Table 1.

High level comparison of FutureLearn MOOCs with other forms of large-scale professional online learning.

	Future Learn MOOCs	Other Types of Large Scale Professional Online Learning
Access	Open to anyone who has internet access. Free to join with optional upgrades for a fee.	Access can often be through a learning management system or via a subscription model, which may restrict access to certain professional groups or fee-paying learners.
Type of Learning Event	Synchronous. Courses have specified start dates, so learners can move through the course in a cohort. Courses run for weeks, with on average 2/3 hours of learning per week.	Often asynchronous. Learners can register and undertake courses and consume resources at any time. Courses range in length.
Facilitation	Facilitation is a key component of the FutureLearn model and can be done by the course authorship team, dedicated mentors and indeed other learners from within the learner community.	Standalone courses and resources for learners to work through independently – without facilitation – is the more common professional online learning model.
Types of Learners	Learner cohort is highly heterogeneous, due to the open nature of the platform	Learners are more likely to be from the same professional group.
Credit/Qualification Bearing	May have accreditation with professional bodies for CPD points, or form part of an accredited university module.	May have accreditation with professional bodies for CPD points, or form part of an accredited university module.