Open Education, Media Literacy and MOOCs: Issues for teaching practice, from the ecology of the media

Abstract

The technology of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Course) has become a prominent galaxy within the universe of open online education, especially after universities of the size of Harvard, Standford and MIT have invested millions of dollars in the creation of their platforms. Like any disruptive technology, MOOCs are still a volatile world, which requires thorough investigation and renew the discussion of the teacher's role. This text seeks to contribute to this debate, addressing four fronts. A brief history of the MOOCs was constructed so that that one can have a structural view of the practices and contradictions inherent to the phenomenon. Next, a critical assessment of the scenario is made, confronting disputed discourses about the innovative character or not of massive open online courses and what academic research has discovered about the phenomenon. The evidence paves the way for a discussion about the "learning designer" teacher, who is necessarily skilled in media and information literacy. Once versed in the culture of MOOCs, it is up to them if, how, and when to join the technology.