Charlotte Gunawardena, a professor at the University of New Mexico, explores why MOOCs are not reaching the majority of learners in developing nations and suggests that “if online courses are to be truly open and inclusive, then the education they provide must be locally relevant. That means universities must collaborate when designing course content.” She reports that institutions in Rwanda, India, and El Salvador are finding that the best way to fit MOOCs to their local communities and cultures is to develop new models of blended learning, where students spend time on and off campus. Gunawardena concludes that MOOCs will be of value to learners “only if they fit the learner’s own context and are based on the premise that it’s not just elite universities that have knowledge and skills to share. If the needs of students in developing countries aren’t properly considered, then MOOCs become not a help but a hindrance.”
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/mar/19/cost-barrier-students-global-southÂ