Effectiveness and key success factors of massive open online courses (MOOCs) for smart city workforce development

Abstract

While the role of human capital is central in realizing smart cities, a skilled workforce is significantly lagging behind demand, hindering the incorporation of technological advancements in urban management. To curb this gap, upskilling and training will be a critical investment in future cities. While various educational means and types are suggested in the literature, the actual training offered remains inadequate. This paper assessed the use of massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a continuing training approach for the smart city workforce by examining the learners’ perceived relevance, quality and usefulness and acquisition of knowledge and skills. Results showed that MOOCs can be an effective approach for continuing professional development of the smart city workforce, as the vast majority of the participants considered the MOOC engaging, offering them useful and relevant skills, while reporting a significant improvement in their skills. A competency-based structure, multidisciplinary training modules, multiple smart city stakeholder engagement, certification, and updated content of good quality have been identified as key factors for developing effective MOOCs for this professional sector. Our findings contribute to understanding how continuing education programs for smart city workers should be designed and developed, offering critical guidance to various stakeholders, such as educational providers, municipal authorities and current and prospective smart city professionals.

https://doi.org/10.34105/j.kmel.2026.18.009