Application of MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education in microfinance

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to explore current borrowers’ financial education in microfinance and determine the possibilities of adopting massive open online courses (MOOCs) for such individuals. We adopted a semi-structured interview research strategy. A total of 25 employees and borrowers in BRAC’s (Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee and then Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee, currently, BRAC does not represent an acronym) microfinance program were interviewed and the data were analyzed qualitatively. The results show that BRAC’s microfinance program provides borrowers’ financial education in terms of a pre-disbursement orientation and four-day training through the creation of a new role of customer service assistant. The results also reveal that edu-entertainment, easy understanding, and more borrower participation are the main possible opportunities for adopting MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education. We identified infrastructure, Internet connection, and funding as possible hindrances to adopting MOOCs for financial education. Finally, we propose a framework for adopting MOOCs for borrowers’ financial education in microfinance.