Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2014 | Page 71

Internet Learning
Discussion and Conclusion
The four case studies highlight the
kind of experimentation on MOOCs
occurring in higher education today.
As the purpose and audience for MOOCs
vary, so do their design and development.
Each of the MOOCs described here was a
learning experience for its institution and
its individuals – developers, instructors,
and students alike. MOOCs will continue
to evolve as we continue to experiment, examine
the outcomes, and continually improve
our efforts as a result. As is the case
in the most effective experimentation, the
questions being raised by these MOOCs
and others are often the most important
part of the innovation.
These MOOCs were designed for
a variety of different audiences; however,
can every kind of learner take advantage
of MOOCs? What adaptations need to be
made – in pedagogy, design, or content –
to accommodate those learners who would
otherwise be disadvantaged by a MOOC
approach?
Do low completion rates of MOOCs
matter? What other success measures, in
addition to or instead of completion, are
important? Will the integration of game
mechanics or related techniques improve
engagement and completion? Does a blended
learning structure improve performance
and completion rates?
Should MOOCs offer college credit
and/or should learners receive credit afterthe-fact
for MOOCs? What criteria need
to be met for MOOCs to be credit-worthy?
Can a single MOOC support multiple purposes
or outcomes; in particular, can it effectively
provide multiple completion pathways
to include credit toward degree? Can
it be an important piece of such a pathway?
Is grading at scale possible? With
the appropriate software, can machine
grading be effective in all courses? How can
automated grading software be used to promote
student engagement?
With MOOCs, one of the biggest
attractions is also the biggest challenge.
MOOCs provide a learning platform that
can bring together hundreds to hundreds
of thousands of learners in a single course.
Sharing the platform, however, is much
different and far simpler than engaging in
shared learning. The creation of real learning
communities is made more challenging
by scale, not easier, in the behaviorist
approach of the xMOOC. Yet, such communities
and the learning they afford may
be essential to the awarding of academic
credit in all but direct assessment models.
This challenge is one reason the next
generation of MOOC experimentation involves
blended learning models where the
learning community is nurtured outside of
the MOOC and the MOOC becomes the
high-quality material with which the community
engages. In these models, MOOCs
are transitioning from online course to online
content.
It is still very early in the development
of the MOOC model to fully understand
the potential of MOOCs and
the lessons we can learn from them about
teaching with technology. Whether their
future is as scalable online courses, content
supplements, or something altogether
different, the energy and momentum they
have created for experimentation around
teaching and learning is a singular achievement.
Regardless of the shade of any particular
MOOC, their lasting impact will be to
energize the field to understand, improve,
and enhance the quality of the educational
experience for the learner.
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