ABSTRACT
The Government of India’s ambition to build a “digital India” has impacted positively on citizens and corporates in their respective endeavours. Learning and development has equally benefitted from offering an inclusive, innovative and flexible model of educating self and communities. Various MOOCs initiatives by the Government of India like SWAYAM, NPTEL-NASSCOM collaboration, the entry of private MOOCs provider like Khan Academy, Coursera, edX and so on, has created an enabling learning environment to bridge knowledge gaps and empower the youth. A report by NASSCOMs presented at the India Leadership Forum (2017) mentions that the fast-paced IT industry, which employs over 3.9 million professionals, will become irrelevant if they do not upskill to meet the changing technology-based business environment. Initially, MOOCs was considered useful for working professionals as a skill-building approach but with the occurrence of COVID-19 –known as “a technology-driven era for higher education” – the importance of MOOCs has emerged in the field of higher education too. So, the present study aims to contribute in the existing literature by highlighting the conceptualization and importance of MOOCs in transforming higher education.
