One major trend in HPT is the development of MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses. They represent how far technology has advanced in the last twenty years, and how the Internet has given rise to educational opportunities hitherto nonexistent. Coupled with HPT, they represent significant potential in developing learning and training that is more accessible to an enormous audience and can develop improvements in individuals on a much broader scale.
As disruptive as MOOCs are to traditional education, with their lure of accessibility and at-home or in-pocket availability, they can also be disruptive to historically stable professions. In particular, I think MOOCs and learning available online has led to major disruption in the financial industry. Want to learn basic accounting? There's a Coursera course for that that will cost you significantly less than a bookkeeper for your business. Interested in getting into investing? Harvard has developed a number of MOOCs that are available to anyone on that subject. Confused about your credit score? Take a self-paced class on your phone that'll teach you the tricks of the trade (and make you angry about the origins of credit scores in the process).
They've also increased accessibility for professional certifications, which may muddy the waters more than they help individuals improve their career growth. Back to the financial industry, the leading CFP (certified financial planner) certification isn't available on a MOOC, but there are hundreds of certification preparation courses available.
The key I take away from MOOCs is that they offer a breadth of knowledge that's never been available before, but that knowledge and training hasn't all been evaluated for value. That is, after all, the point of HPT: that it result in value for all stakeholders. Are all MOOCs going to provide value? Are they all equally evaluated for giving factual information? MOOCs are a wonderful addition to online education, but they need further study, refinement, and standardization to be considered optimal points for HPT.
Comments