The first massive open online course, or “MOOC,” made its way onto the educational scene back in 2008 as a model for delivering learning content online to any person who wants to take a course, with no limit on attendance. These interactive learning spaces have not only eradicated limits on the number of students who can attend a course, they have also helped to create a very scalable and affordable way to deliver all types of education – supply chain executive education included. Chris Caplice, executive director of MIT’s Center for Transportation and Logistics in Cambridge, says MOOCs are yet another way to dispel the myth that learning takes place “between the ages of 18 and 22 in a classroom setting.”
“MOOCs change the way education can be delivered,” Caplice adds. “Rather than sitting face-to-face with a teacher for 90 minutes, students can use MOOCs on a piecemeal basis.” Within the supply chain sector, Caplice says that MIT started by created three different curriculums (fundamentals, design, and dynamics). In 2015, the school rolled out a new MicroMasters Program, with the Supply Chain Credential as its first offering under that umbrella. Students complete five online courses and then take a capstone exam in exchange for about 42 credit hours, says Caplice.