MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES IN ROMANIA – STUDY ON ONLINE FORMAL EDUCATION APPROACHES

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become an influential pillar of education and training in the last decade. People around the world use MOOCs to train their already acquired skills or gain new ones through the worldwide web. Both educational institutions and official training providers use MOOCs to enhance the standard educational process through online learning. This paper studies the potential usage of MOOCs as a part of formal education in Romania, with proper recognition and accreditation from universities, the labour market, and quality assurance institutions. Using existing successful platforms from MIT and Harvard that offer online credentials, the paper focuses on possible implementation in Romania. The exploratory research is based on a qualitative approach, using individual interviews at faculty level in different Romanian universities, conducted with teaching staff and students. Given the different profiles and study fields of universities, there needs to be a correlation between the demand of the labour market and the offer of these courses and programs. The findings will provide a general point of view on the future of MOOCs in accredited and recognized education and training. Given the advancements made in the online education sector and digital skills in particular, these courses will become the foundation of lifelong training in the future. Teaching staff and universities need to be aware of the growing need for digital skills that can be acquired and enhanced through e-learning platforms that do not only help learners to graduate but give them the possibility of recognition in terms of accredited certificates.