MOOCs Get LinkedIn to Employers

Struggling with low completion rates, some providers of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have launched a new strategy to increase student motivation. And it’s social.

Social media platform LinkedIn announced this week it would begin a pilot program to allow students to display online courses they have completed on their LinkedIn profile. That way, students may be able to market themselves to potential employers by showing them the courses they’ve completed in their field.

This pilot would allow students who complete a MOOC to add the completed course directly to their profile through a certification email, which can then be seen by potential employers and their online connections.

The list of MOOC providers that have agreed to participate includes most of the heavy hitters: Coursera, Udacity, edX, Udemy, and Pearson; Lynda.com and Skillsoft have also signed onto the deal.

The changes come amid recent changes in business models to the leading course providers, who have struggled from the start with low course completion rates.

Do you think having this external motivation will help students enroll and stick with their online courses? Share your thoughts.