Popular TOEFL® MOOC Just Got Better

- PRINCETON, New Jersey, Aug. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To better meet the needs of test takers, the popular TOEFL® Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is now self-paced, allowing participants to join at any time during the course period — August 9 to November 8, 2017 — and move through the course content at a pace comfortable for each individual. Whereas the previous course format was delivered in a timed mode, with new content released each week for six weeks, all of the content for the self-paced course is available at the start. "The self-paced structure of the MOOC is intended to further assist students in improving their English-language skills and understanding the ins and outs of the TOEFL® test," said Jennifer Brown, executive director of the TOEFL® Family of Assessments. "Students who study abroad at English-speaking universities are exposed to endless opportunities for future success. This MOOC provides them with a pressure-free starting point down that path to success." The TOEFL MOOC helps students understand what they can do to achieve their best score. The course opens with general information about the test. Subsequent weeks focus on the four skills tested — reading, listening, speaking and writing — then the course concludes with test-day information and helpful tips. During the weeks covering the speaking and writing test sections, all learners who complete the speaking and writing practice questions can have their responses scored by an automated scoring engine and receive a scaled-score range for their performance on each section. Overall, the course features a mix of lectures and videos, as well as sample questions from real past tests complete with answer explanations. Open discussion boards allow for interaction with instructors and provide participants with the unique opportunity to meet and share information with other learners from around the world. In this collaborative environment, participants can create study groups and share personal tips about learning English and preparing to study abroad. It's set up as a global classroom to facilitate interaction how and when participants are comfortable. The TOEFL MOOC has drawn more than 500,000 participants from more than 200 countries and is highly rated — earning 4.5 out of 5 stars. Although the course is free, participants have the option to sign up for a paid certificate that will highlight the knowledge and skills gained during the MOOC. Course enrollment is open and can be accessed on the edX platform at https://www.edx.org/course/toeflr-test-preparation-insiders-guide-etsx-toeflx-3. The course is accessible with an internet connection on most devices. Individuals interested in learning more about the TOEFL MOOC can watch an introductory video at https://youtu.be/IIV5dMKFhnA. About the TOEFL TestThe TOEFL test of academic English is the most widely respected English-language assessment worldwide, recognized by more than 10,000 institutions in more than 130 countries. To date, more than 30 million students have taken the TOEFL test. More information regarding the TOEFL test, including registration, study tips and sample questions, is available on the TOEFL Go Anywhere website at www.toeflgoanywhere.org. About ETSAt ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually — including the TOEFL® and TOEIC ® tests, the GRE® tests and The Praxis Series ® assessments — in more than 180 countries, at over 10,000 locations worldwide. www.ets.org