Learning logistics from MOOCs: An ample teaching cacophony

Abstract

MOOC landscape is evolving, also boosted by distance-learning necessity of recent health crises. Logistics is an interdisciplinary area across business processes and functions, engineering, global views and sustainability. As lifelong learning appears a new norm and it is difficult for HEIs to provide a programme with both sufficient focus on foundational skills as well as topical expertise, students and practitioners can turn to MOOCs for complementary instruction. This study presents a data collected from 198 logistics-Themed MOOCs across four major platforms (edX, Coursera, FutureLearn and Udemy) to evaluate the topical availability across main areas of direct logistics expertise. Regardless of relative abundance, the study suggests both thematic gaps and criticism of MOOC development priorities. The study allows to argue against feasibility of compiling a full online programme of MOOCs, lack of linkages and of coherent design. Within current paradigm, MOOCs shall remain complementary not a substitute to college programme experience.