The Commonwealth of Learning (COL), in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, launched three massive open online courses (MOOCs) on agricultural topics on 19 September 2017. The courses have a combined registration of more than 6200 learners, almost 40 per cent of which are using a smartphone as the primary device to access the course. In one of the courses, nearly half the learners are using a mobile device.

This marks a significant increase in just one year. In 2016, approximately 25 per cent of learners accessed agricultural MOOCs offered through the same platform via mobile device.

The three courses are offered on the agMOOC online platform, which provides free access to high-quality courses online. They are designed to help students, professionals, and organisations acquire and enhance knowledge and skills in the agriculture domain. Two courses are offered in English and one in Hindi.

This year’s courses have attracted learners from across the Commonwealth, with India, Nigeria and Kenya being the most represented. A notable number of learners are from Afghanistan.