Massive Open Online Courses as e-Bricks for Smart Cities
preentation at else2014 conference (prezi here: http://prezi.com/chkf9nyw2v7h/moocs-as-e-bricks-for-smart-cities/) Nowadays, when more than half of the world’s population lives in urban areas, when information and (mobile) communication technologies are real catalysts for innovations in all domains, there are a lot of studies and debates related to how our cities should become "Smart Cities", "Smarter Cities" or "Future Cities", in order to improve life quality and to reduce costs [2], to become a “Smart Learning City”. The paper starts with a short literature review related to the definitions of the term "Smart City" and to the steps / action plans / strategies required for such a transformation. The new citizens will have vital roles in building smart cities; they should be hyperconnected, creative, entrepreneurs, also they should actively participate and collaborate in the cities’ activities and decisions. Thus, the main goal / purpose of this paper is to focus on how Massive Open Online Courses (known as MOOCs) can support the citizens’ engagement, learning and participation [1], as well as the development of new skills and competencies.
