This blog post is a response to h817 Activity 14: Comparing Moocs
One of the most interesting aspects of this course for me has been the introduction of these open course websites such as Coursera, Edx and now DS106. The site layout for DS106 is so visually different and unique to anything I have seen in this area so far and the subject matter really tickles my interest. I have looked through many potential courses and even signed up for the gamification course in Coursera last week (more out of curiosity than anything else), but I have to say that I have been taken in by the Digital Storytelling module. Comparing it with Cousera is like night and day, even the websites respective background colours reflect this!
I will be comparing the two MOOCs based on the Gamification Course at Coursera and the DS106 course.
General Approach & Philosophy:
DS 106
The website claims that DS106 will "Develop skills in using technology as a tool for networking, sharing, narrating, and creative self-expression". Learners will be able to create and frame your digital identity.
As an open participant you choose to do what you do where you can, by sharing your work, and most importantly commenting on the work of others.
The people at DS106 see themselves as a community. The phrase "#4life" is banded around the website and indeed the student testimony backs it up. They see the elements that make up the course as a way of life and as something that is ongoing all the time.
Coursera
According to their website, Coursera partners with the top universities in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. They envision a future where the top universities are educating not only thousands of students, but millions.
They aim to empower the disenfranchised, wherever they may be. They offer many courses in a great variety of fields where students can "learn at your own pace, test your knowledge, and reinforce concepts through interactive exercises"
Coursera uses an “Honor Code” when it comes to writing assignments. They hope that by ticking yes to following this code, their students will behave appropriately and leave their work untainted by plagiarism. Easier ticked than done.
Students who successfully complete the course assignments above a threshold score of 70% will receive a Statement of Accomplishment signed by the instructor. Students who enroll in the “Signature Track” (pay money) can earn themselves a verified certificate for completion of the course.
Pedagogy
DS106
Ds106 has multiple levels of participation, the learner can pick and choose the “when and where”. Students can build their own path as they pick their own assignments.
Harking back to earlier, when I mentioned “#4life”, the folks at DS106 do not believe in the concept of dropping out and accept no apologies when life intrudes on your work. They see this course as an expression of ones self. They expect their students to grow through this course forever (sounds kind of creepy when I put it like that).
Coursera
The courses are divided into short, impressively presented video lecture segments.There are also quizzes(multiple choice), written assignments, and a final exam with specific due dates.
Coursera promotes learning through:
Mastery learning: students have multiple attempts at quizzes to demonstrate their knowledge
Using interactivity: student engagement to assist long-term retention
Providing frequent feedback: so that learners can monitor their own progress
The stand out feature for Coursera is that written assignments are peer assessed, giving students the opportunity to see the ideas that their peers come up with. Having multiple students grade each homework, they are able to obtain a solid grading accuracy.
Technology
DS106
Students will have to use Gravatar, Twitter, flickr, google, Soundcloud, blogs during the course. However they will also need a variety of tools such as video cameras, editors, picture editors etc. No particular tools are specified but given the plethora of tools available in current phones it shouldn’t be a problem for most students to find what they need.
Coursera
Coursera makes great use of short, video lectures which can be streamed, downloaded and sped up or down. Slides are used as well, with video changing size in this case.
Conclusions
I have been impressed by both MOOCs. They both come from a different standpoint on how to influence their learners but having said that, they both reflect the content that they are providing. If you were to swap websites and pedagogies over and hosted the Digital Storytelling course on the Coursera website and vice versa I would expect that they would both be much less effective. Coursera collaborates with big Universities and this is reflected in the structure of their website. DS106 is more of a challenge to navigate, you really have to immerse yourself in it to get the best out of it. One feature that that both have in common and indeed any successful MOOC needs at its core is the student forums with plenty of topics and posts. Regardless of the subject matter and how the course is structured, without flourishing forums (including self created networks) a MOOC will struggle to survive.
