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Rebecca Ratcliffe

When American universities began offering Moocs – free online courses, open to all – people signed up in their droves. From lessons on artificial intelligence to classes on vegetarianism, millions of people across the world began learning. As the New York Times declared 2012 the year of the Mooc, the Open University announced a partnership with 11 (now 29) British universities.

But fast-forward one year and doubts about the courses are lingering. 

In Britain only 8% of people surveyed had even heard of Moocs, according to a Guardian and Open University study. 

While a quarter of people reported feeling under pressure to get additional skills and qualifications, almost half said they would only do an online course if they received an accredited certificate at the end. 

Some 64% said they did not believe course mates should be responsible for marking their work, one of the key ways Moocs are assessed. And it's not just learners who have reservations about the phenomenon, many academics have raised concerns about high drop-out rates and the quality of teaching offered.

Has the glossy tech development lost its sheen? Are Moocs over before they even began for Brits? 

To explore these questions, the Guardian is launching Extreme Learning, a special series run in association with the Open University, which will examine how online learning is evolving – and what this means for students, lecturers and universities.

It still remains to be seen if Moocs are a passing fad, a threat to traditional education structures, or if they're exactly the innovation our embattled universities need. What is for sure is that Moocs, as University UK reports, "are not an isolated issue." They're part of a far broader debate about the future of higher education – one concerning budgets, recruitment and teaching methods.

Over the next three months, we'll explore these challenges in depth – from live-streamed debates on how online courses are meeting (or falling short of) public expectations, to expert opinion on the challenges associated with massive open courses, animations showing how the brain learns in the lecture theatre and online and insights into how technological innovations are helping people to study. 

And we also want to hear your stories. Through a GuardianWitness project launched on Monday, readers who have studied remotely are invited to share their experiences of distance learning, along with a picture of their virtual learning classroom. 

You can follow the series over the next three months by visiting theguardian.com/students and join in the debate by following the hashtag #extremelearning. guardian