassed ASEAN countries including Thailand (13), Vietnam(14), Philippines (18) and Indonesia (20) in broadband penetration.