A Taste of Two MOOCs:
OR What is a Massively
Open Online Course?
Janine Lim, PhD
janine@andrews.edu
blog.janinelim.com
Skype: outonalim
Twitter: outonalim
By PresenterMedia.com
Definitions of MOOCs
xMOOCs
cMOOCs
xMOOCs emphasize content mastery,
centralize courses on one website
and use automated grading tools to
support hundreds of thousands of
students.
Connectivist MOOCs are social and
focused on deriving meaning of the
learning experience with others.
Students participate through blogs,
RSS feeds and other decentralized
methods.
Roscorla , T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘.
http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/MOOCs-Here-to-Stay.html
Definitions of MOOCs
xMOOCs
cMOOCs
xMOOCs adopt a behaviorist
pedagogy based on information
transmission, auto-graded, and peer
assessment
cMOOCs adopt a connectivist
pedagogy, richer instructional
design, and engaging curriculum
xMOOC companies and partnerships:
• Coursera
• an MIT and Harvard partnership
called EdX
• Udacity, founded by three
roboticists
Connectivist researchers (2008):
George Siemens, Stephen Downes
and Dave Cormier
Roscorla , T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘.
http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/MOOCs-Here-to-Stay.html
Connected Knowledge
Chaos: a
“cryptic form
of order”;
everything
connected to
everything
Node: Idea
Node: Community
Learning may reside
in non-human
appliances
Node: Idea
Weak ties:
short
connections
between
information
Node: Field
Nebulous
environments
of shifting
core
elements
Node: Field
http://www.mpg.de/495749/pressRelease200403081
Node: You with
knowledge distributed
across your brain
Siemens (2005)
Learning….
…and knowledge
rests in a diversity
of opinions.
… is a process of
connecting
specialized nodes or
information sources.
… may reside in nonhuman appliances
Siemens (2005)
Goal: current, accurate, upto-date knowledge.
Decision-making is a
learning process.
Choosing what to learn,
the meaning of
incoming information…
Core skills: ability
to see
connections,
nurture and
maintain
connections for
continual
learning.
Qualitative Knowledge
Quantitative Knowledge
Distributed or Connective Knowledge
Openness
A mechanism allows
all perspectives to
enter into the system,
be heard and
interacted with by
others
Interactivity
Knowledge
produced is the
product of the
interaction, not just
an aggregation
Diversity
Widest
possible
spectrum of
view points
Autonomy
Individual knowers
contributing on their
own accord
according to their
own knowledge,
values, decisions
Downes (2005)
Taste a cMOOC
•
•
•
CFHE12: Current/Future State of Higher Education: An Open
Online Course
Explore the content:
•
http://edfuture.net/
•
http://edfuture.desire2learn.com/
Explore the Twitter feed:
•
•
https://twitter.com/search?q=cfhe12&src=typd
Another cMOOC: DS106
•
http://ds106.us/
•
Digital Storytelling, The University of Mary Washington
Taste an xMOOC
•
Experience an xMOOC:
•
www.udacity.com
•
www.coursera.com - specific start & end dates
•
www.edx.org – specific start & end dates
What do you see as the difference
between cMOOCs and xMOOCs?
What are the advantages and
disadvantages of this type of
learning?
What worries you about MOOCs?
What excites you about MOOCs?
What do you think our response
should be to this trend?
A Taste of Two MOOCs:
OR What is a Massively
Open Online Course?
Janine Lim, PhD
janine@andrews.edu
blog.janinelim.com
Skype: outonalim
Twitter: outonalim
By PresenterMedia.com
•References
•
Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.downes.ca/cgibin/page.cgi?post=33034
•
Downes, S. (2006). Learning networks and connective knowledge. Retrieved from
http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/paper92/paper92.html
•
Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional
Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from http://www.itdl.org/Journal/Jan_05/article01.htm
•
Siemens, G. (2006). Connectivism: Learning theory or pastime for the self-amused? Retrieved from
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism_self-amused.htm
•
Siemens, G., & Downes, S. (2008, November 24). Connectivism and connective knowledge online course
support wiki. Retrieved from http://ltc.umanitoba.ca/wiki/Connectivism
•
Tracey, R. (2009, March 17). Instructivism, constructivism or connectivism? Retrieved from
http://ryan2point0.wordpress.com/