First Georgetown McDonough Global MOOC Near Completion Worldwide

First Georgetown McDonough Global MOOC Near Completion Worldwide

February 15 will mark the culmination of the first Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) offered by Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business through its Global Business Initiative. The Global Business in Practice online course combines the best of classroom learning from Georgetown McDonough’s faculty Ricardo Ernst, with industry experts interviews, which explored the challenges in managing global businesses from the perspectives of executives leading companies.

Participants represent 160 countries, with the United States, Colombia, India, Brazil, and Mexico as the top countries of the students. A vast majority of learners are students or full-time employees, and the most frequently represented fields are business/finance, management, and sales. Engagement metrics are equally impressive, with over 500 entries posted on the discussion boards and approximately 1,300 assessments taken. The Global Business Initiative also launched a dedicated website for current global business issues, where Ernst had a weekly post that complimented the MOOC sessions and the IFC’s Stephanie Von Friedeburg answered selected questions posed by MOOC participants.

“I took your Global Business in Practice class on EdX, and wanted to thank you for creating  such a valuable resource, and then offering it at no additional cost,” said Nabil Najjar from the United Kingdom. “As someone who has recently launched a business and now trades internationally, it has been extremely useful.  I have taken several of these online courses, but this is the first time that I have felt compelled to write to the convener.”

“This is my first experience with online education outside of the workplace, and it has been incredibly positive,” added Jennifer Pembroke Johnson of Chicago. “The subject matter could not be more timely and the syllabus and structure offer a good cadence for thought and reflection.” She also mentioned that “leveraging outside experts from a diverse corporate community has brought the subject matter to life. They are diverse in their points of view as well as the application of the global business principles. I have enjoyed learning about the subject matter through their eyes.”

By launching its first MOOC, Georgetown McDonough’s goal was to make learning global business issues accessible worldwide. The MOOC also became an engagement platform for those interested in the subject, given the different views learners provide as they participate from locations around the globe.

The Global Business Initiative’s medium-term goal is to continue to launch additional global business MOOCs with innovative content for our global community of learners.