SELF-PACED AND LEARNING THROUGH CO-CONSTRUCTION IN MOOCSPAULA HODGSON & BETTY HUI

THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

OUTLINE

• Background of the study

• Platforms for massive open online course (MOOC)

• Types of MOOC

• Advantages and disadvantages of self-paced and weekly structured MOOCs

• Learning opportunities

• Design principles

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

•Ten MOOCs from three platforms (edX, coursera, FutureLearn) offered between 2014 and 2016.

• Learners can work towards certification for individual or series in MOOCs.

TYPES OF MOOC• Weekly tasks:

• Leaders of Learning

• Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills

• Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence

• Making Sense of News

• Teach English Now! Foundational Principles

• Teach English Now! Theories of Second Language Acquisition

• Teach English Now! Lesson Design and Assessment

• Getting Started with Essay Writing

TYPES OF MOOC

• Self-paced:

• A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study.

• ContractsX: From Trust to Promise to Contract.

Platform University Course title Educator(s) SpecializationedX Harvard University Leaders of Learning Richard Elmorecoursera The University of

MelbourneAssessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills

Patrick Griffin

FutureLearn University of Reading A Beginner’s Guide to Writing in English for University Study

Steve Thomas

edX University of Hong Kong

Making Sense of News Masato Kajimoto

edX Harvard University ContractsX: From Trust to Promise to Contract Charles Fried

coursera Case Western Reserve University

Inspiring Leadership through Emotional Intelligence

Richard Boyatzis Inspired Leadership Specialization (4 courses + capstone)

coursera Arizona State University Teach English Now! Foundational Principles Dr Shane DixonDr Justin ShewellAndrea Haraway

TESOL Certificate, Part 1: Teach English Now!

coursera Arizona State University Teach English Now! Theories of Second Language Acquisition

Dr. Shane DixonDr. Justin ShewellJessica Cinco

TESOL Certificate, Part 2: Teach English Now!

coursera Arizona State University Teach English Now! Lesson Design and Assessment

Dr. Shane DixonDr. Justin ShewellJessica Cinco

TESOL Certificate, Part 3: Teach English Now!

coursera University of California, Irvine

Getting Started with Essay Writing Tamy Chapman Academic English: Writing Specialization Course 2

LEARNING WITH GLOBAL LEARNERS

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-PACED COURSES

•Working on the content with my own sequence

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-PACED COURSES

Working on the content with my own pace

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-PACED COURSES

• Complete all tasks in just over ONE week, although it is set for eight weeks of study.

• Speedy completers

• Can read fairly few postings in the forum activities.

• May not be able to proceed with peer review .

• Won’t read top-scoring responses (many peers have not done the assignment yet).

• Late starters

• Receive weekly reminders.

• Many postings to catch up.

• Miss deadlines on assignments.

• Miss resubmission in failing assessment tasks (a requirement to pass all the graded tasks).

• Sparkle starters

• Start working on week one only.

• May have low priority in working through the topics.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SELF-PACED COURSES

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WEEKLY STRUCTURED COURSES

•Learners can learn through organized weekly tasks for four to eight weeks.

•Manageable amount of time setting for study, i.e. 1–2 hrs or 3–4 hrs per week (half day or less commitment).

•Learners have opportunities to communicate/interact better with global learners.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WEEKLY STRUCTURED COURSES

•Learners can only complete a MOOC within a set time.

•Working adult learners may not be able to spare time when on a weekly basis.

ONLINE TASKS

Required

• Quizzes (formative and summative)• Writing assignments with peer assessment• Forum discussion

Optional• Reading• Assessment task [project; quiz for bonus]

Voluntary

• Forum discussion• Reflection• Self-assessment

REQUIRED TASK FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT

REQUIRED TASK FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT NECESSITATING ANALYSIS

REQUIRED TASK FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT NECESSITATING ACTION

REQUIRED TASK FOR SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT WITH PEER AND SELF-ASSESSMENT

REQUIRED TASK FOR FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT

OPTIONAL TASK [SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT]

OPTIONAL TASK[SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT]

OPTIONAL TASK

•Watch a video and make analysis of a case

•Poll [over 800]

•Show overall results

•Discuss the case

[optional]

OPTIONAL TASKS

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/nyregion/witness-accounts-in-midtown-hammer-attack-show-the-power-of-false-memory.html?_r=1

VOLUNTARY TASK: SELF-ASSESSMENT

VOLUNTARY TASKS: REFLECTION

VOLUNTARY TASKS: FORUM DISCUSSION

LEARN INDIVIDUALLY OR CO-CONSTRUCT LEARNING WITH OTHER GLOBAL LEARNERS IN MOOCS?

POLL AND DISCUSS

• Watch the scenario

• Make your poll

• Read the overall result [over 790]

• Read peer posts

• Respond to peers or create yours

• Can ‘CHANGE’ your vote

afterwards

CO-CONSTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE WITH PEERS IN FORUM

LEARNING THEORIES

LEARNING THROUGH STIMULI

• Watching bite-size segments of video to avoid cognitive overload

• Combining check [quizzes, short exercises], and reflect [writing]

CO-CONSTRUCTIONISM

• Meaning making through interacting with global learners

DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT FACILITATE LEARNER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT (1)

CONTENT-DRIVEN

80%

CO-CONSTRUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE

20%

DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT FACILITATE LEARNER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT (2)

MANAGEABLE TASKS

80%

DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT FACILITATE LEARNER ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT (3)

MANAGEABLE + TASKS WITH CHALLENGE

80%

PRACTICE AND ASSESSMENT WITH CLEAR GRADING CRITERIA

INDICATING PROGRESS AND VARIETY IN ACTIONS TO GAIN KNOWLEDGE

PROGRESS FINAL RESULT

CONCLUSION

• Learning is not only about gaining one more certificate.

• MOOCs offer a different learning opportunity from traditional classroom learning; learners can choose educators, institutions and when to take.

• MOOCs offer flexibility to learn in both self-paced and weekly structured content.

• Learning no longer happens in a set and individual context.

• Learning with global learners is unprecedented.

• There can be a high possibility in co-constructing meaning through the interactions with global peers.