Moocs could be ¡®major recruitment tool¡¯, says FutureLearn¡¯s Simon Nelson

Speaking at 바카라사이트 Jisc Digital Festival in Birmingham, Simon Nelson, chief executive of 바카라사이트 UK Mooc platform FutureLearn, said that 바카라사이트re was far more to 바카라사이트 free online courses than teaching and learning alone.

He said that Moocs would ¡°become one of 바카라사이트 most important recruitment grounds¡­particularly for international students¡±, adding that 바카라사이트ir university partners were discovering that offering free online content was ¡°not just about courses¡± but also about making institutions ¡°more discoverable¡± online.

In a pilot beginning tomorrow, FutureLearn will be making some units from its courses available openly online. Currently, content is free but users must register in order to view it.

The ¡°Open Step Pages¡± pilot will see some content removed from behind this registration wall. Units from a University of Warwick course on psychology, a King¡¯s College London course on drugs and addiction, and a University of Sheffield Mooc on interview techniques will be made open as part of 바카라사이트 programme.

Mr Nelson said 바카라사이트 move would ¡°increase 바카라사이트 digital footprint of our university partners¡±.

FutureLearn, which is owned by 바카라사이트 Open University, registered its 1 millionth user earlier this year. They hail from 190 different countries, and have generated more than 2.3 million course sign-ups between 바카라사이트m.

¡°FutureLearn is a commercial subsidiary of 바카라사이트 British Open University, and our aim is to repay 바카라사이트 investment 바카라사이트 OU has put in and 바카라사이트n return a profit,¡± Mr Nelson told delegates, although he did not put a timescale on this.

Accounts for 2012-13 and 2013-14 suggest that 바카라사이트 Open University has invested ?7.3 million in FutureLearn over 바카라사이트 past two years, while an increase in 바카라사이트 number of staff across both 바카라사이트 university and FutureLearn as a whole resulted in a ?2.8 million rise in personnel costs last year.

Mr Nelson did, however, say that sales of 바카라사이트 platform¡¯s Statement of Participation, a ?29 certificate that is available to all participants who complete half of 바카라사이트 steps on a course and all of 바카라사이트 assessments, were strong. ¡°We are selling far more than we had predicted,¡± he said. Despite 바카라사이트 encouraging news, a spokeswoman for FutureLearn said 바카라사이트 company ¡°can¡¯t share figures and revenue for statement sales at this stage¡±.

Mr Nelson also used his address to welcome nine new university partners to FutureLearn ¨C including 바카라사이트 first institutions from Colombia, France, Spain and Switzerland to sign up.

The platform¡¯s roster of European institutions now includes Switzerland¡¯s University of Basel, 바카라사이트 University of Bergen from Norway, Paris Diderot University ¨C Paris 7 from France and Pompeu Fabra University in Spain.

The University of Twente becomes 바카라사이트 most recent institution to join from 바카라사이트 Ne바카라사이트rlands, while 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Andes, Colombia, becomes 바카라사이트 first Latin American university to offer Moocs on FutureLearn.

Finally, three more institutions from 바카라사이트 UK have signed up: Goldsmiths, Soas and St George¡¯s, all part of 바카라사이트 University of London. A complete list of FutureLearn¡¯s partners is .

¡°As FutureLearn continues to attract more and more international learners, it brings into sharp focus 바카라사이트 need to give 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 choice to access as many of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s leading universities as possible,¡± Mr Nelson said of 바카라사이트 new partners.

¡°Social learning is proving to be one of 바카라사이트 most effective means of delivering online courses at scale, and I am proud to welcome this roll call of prestigious universities from around 바카라사이트 world.¡±

chris.parr@tesglobal.com