TASCHA MOOC research featured in Nature

TASCHA MOOC research featured in Nature

Maria Garrido and Lucas Koepke‘s work on advancing massive open online courses (MOOCS) for development was featured in Nature,“The shape of work to come.” The piece delves into transformations happening across the workplace that have been shaped and amplified by advances in digital technology. Pressing and complex topics revolving around the future of work are deconstructed throughout the piece, including the automation of work, implications of sourced work conditions from platforms like Mechanical Turk, and closing the digital skills gap.

The research explores the use of MOOCs to improve digital skills and employability. The work provides insight into who is benefiting from the “open” nature of MOOCs and factors contributing to the awareness and usage of online skills training across Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa. As the article shows, the MOOC research emphasizes how digital skills do not determine employability and workplace success but offer new opportunities. As Maria explains in the article, “Digital skills are an important piece of the puzzle, but they’re not enough.”