The pedagogical foundations of massive open online courses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i5.4350Keywords:
Internet, Society, Teaching and LearningAbstract
In 2011, the respective roles of higher education institutions and students worldwide were brought into question by the rise of the massive open online course (MOOC). MOOCs are defined by signature characteristics that include: lectures formatted as short videos combined with formative quizzes; automated assessment and/or peer and self–assessment and an online forum for peer support and discussion. Although not specifically designed to optimise learning, claims have been made that MOOCs are based on sound pedagogical foundations that are at the very least comparable with courses offered by universities in face–to–face mode. To validate this, we examined the literature for empirical evidence substantiating such claims. Although empirical evidence directly related to MOOCs was difficult to find, the evidence suggests that there is no reason to believe that MOOCs are any less effective a learning experience than their face–to–face counterparts. Indeed, in some aspects, they may actually improve learning outcomes.Downloads
Published
2013-05-05
How to Cite
Glance, D. G., Forsey, M., & Riley, M. (2013). The pedagogical foundations of massive open online courses. First Monday, 18(5). https://doi.org/10.5210/fm.v18i5.4350
Issue
Section
Articles
License
Authors retain copyright to their work published in First Monday. Please see the footer of each article for details.