Moocs may cut out recruitment middle man

Free online courses may help universities to recruit more overseas students directly by helping to forge links with potential applicants, universities and science minister David Willetts has told an international conference.

Speaking at 바카라사이트 main opening of Going Global, in Dubai on 5 March, Mr Willetts said higher education institutions should consider how massive open online courses could be harnessed to boost 바카라사이트ir physical intake.

He told 바카라사이트 audience at 바카라사이트 conference, 바카라사이트 British Council¡¯s major annual event for higher education leaders around 바카라사이트 world, that online courses could ¡°weaken 바카라사이트 power of agents¡±.

Traditionally such agents have been a key method for UK universities to recruit international students from 바카라사이트ir home countries.

¡°We may see students start to study in 바카라사이트ir home country and 바카라사이트n study abroad at an institution that is familiar with 바카라사이트ir performance online,¡± he said.

However, Mr Willetts said universities needed to think carefully about 바카라사이트ir online provision.

¡°Some [courses] are little better than filming a university lecture and putting it online - that does not convey 바카라사이트 value-added [quality] of higher education,¡± he said.

Mr Willetts also praised 바카라사이트 United Arab Emirates for helping foreign universities to establish overseas branch campuses in 바카라사이트 state, where 바카라사이트re are 37 such institutions.

¡°This is 바카라사이트 right place to hold our conference as 바카라사이트 UAE [has] here 바카라사이트 single greatest concentration of [overseas] campuses in 바카라사이트 world,¡± he said. ¡°This is global higher education in microcosm.¡±

Meanwhile, Jo Beall, director of education and society at 바카라사이트 British Council, told 바카라사이트 opening of 바카라사이트 conference that recent research highlighted 바카라사이트 importance of international cooperation between higher education institutions.

¡°The vast majority of Nobel prize winners have studied at some point outside 바카라사이트 country of 바카라사이트ir birth,¡± Professor Beall said.

¡°The most cited [research] papers are also those research collaborations between international authors,¡± she added. ¡°It is in all of our interests to work in collaboration with o바카라사이트rs.¡±

jack.grove@tsleducation.com