Integrating MOOCs in Regular Higher Education: Challenges and Opportunities from a Scandinavian Perspective

MOOCs are increasingly being considered by universities as an integral part of their curriculum. Nevertheless, there are several challenges that to some extent slow this process, where the most important one is the accreditation challenges and financing. These challenges are particularly important in the context of universities in Scandinavian countries where education is mostly free. In order to gain more insights on the status of proliferation of MOOCs in Scandinavian universities and understand any specific challenges, we conducted a study by analyzing two sources of data: research publications and university websites. Further on, these data have been analyzed using a framework that differentiates and categorizes MOOCs in terms of accreditation and scalability. As a result of this analysis, we have identified the remaining challenges as well as a number of opportunities regarding the full integration of MOOCs in the educational system of the Scandinavian Higher Education Institutions.