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Comparative analysis between different pedagogical approaches in (M)OOC - an institutional case study
Abstract
The purpose of this work is to make a comparative analysis between different approaches to MOOC that are developed in the Polytechnic of Leiria. We compared 4 course formats created by our institution based on classifications and taxonomies that have been proposed by several authors as a way to understand the diversity of the MOOC format. The main goal of this comparison is, on one hand, to classify our typology of courses, both in terms of learning design and institutional investment, and notice if parameters that distinguish these approaches affect the student's path and consequently the course completion rate. We used the table compiled by Major & Blackmon (2016) adding new aspects such as technical and human resources, teacher´s role and content types. Results have shown us that there is no significant variation relative to the completion rate, although there is a variation regarding the institutional effort.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) as a third generation distance education enable anyone anywhere to study for free in higher education. In recent years, various studies have been conducted on the position of MOOCs in education, but studies on students’ learning outcomes are limited. In this study, literature concerning students’ learning outcomes in MOOCs was explored with the aim of identifying a set of suggestions to design open online courses. The review was accomplished through a systematic search within scientific literature databases followed by a critical analysis with the main components of 3P (presage-process-product) model of teaching and learning (Biggs, 2003). Findings of the 56 publications were synthesized which resulted in the formulation of 13 course design suggestions in order to enhance students’ engagement, academic achievement and lower attrition rate attrition. Some implications are proposed for further research and for providers to improve and enrich the current context of
MOOCs to optimize students’ learning outcomes.
This chapter considers the pedagogies associated with different types of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It argues that the current discourse around the concept of xMOOCs (primarily based around interaction with content and essentially adopting a behaviourist learning approach), and cMOOCs (which focus on harnessing the power of social media and interaction with peers, adopting a connectivist learning approach), is an inadequate way of describing the variety of MOOCs and the ways in which learners engage with them. It will provide a brief history of the emergence of MOOCs and the key stakeholders. It will introduce an alternative means of categorising MOOCs, based on their key characteristics. It will then describe the 7Cs of Learning Design framework, which can be used to design more pedagogically informed MOOCs, which enhances the learner experience and ensure quality assurance.
Learning is mediated by language of instruction and social engagement. Both factors may play a significant role in understanding motivation to learn in massive open online courses (MOOCs). Therefore, the goal of this study was threefold: a. to compare motivation patterns of MOOC participants who study the same course but in a different language of instruction; b. to examine relationships between motivation gain and diverse modes of engagement; and c. to characterize MOOC completers according to their learning motivation. An exploratory case-study was conducted in the settings of a MOOC in Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, delivered in two languages: English and Arabic. The research sample included 325 participants from the English (N = 289) and Arabic (N = 36) MOOCs. The study applied the mixed methods approach, collecting data via pre- and post-questionnaires, forum posts, and email messages. Findings indicated that regardless the language of instruction, MOOC participants were driven to learn by similar goals, emphasizing intrinsic motivation and self-determination. Findings indicated a positive relationship between motivation gain, the number of messages posted to the online forums, and the number of members in the online study groups. Five types of MOOC completers were identified: problem-solvers, networkers, benefactors, innovation-seekers, and complementary-learners.
The Polytechnic Institute of Leiria launched in March 2014 its own MOOCs platform. This initiative, faced as a challenge for innovation and development, aimed to provide additional training for students and staff and to promote new means of knowledge transfer into society. UP2U is an open platform, allowing any people to either register in the platform or simply log via a regular Google account or an IPLeiria account. UP2U courses are completely online and don't require active tutoring. They are planned by multidisciplinary teams with scientific, pedagogical and technological skills. Until now there were 28 courses launched in UP2U, reaching 4300 users that come from 74 different countries.
During the widespread development of open access online course materials in the last two decades, advances have been made in understanding the impact of instructional design on quantitative outcomes. Much less is known about the experiences of learners that affect their engagement with the course content. Through a case study employing text analysis of interview transcripts, we revealed the authentic voices of participants and gained a deeper understanding of motivations for and barriers to course engagements experienced by students participating in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). We sought to understand why learners take the courses, specifically Introduction to Chemistry or Data Analysis and Statistical Inference, and to identify factors both inside and outside of the course setting that impacted engagement and learning. Thirty-six participants in the courses were interviewed, and these students varied in age, experience with the subject matter, and worldwide geographical location. Most of the interviewee statements were neutral in attitude; sentiment analysis of the interview transcripts revealed that 80 percent of the statements that were either extremely positive or negative were found to be positive rather than negative, and this is important because an overall positive climate is known to correlate with higher academic achievement in traditional education settings. When demographic data was added to the sentiment analysis, students who have already earned bachelor's degrees were found to be more positive about the courses than students with either more or less formal education, and this was a highly statistically significant result. In general, students from America were more critical than students from Africa and Asia, and the sentiments of female participants' comments were generally less positive than those of male participants. An examination of student statements related to motivations revealed that knowledge, work, convenience, and personal interest were the most frequently coded nodes (more generally referred to as “codes”). On the other hand, lack of time was the most prevalently coded barrier for students. Other barriers and challenges cited by the interviewed learners included previous bad classroom experiences with the subject matter, inadequate background, and lack of resources such as money, infrastructure, and internet access. These results are enriched by illustrative quotes from interview transcripts and compared and contrasted with previous findings reported in the literature, and thus this study enhances the field by providing the voices of the learners.
The chapter examines the term MOOC, outlines various MOOC typologies, and identifies themes and issues in the literature surrounding the instructional form.
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