Open learning means anyone can access the technical tools and achieve the learning he/she wants, according to the book A Guide to Theory, Research, and Practice (Major, 2015). MOOC, a massive open course platform created in 2008 by Dave Cormier, comes as a good example. Such open learning has both advantages and disadvantages.

On one hand, it lowers the cost of education with some free classes although there are also courses requiring fees. It also make education available to people from all walks of life, providing opportunities for employees to be exposed to lifelong learning and improve themselves. Another advantage is its form of online learning, which addresses the geographical and temporal barriers, allowing more convenience and flexibility, which is especially meaningful in the era of pandemic when face-to-face interaction can be risky. On top of that, blended learning is possible through the platform, which proves to be “considerably more effective than one or other used solely” compared with traditional learning or online learning (de Freitas et al., 2015). The presence of MOOC also challenges traditional learning which “are costly to deliver, are not very scalable and rely upon an inherent Ă©litism in that small numbers of learners are optimal (de Freitas et al., 2015)”.

On the other hand, there are also limitations, for example, lack of interaction and low completion rates. “High ‘attrition rates’ have been problematic for wider uptake of online courses. The literature has also been clear about pointing to the high ‘dropout’ rates associated with MOOCs, with around 7–10% completing the courses (de Freitas et al., 2015). So what contributes to the low completion rates and how can we handle the problem of open learning?

In the paper Unpacking online learning experiences: Online learning self-efficacy and  learning satisfaction, the authors point out that “online learning self-efficacy predicted students’ online learning satisfaction”(Shen et al., 2013). Self-efficacy refer to the students’ ability to organize, to deliver their commitment, and to attain different kinds of assigned tasks (Shen et al., 2013). It has been found that “drop-out rate is related in part to lack of self-efficacy”. The experiment also confirms that interaction with instructors and classmates is a critical factor in predicting learning satisfaction. In response, there are several suggestions for online learning construction. First of all, supervise students’ participation. This can be achieved with the help of online instructors who are responsible for monitoring of students’ participation and assignment and providing necessary help when students lack enough online experience. Secondly, promote social interaction with others. Instructors are encouraged to “create social presence and teaching presence to Forster a learning community” (Shen et al., 2013). Thirdly, provide assistance about how to use online tools in a CMS. The students’s confidence and proficiency in using the tools also play a role in their self-efficacy (Shen et al., 2013).

In conclusion, open learning like MOOC has both advantages and disadvantages. As far as I am concerned, open education is a trend for the future. If instructors can monitor students’ participation, create a learning community, and offer help in handling technical tools, the students would have a high self-efficacy, encouraging them to finish the course and harvest knowledge from it.