A Taste of Two MOOCs: OR What is a Massively Open Online Course? Janine Lim, PhD blog.janinelim.com Skype: outonalim Twitter: outonalim By PresenterMedia.comPresenterMedia.com

Connectivist MOOCs are social and focused on deriving meaning of the learning experience with others. Students participate through blogs, RSS feeds and other decentralized methods. xMOOCs emphasize content mastery, centralize courses on one website and use automated grading tools to support hundreds of thousands of students. Definitions of MOOCs Roscorla, T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘.

cMOOCs adopt a connectivist pedagogy, richer instructional design, and engaging curriculum Connectivist researchers (2008): George Siemens, Stephen Downes and Dave Cormier xMOOCs adopt a behaviorist pedagogy based on information transmission, auto-graded, and peer assessment xMOOC companies and partnerships: Coursera an MIT and Harvard partnership called EdX Udacity, founded by three roboticists Definitions of MOOCs Roscorla, T. (2012). Massively Open Online Courses Are 'Here to Stay‘.

Chaos: a “cryptic form of order”; everything connected to everything Node: You with knowledge distributed across your brain Node: Idea Node: Community Node: Field Node: Idea Weak ties: short connections between information Nebulous environments of shifting core elements Learning may reside in non-human appliances Siemens (2005) Connected Knowledge

Learning…. …and knowledge rests in a diversity of opinions. … may reside in non- human appliances … is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. Decision-making is a learning process. Choosing what to learn, the meaning of incoming information… Core skills: ability to see connections, nurture and maintain connections for continual learning. Goal: current, accurate, up- to-date knowledge. Siemens (2005)

Qualitative KnowledgeQuantitative Knowledge Distributed or Connective Knowledge Downes (2005) Diversity Autonomy Interactivity Openness Widest possible spectrum of view points Individual knowers contributing on their own accord according to their own knowledge, values, decisions Knowledge produced is the product of the interaction, not just an aggregation A mechanism allows all perspectives to enter into the system, be heard and interacted with by others

Taste a cMOOC CFHE12: Current/Future State of Higher Education: An Open Online Course Explore the content: Explore the Twitter feed: Another cMOOC: DS106 Digital Storytelling, The University of Mary Washington

Taste an xMOOC Experience an xMOOC: specific start & end dates – specific start & end dates

What do you see as the difference between cMOOCs and xMOOCs?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this type of learning?

What worries you about MOOCs?

What excites you about MOOCs?

What do you think our response should be to this trend?

A Taste of Two MOOCs: OR What is a Massively Open Online Course? Janine Lim, PhD blog.janinelim.com Skype: outonalim Twitter: outonalim By PresenterMedia.comPresenterMedia.com

References Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Retrieved from bin/page.cgi?post=33034 Downes, S. (2006). Learning networks and connective knowledge. Retrieved from Siemens, G. (2005). Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, 2(1). Retrieved from Siemens, G. (2006). Connectivism: Learning theory or pastime for the self-amused? Retrieved from Siemens, G., & Downes, S. (2008, November 24). Connectivism and connective knowledge online course support wiki. Retrieved from Tracey, R. (2009, March 17). Instructivism, constructivism or connectivism? Retrieved from