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Educating at Scale for Sustainable Development and Social Enterprise Growth: The Impact of Online Learning and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

Author

Listed:
  • Sara Calvo

    (Business Department, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Avenida de la Paz, 137, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

  • Fergus Lyon

    (Centre for Enterprise and Economic Development Research, Middlesex University Business School, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BT, UK)

  • Andrés Morales

    (Business Department, Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, Avenida de la Paz, 137, 26004 Logroño, Spain)

  • Jeremy Wade

    (Jindal Centre for Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship, O.P. Jindal Global University, Delhi 131001, India)

Abstract

The solutions to the grand challenges of sustainability, poverty, and health affecting the world will require education and capacity building for all individuals implementing change on a global scale. The challenge ahead is to reach those missed by traditional education and support networks. Online Learning and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have the potential to build knowledge and share best practice experiences among individuals worldwide. This paper examines the case of the FutureLearn Social Enterprise Program, a series of MOOCs with over 50,000 registered learners, of which 15% become active learners, engaging in online exercises, debates, and conversations. This paper draws on quantitative and qualitative data collected over four years. The findings show that the course has not only had an impact on the creation of new startup social enterprises, but it has also supported a large proportion of learners in developing sustainability and social entrepreneurial ideas within a range of organisations in the public, private, and civil society sectors. The findings also show a positive cascading impact effect from the learners registered on the course to those in their network, as ideas are shared, and learners become mentors to others. Our conclusions demonstrate how digital education and online courses contribute to global education for sustainable development and social enterprise development.

Suggested Citation

  • Sara Calvo & Fergus Lyon & Andrés Morales & Jeremy Wade, 2020. "Educating at Scale for Sustainable Development and Social Enterprise Growth: The Impact of Online Learning and a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-15, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:8:p:3247-:d:346483
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Alain Fayolle, 2013. "Personal views on the future of entrepreneurship education," Post-Print hal-02313062, HAL.
    2. Zehui Zhan & Patrick S.W. Fong & Hu Mei & Xuhua Chang & Ting Liang & Zicheng Ma, 2015. "Sustainability Education in Massive Open Online Courses: A Content Analysis Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-27, February.
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    6. A. Fayolle, 2013. "Personal views on the future of entrepreneurship education," Post-Print halshs-01057347, HAL.
    7. Daniela De Filippo & Leyla Angélica Sandoval-Hamón & Fernando Casani & Elías Sanz-Casado, 2019. "Spanish Universities’ Sustainability Performance and Sustainability-Related R&D+I," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-21, October.
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    Cited by:

    1. José A. Ruipérez-Valiente & Sergio Martin & Justin Reich & Manuel Castro, 2020. "The UnMOOCing Process: Extending the Impact of MOOC Educational Resources as OERs," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    2. Sharma, Devashish, 2022. "The use of technology to counter frauds and scams for the benefit of society: a detailed study," MPRA Paper 115323, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Ibrahim Youssef Alyoussef, 2021. "Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) Acceptance: The Role of Task-Technology Fit (TTF) for Higher Education Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-14, July.
    4. Rocsana Bucea-Manea-Țoniș & Luciela Vasile & Rareș Stănescu & Alina Moanță, 2022. "Creating IoT-Enriched Learner-Centered Environments in Sports Science Higher Education during the Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-25, April.
    5. María José Sosa-Díaz & María Rosa Fernández-Sánchez, 2020. "Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) within the Framework of International Developmental Cooperation as a Strategy to Achieve Sustainable Development Goals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-23, December.
    6. Paolo Esposito & Gianluca Antonucci, 2022. "NGOs, corporate social responsibility and sustainable development trajectories in a new reformative spectrum: ‘New wine in old bottles or old wine in new bottles?’," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 29(3), pages 609-619, May.
    7. Bogdan Ștefanachi & Silviu Grecu, 2025. "Governance, Education, and Sustainable Development: A Comparative Analysis in Central and Eastern Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-28, April.
    8. Leticia Rodriguez-Segura & Marco Antonio Zamora-Antuñano & Juvenal Rodriguez-Resendiz & Wilfrido J. Paredes-García & José Antonio Altamirano-Corro & Miguel Ángel Cruz-Pérez, 2020. "Teaching Challenges in COVID-19 Scenery: Teams Platform-Based Student Satisfaction Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-29, September.
    9. Preminger, Ambrose Jude, 2022. "Study Examining New Technologies and Sustainable Development with a Focus on Social Entrepreneurship," MPRA Paper 115295, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Hongzhu Long & Jiangting Liu, 2025. "Understanding the Impact of Interaction Elements on MOOCs Continuance Intention Among Undergraduates: An Extended Expectation Confirmation Model," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(2), pages 21582440251, June.
    11. Satyam Pathak & Amandeep Kaur, 2025. "Mapping the intersection of digitalization and social entrepreneurship: a systematic literature review using the TCCM framework," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, December.

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