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The Pedagogy of MOOCs

Dave Cromier Theory of How to study on a MOOC:

1. ORIENT – review where and how to access features for the course.  Book mark and review how the course is to be delivered on a week by week basis
2. DECLARE – Find an outlet to record thoughts and reflections such as a blog and posts on threads
3. NETWORK – follow others on the course and reflect on their comments.  Comment back with thoughtful replies
4. CLUSTER – identify a cluster of people that you can work with and discuss further specific ideas or discussion points
5. FOCUS – Try not to wander.  Focus on why you wanted to start the course.  Start a project and use the course to develop it

MOOC is a catalyst for knowledge that works best with inputs from participants and facilitators

1.  Aggregate; 2. Remix; 3. Repurpose; 4. Feed Forward

It is important that MOOCs remain the focus of early trials where the pedagogy holds faith to discussions, forums and participant engagement rather than didactic teaching methods that are simply campus-based delivery models digitilised.

Connection is key.  Participant experience is rich and participant views have value.

MOOCs need to continue to find the balance that allows open web to combine knowledge, expertise and connections between students and facilitators and the sharing of ideas and development of knowledge between participants.

Stacey (2013), The pedagogy of MOOCs.

Conclusive statement from Blog:

• Be as open as possible. Go beyond open enrollments and use open pedagogies that leverage the entire web not just the specific content in the MOOC platform. As part of your open pedagogy strategy use OER and openly license your resources using Creative Commons licenses in a way that allows reuse, revision, remix, and redistribution. Make your MOOC platform open source software. Publish the learning analytics data you collect as open data using a CC0 license.
• Use tried and proven modern online learning pedagogies not campus classroom-based didactic learning pedagogies which we know are ill-suited to online learning.
• Use peer-to-peer pedagogies over self study. We know this improves learning outcomes. The cost of enabling a network of peers is the same as that of networking content – essentially zero.
• Use social learning including blogs, chat, discussion forums, wikis, and group assignments.
• Leverage massive participation – have all students contribute something that adds to or improves the course overall