OER Knowledge CloudJournal Article2013Cooper, SimonMOOCshigher educationdistance educationArena Journal39/40182-2021320-6567The creation of MOOCs (massive open online courses) has captured the imagination of higher education commentators around the globe. These online courses, initially coming out of elite institutions such as Stanford and MIT, have attracted large numbers of students and their 'success' has led to private companies such as Coursera and Udacity offering courses online. While online courses and open education have been around for several decades, the rise of MOOCs signals for many a fundamental shift in higher education. The New York Times declared 2012 'the year of the MOOC' and MOOCs have dominated recent discussion around the future of the university. Many academics and media pundits claimed that MOOCs would lead to a radical disruption of the university sector, ending the current model of higher education within a decade or two.yeshttp://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=425039263385676;res=IELAPAhttp://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=425039263385676;res=IELAPA