Introducing the conceptual model of industrial MOOCs (I-MOOCs) for engineering classes: Bringing applied knowledge straight into the classroom

Abstract

Engineering classes are operating today in the same format as they were fifty years back. The difference in the past decade has been the emergence of the Internet and its rapid usage right outside the walls of the class. Harvard University and MIT's path-breaking collaboration in initiating Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) has raised the global standard and reach of education today. The race is a long-drawn one, since we are no longer competing just to stand at the top as educationists, but rather to stand out in terms of the extent to which we can provide the best and most outstanding resources to our students in the face of a fast-changing world. But are we still going to follow what was given to us, or do we have a chance to start our own revolution? The answer to this lies in how we look at engineering education at this point in time. Engineering is the budding field of industrialists of tomorrow. So why can we not bring industrial experience right into our classrooms? The most effective method of learning a concept is to get a first-hand experience of its application. Such an experience would not just enhance the quality of our engineering classrooms, but also offer the students an unforgettable experience and the motivation to become efficient and responsible engineers of tomorrow. This paper presents a conceptual model of how to effectively implement this idea within the existing organizational structure, so as to implement a smooth transition to smarter and richer modules of engineering education.