Challenges in the Creation, Development and Implementation of MOOCs: Web Science Course at the University of Southampton

Abstract

Massive is one of the distinctive features of MOOCs which differentiate them from other e-learning experiences. This massiveness entails certain possibilities, but also some challenges that must be taken into consideration when designing and implementing a Massive Open Online Course, in relation to context, work progress, learning activities, assessment, and feedback. This document presents an analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the massive aspect of MOOCs, and specifically it narrates the experience of creating a MOOC on Web Science, developed at the University of Southampton (United Kingdom) using the new FutureLearn platform, in autumn 2013. In this document, the importance of Web Science as an emerging field is analyzed and its origins explored. The experience gained from the decisions and the work progress developed for the creation and implementation of a specific MOOC is also shared here. The final section of the paper analyses some data from the MOOC in Web Science, including the participation index, the comments and interactions of some participants, tools used, and the organization of facilitation. Challenges involved in running a MOOC related to course design, platform use and course facilitation are also discussed. El carácter masivo es una de las peculiaridades de los MOOC, que lo diferencian de otro tipo de experiencias de aprendizaje en red. Este hecho configura una serie de posibilidades, pero también una serie de retos que hay que tener en cuenta a la hora de diseñar e implementar un curso masivo en red, en relación, por ejemplo, a los contenidos, el proceso de trabajo, las actividades, la evaluación y el feed-back. Este trabajo presenta un análisis de las ventajas y desventajas del carácter masivo de los MOOC y concretamente describe la experiencia de creación de un MOOC sobre Web Science desarrollada en la Universidad de Southampton (Reino Unido) en la plataforma FutureLearn durante el otoño de 2013. Se analiza la importancia del estudio de la rama de Web Science y cómo se originó esta experiencia. También describen las decisiones y el proceso de trabajo desarrollado para la creación e implementación del MOOC en concreto. Se termina este trabajo analizando alguno de los datos que se han obtenido, como el índice de participación (ligeramente elevado respecto a la media de los MOOC), los comentarios de los participantes, la manera de gestionar la facilitación del curso y algunos de los retos que nos encontramos a la hora de gestionar un MOOC, que se relacionan con el diseño del curso, la plataforma que se utiliza y cómo se organiza la facilitación del curso.

From massive access to cooperation: lessons learned and proven results of a hybrid xMOOC/cMOOC pedagogical approach to MOOCs

“…This effect was independent of the input variables (i.e. heterogeneous profiles, Table 1) and supports other claims about the influence of course design and social relations on completion rate (Sánchez-Vera, León-Urrutia, & Davis, 2015). To that extent, it justifies the generation of models adapted to particular features of MOOCs and addressing their shortcomings (Zapata-Ros, 2013).…”

MOOCs and their Influence on Higher Education Institutions: Perspectives from the Insiders

“…The complexities of interacting with wide and unknown audiences are often a challenge for educators who aim for engaged learning communities (Anderson & Dron, 2015). Shared experiences such as that in (Sánchez-Vera, León-Urrutia, & Davis, 2015) suggest that getting learners to participate in the forums, and manage this participation is significantly challenging. This also involves a heavy workload, as it has been observed in the statements of the participants in this study.…”

The use of gamification in xMOOCs about energy: Effects and predictive models for participants’ learning

“…There are currently different types of MOOC, although they are broadly categorised into two groups: xMOOCs and cMOOCs. xMOOCs are self-guided and are based on interactive multimedia such as video and text, and employ a behaviourist approach (Sánchez-Vera, León-Urrutia, & Davis, 2015). Meanwhile, cMOOCs are based on connectivism, as they take advantage of social networks so that participants can communicate and collaborate through various online channels such as Twitter, blogs, wikis, and Facebook, (Siemens, 2005).…”