A Taste of Two MOOCs: OR What is a Massively Open Online Course?

Janine Lim, PhDjanine@andrews.edu

blog.janinelim.comSkype: outonalim

Twitter: outonalim

By PresenterMedia.com

cMOOCs

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.

xMOOCs emphasize content mastery, centralize courses on one website and use automated grading tools to support hundreds of thousands of students.

xMOOCs

Definitions of MOOCs

Roscorla , T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘. http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/MOOCs-Here-to-Stay.html

cMOOCs

cMOOCs adopt a connectivist pedagogy, richer instructional design, and engaging curriculum

Connectivist researchers (2008): George Siemens, Stephen Downes and Dave Cormier

xMOOCs adopt a behaviorist pedagogy based on information transmission, auto-graded, and peer assessment

xMOOC companies and partnerships:• Coursera• an MIT and Harvard partnership

called EdX• Udacity, founded by three

roboticists

xMOOCs

Definitions of MOOCs

Roscorla , T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘. http://www.centerdigitaled.com/policy/MOOCs-Here-to-Stay.html

Chaos: a “cryptic form of order”; everything connected to everything

Node: You with knowledge distributed across your brain

Node: Idea Node: Community

Node: Field

Node: Field

Node: Idea

Weak ties: short connections between information

Nebulous environments

of shifting core

elements

Learning may reside in non-human appliances

Siemens (2005)

http://www.mpg.de/495749/pressRelease200403081

Connected Knowledge

Learning….

…and knowledge rests in a diversity of opinions.

… may reside in non-human appliances

… is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources.

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.

Goal: current, accurate, up-to-date knowledge.Siemens (2005)

Qualitative Knowledge Quantitative Knowledge

Distributed or Connective Knowledge

Downes (2005)

Diversity

AutonomyInteractivity

OpennessWidest possible spectrum of view points

Individual knowers contributing on their own accord according to their own knowledge, values, decisions

Knowledge produced is the product of the interaction, not just an aggregation

A mechanism allows all perspectives to enter into the system, be heard and interacted with by others

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, PhDjanine@andrews.edu

blog.janinelim.comSkype: outonalim

Twitter: outonalim

By PresenterMedia.com

•References• Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Retrieved from http://www.downes.ca/cgi-

bin/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/