What is an Open Course?
Open Course is a broad term that extends the concept of "open educational resources" by indicating that not only the content but also the learning and interaction within a course is freely available. There are open courses on a variety of topics, for various groups and ages. Open courses generally do not allow students to earn formal course credit or degrees. (Some colleges and universities may offer a credit earning version of some of their open courses, for an added fee; for example, U of C, Irvine)
What is a MOOC? by Educause