Massive Open and Online Courses and Open Education Resources in Singapore

This paper looks at the increasing popularity of Massive Open and Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Education Resources (OER) offered in Singapore. Despite being a relatively new phenomenon, the Singapore government has collaborated with different organisations to improve the quality and accessibility of MOOCs, and many Institutions of Higher Learning (IHLs) are spearheading efforts to improve OER to facilitate greater public access to educational resources. It will also explore the benefits and the potential problems that MOOCs and OER face. For example, both MOOCs and OER are able to lower the costs of university-level education and increase public access to such courses. They also provide skills and job training for members of the public, and encourage life-long learning. However, both MOOCs and OER may not be sustainable in the long run, as the financial gains of both may not be able to cover the cost of mounting them. Each system also has its own set of problems. For example, there is currently a lack of formal structures to guarantee the quality of MOOCs offered. MOOCs also tend to have low completion rates and there have been issues regarding plagiarism with the use of MOOCs as learning platforms. OER challenge traditional copyright policies, while the lack of sustainable funding prevent it from being adopted more widely. Even though both systems may potentially transform the traditional education system, a deeper understanding of MOOCs and OER, as well as their implications on learning will be useful. DRAFT: To appear in Journal by Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Secretariat (SEAMEO Secretariat)