Directions: After reading the passage, you are required to complete the statements that follow the questions. You should write your answers in no more than 3 words on the line correspondingly. Coursera, the platform delivering my free Massive Online Open Course (MOOC) in music production via Berklee College of Music, offers some 800 courses to students from 196 countries. Online learning is on the rise. Online learning itself, however, has been a part of university programmes and language courses for some time, and the modern incarnation is a multimedia experience. Today’s courses still focus on students remotely discussing the content they have read, but they are now supplemented by video, online lectures and other web-based materials. Technology, in the form of both software and the portable devices used to access it, has played a huge part in the evolution of online study. Whether you’re on a business or learning a new language, content can be quickly uploaded and accessed anywhere. Unlike their more formal counterparts, MOOCs are short and do not award degrees upon completion but this doesn’t mean they lack value. MOOCs allow anyone in the world with an internet connection to get access to anything they want to learn. Courses allows learners at all levels —there are no entry requirements — to engage with a subject they like. A learner might be motivated by curiosity, or be looking to complete a programme and enhance their CV. My experience supports this. The first MOOC I signed up for — in songwriting —provided meaningful instruction but also introduced me to new ways of thinking about music. As a listener and performer, this was no small benefit, while getting involved in structured learning again improved focus and organization. However, I stayed clear of the class forums, fearing that they would be as unruly as other communities or comment sections. But this is where the real learning can happen. If you find something challenging, there are people who find it helpful for fellow students. This environment attracts people who are excited about improving themselves. Using social media to enhance learning is the great strength of MOOCs. There’s a misconception that MOOCs just involve watching an expert give a lecture. What’s most rewarding for participants is taking the video as a starting point from which they are asked to carry out assignments and take part in discussions. 1. What content do online courses focus on now? They now focus on 1 , 2 , and other web-based materials. 2. What has played a huge part in the evolution of online study? 3 , in the form of both software and the portable devices. 3. What are the features of MOOCs compared with other formal counterparts? MOOCs are 4 and do not award degrees upon completion. Courses allows learners at all levels — there are no 5 — to engage with a subject they like. 4. What did the author learn from the MOOC in songwriting? The course provided the author with 6 but also introduced him / her to new ways of thinking about music. 5. What is the great strength of MOOCs? 7 to enhance learning.