Exploring the Potential of Online Courses to Develop Capacity for Sustainable Development

Authors

  • Jean-Roger Mercier Free lance consultant, owner of CyberOustal brand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v1i2.63

Keywords:

eLearning, capacity development, Africa, MOOC

Abstract

A small team of independent entrepreneurs has developed two Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), in French, on sustainable development that attracted, respectively, 250+ and 150+ participants. This article describes the original intentions and formats of the MOOCs as well as their actual performance. With little publicity, the courses revealed strong buy-in by the participants and resulted in both a high percentage of completion and degree of satisfaction. In conclusion, the author estimates that MOOCs have the potential to provide the impetus needed in initial and vocational training to respond to the challenges of capacity development, highlighted in the Post-2015 Development Agenda and in reflections on Africa like the “Madavo Report” (2005) on capacity buidling in Africa.

Author Biography

Jean-Roger Mercier, Free lance consultant, owner of CyberOustal brand

Part time free lance consultant, retired from the World Bank where I was Environmental Assessment Lead Specialists

References

World Bank (2005) Building effective states, Forging Engaged Societies, Report of the World Bank Task Force on Capacity Development in Africa, Washington DC

United Nations (2013) A new global partnership : Eradicate poverty and transform economies through sustainable development ; The Report of the High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda, New York

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Published

2014-08-12

How to Cite

Mercier, J.-R. (2014). Exploring the Potential of Online Courses to Develop Capacity for Sustainable Development. Journal of Learning for Development, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.56059/jl4d.v1i2.63

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 2 (2014): Issue 2

Section

Reports from the Field

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Received 2014-07-04
Accepted 2014-07-15
Published 2014-08-12