Entrepreneurship Skills in Energy MOOCs: Promoting Innovation in Sustainability

What is it About?

This article explains how energy sustainability MOOCs (massive open online courses) can foster entrepreneurship skills among Latin American learners. According to the research by Beltrán Hernández de Galindo, Romero-Rodríguez, and Ramírez Montoya, MOOCs are more than educational tools—they’re platforms for networking, innovation, and collaborative entrepreneurship.

Why is it Important?

The main findings indicate that while MOOCs can enhance professional development and inspire entrepreneurship, actual engagement in business idea generation remains low. Only 3% of participants contributed business proposals in discussion forums, despite high initial interest and post-course enthusiasm.

How is it Applied?

Study Background and Purpose

Conducted as part of Mexico’s energy reform initiative, the study analyzed two MOOCs—Carbon Markets and Energy Markets—enrolled by over 6,500 participants. Using surveys and forum content analysis, researchers examined how well entrepreneurship competencies were embedded and activated.

Key Entrepreneurial Competencies

Entrepreneurship competencies analyzed include:

• Cognitive skills (business planning, opportunity recognition)

• Non-cognitive attitudes (proactivity, resilience, innovation)

• Social skills (networking, leadership, collaboration)

Results from MOOCs Interaction

While completion rates (10-17%) were above global averages, only a small fraction of learners used forums to propose business ideas. Most interactions focused on basic content clarification rather than advanced collaboration.

FAQs

Q: What makes MOOCs effective for entrepreneurship training?

This article explains that MOOCs must go beyond video lectures to include active learning, discussion spaces, and project-based tasks aligned with entrepreneurial objectives.

Q: Why did few participants propose business ventures?

According to the study, the lack of structured entrepreneurship modules and required engagement activities led to minimal entrepreneurial output, despite high learner satisfaction.

Q: How can future MOOCs improve engagement?

Researchers recommend integrating the full experiential learning cycle—focus, action, support, feedback, and debriefing—into course design, as per Joplin’s model.