I saw news from KTH website regarding a their first MOOC!.
KTH has just launched its first MOOC. It is just a news but not a great news. Why? Because KTH’s first MOOC comes in end of spring 2016, are you kidding me? Of course it is better than never, but is it enough?
KTH, with all sense, had the muscle and knowhow to develop not only a MOOC course but also a MOOC platform that all other EU universities could use for their education.
I guess since KTH already knows they are really late to jump on the bandwagon they are already aware that it is not easy to have a WOW effect with ‘a MOOC’ anymore, therefore they had to bring Sweden’s first astronaut to fly into Space, Christer Fuglesang, as an instructor.
Just to make it more clear, While Khan Academy was getting a momentum in 2006, while education is being disrupted, what was KTH doing: KTH was planning to have KTH Sialkot University in Pakistan where KTH would be responsible for course content, university management and quality control.
Lets say they could not see what Khan Academy was going to change in our lives, EdX started in 2012 and a Swedish medical university, Karolinska University started their first MOOC in 2015 and only after that, KTH woke up!
As I said, it is not great news. Why? Because it is already end of spring 2016, it is way too late to be good!
My question is not only for KTH, what is goal for higher education in Swedish Universities? Will we need to have these universities? What are they planning to do while a student is able to get all education from US universities online? What if these universities introduce certificates where students can gain university credits/degrees based on education they receive in MOOCs,? Would a Swedish student care about to get a degree from KTH, anymore? What will be the future of KTH and all other universities in Sweden?
There are already private certifications available and these are good for career where makes students more employable: Microsoft Academy, Cisco Academy, and many other certifications.
If KTH and other universities do not move fast and adopt to changes , it will again be too late to be good, and too bad for Sweden !
If you do not disrupt, you will be disrupted!.