Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) is just one of the online education startups where users can register to gain access to hundreds of online courses by different universities for free. (Photo : Getty Images)
Learning through online channels is growing in China, with over 1,000 online education startups established since 2014, according to an article by China Daily.
Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists come together in this popular field, where there is no geographical restrictions, a high degree of standardization, and maximum use of content.
Massive Online Open Courses (MOOC) is just one of the online education startups where users can register to gain access to hundreds of online courses by different universities for free.
Just like offline classes, MOOC courses conduct examinations and assessments to test their students. Users must submit requirements, participate in video illustrations and discussions, ask questions, and take a final exam.
Once a student is done with his online course, he will receive an electronic certificate or pay for a paper copy, which will serve as his certification. This certificate is acknowledged by plenty of employers.
According to the Ministry of Education, MOOC "has enlarged the time and space of teaching, fired learners' interest, helped more people benefit from high-quality educational resources and accelerated reform in many aspects of teaching."
Since 2013, MOOC has gained increasing popularity among numerous academic institutions, such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, both of which have their own MOOC platforms.
The Ministry of Education, to encourage more universities to participate in MOOC, released a set of guidelines last April. It was targeted particularly toward academic institutes with certain strengths and focuses.
The ministry also encourages current MOOC platforms to share data and teaching resources to benefit all those who wish to learn.
MOOC first began in the United States. The year 2012 was hailed as "the first year of the MOOC era."
Aside from MOOC, there are also several other online education platforms operating in China despite it being in its infancy stage. There is Genshuixue.com, which helps students find the right tutor.
"[It's] where anyone with talent and knowledge can be teachers and anyone who wants to learn can find a model. Anyone with any requests for learning can find the optimized personalized solution," said Chen Xiangdong, CEO of Genshuixue.com.
