Hi All, Please join us tomorrow at Change. Maria Garrido from the Technology & Social Change Group (TASHA) <http://tascha.uw.edu/> at the UW iSchool will be joining us to talk a recently released study on how MOOCS are being used in Colombia, Philippines, and South Africa. *What: *An Examination of MOOC Usage for Professional Workforce Development Outcomes in Colombia, the Philippines, & South Africa through the Lens of Social Innovation *Who: *Maria Garrido *When: *12pm, Tuesday February 28 *Where: *CSE 203 *Abstract* This seminar will discuss the findings from a recently released study on the use of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in less-developed countries, and the contribution of these new learning platforms in advancing employability outcomes of youth analyzed through the lens of social innovation theory. Based on surveys of 1,400 MOOC users and 2,250 non-users aged 18 to 35 in Colombia, the Philippines, and South Africa, the research reveals that low and middle-income youth populations make up 80% of MOOC users, in contrast to wealthier populations reported in more developed countries. It also highlights that over 80% of these users only have basic or intermediate ICT skills level, challenging the belief that MOOCs are predominantly taken by people with higher level skills, among other findings. The major obstacle youth who are currently not participating in MOOCs face is simply lack of awareness of the potential of these learning environments for both advancing educational outcomes as well as professional aspirations. The survey was administered online in English and Spanish from August – October 2015 using the Open Data Kit (ODK) survey platform. The authors believe this study has made a significant contribution to understanding MOOC usage in less-developed country contexts that both provides stakeholders in workforce development and education with insights and offers a foundation on which future research can be built. The potential for increasing MOOC uptake and improving employment opportunities, especially for more marginalized populations, is clearly there. This is promising, and urges action since the data shows that MOOC users are savvy in using the knowledge they’ve gained from MOOCs to advance their professional aspirations. *Bio* Maria Garrido is a Research Assistant Professor at the Technology & Social Change Group, University of Washington’s iSchool.