Module 4 introduces us to the concept of Open Education. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are one approach to Open Education that purport to emphasize unlimited participation and open access. However, not all MOOC experiences necessarily meet this ideal.
For this activity, you will join and complete a MOOC (or enough of a MOOC to get a sense of the learning experience). You may select your MOOC on any topic and from any site.
- Provide a short description of the MOOC – what was the topic? how was it organized? what interactions were available? how were you assessed?
- How did this learning experience compare to ‘traditional’ courses? Consider any of the following factors:
- legitimacy
- autonomy
- connection with your peers and the instructor(s)
- assessment and evaluation
- learning that was achieved
- anything else of note
- Do you think this MOOC would be considered an xMOOC or a cMOOC?
- Based on your experiences, would you consider the MOOC that you completed to be “Open”? If so, in what sense of the word? If not, why not?
Post your evaluation in your Learning Portfolio. Make sure to also include a short self-reflection on why you chose this activity, how it aligned with your learning goals, and what you learned through your critical review of the experience.
Some popular MOOC providers:
- Coursera (https://www.coursera.org/)
- edX (https://www.edx.org/)
- https://www.mooc.org/
- Future Learn (https://www.futurelearn.com)
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