Interaction Possibilities in MOOCs How Do They Actually Happen?
Hanan KhalilInstructional Technology Department , Faculty of Education ,Mansoura
University, Egypt
Martin EbnerSocial Learning, Information Technology Services, Graz University of
Technology, Steyrergasse 30, A-8010 Graz, Austria
Submission to the 3rd International Conference on Higher Education
Development"Future Visions for Higher Education
Development"
M
O
O
C
Massive
Open
Online
course
MOOC
(MOOC) is an open online course offered for free to anyone who wants to participate and to learn about a specific topic
MOOCs attract millions of online learners from all over the world given the possibility to easily study science, engineering, and humanities subjects delivered by the world’s best professors from Harvard, Stanford, or MIT Without having to pay expensive tuition
Adapting MOOCs by Egyptian universities can be Adapting MOOCs by Egyptian universities can be Adapting MOOCs by Egyptian universities can be Adapting MOOCs by Egyptian universities can be a further step in higher education. MOOCs can a further step in higher education. MOOCs can a further step in higher education. MOOCs can a further step in higher education. MOOCs can provide innovative solutions to problems such provide innovative solutions to problems such provide innovative solutions to problems such provide innovative solutions to problems such asasasas
• Over-crowded classrooms• High prices of traditional educational books• Transportation problem• Need for continued education and specialized training.
MOOCsMOOCsMOOCsMOOCs will bring teaching to multitudes of will bring teaching to multitudes of will bring teaching to multitudes of will bring teaching to multitudes of students who otherwise wouldnstudents who otherwise wouldnstudents who otherwise wouldnstudents who otherwise wouldn’’’’t have access t have access t have access t have access to it.to it.to it.to it.
Why are MOOCs becoming popular?
The online experience is constantly improving as technology continue to
evolve
The increasing costs of higher education force some to look for less expensive alternatives
MOOCs allow participants to build professional and personal skill sets in
their own time
Famous MOOCs
Coursera
Famous MOOCsEdx
Famous MOOCsUdacity
Famous MOOCsUdemy
Famous MOOCs
KhanAcademy
One of the key components of good teaching in MOOCs is the intellectually stimulating exchange of ideas, those meaningful interactions that occur between student and student, student and instructor, and student and content
Though the importance of online interaction in MOOCs, there are no recommended guidelines or overview for online interaction in MOOCs. In addition, there is a lacking of research on this topic. That's why the present study addresses this research gap and gives apractical overview of interaction in MOOCs
three specific research questions are raised for this
study:• What are the interactions (discussions) in MOOCs
about?• How do the three types of interaction “students
to student”, “student to instructor”, and “student to content” according to (Moore, 1989) take place in MOOCs?
• Which type of interaction is the most used one in MOOCs?
Research questions
Results and discussions
What are the interactions (discussions) in MOOCs about?
GeneralDiscussionGeneralDiscussion
Study groupsStudy groups
lectureslectures
assignmentsassignments
technical feedbacktechnical feedback
How do the three types of interaction “students to student”, “student to instructor”, and “student to content”
according to (Moore, 1989) take place in MOOCs?
20%246Meet up
80%624Discussion group
100%030Social networks
Percentageof usage
Course notusing
Course using
Ways in which student to student interaction happened
Student to student interaction
20%246Activities and Submitting projects
60%1218Quizzes and tests
80%624Homework assignments
Percentageof usage
Course notusing
Course using
Ways in which student to student interaction happened
Student to content interaction
20%246Ask and answer questions
20%246Participate in online discussion with students
20%246Guides
30%1812Announcements
Percentageof usage
Course notusing
Course using
Ways in which student to student interaction happened
Student to instructor interaction
Which type of interaction is the most used one in MOOCs?
1
2
3
Since “student to instructor”interaction is missed in MOOCs, future studies should be carried out to suggest more strategies and instructional activities that promote and enhance MOOCs “student to instructor”interactions.
In addition, future researches should be done to employ using MOOCs in Egyptian universities in order to provide innovative solutions to problems such as over-crowded classrooms, high prices of traditional educational books, transportation problems, need for continued education, and specialized training .