Language MOOCs: An expanding field

Abstract

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) were first introduced to the wider public in 2008, with the first language MOOCs appearing in 2012. Following the initial hype (The New York Times crowned 2012 the Year of the MOOC), practical experiences and research studies have surfaced a number of problems with the way they had been conceived and implemented. In this article we revisit some of the arguments for and against MOOCs, specifically for language education, and review some of the ways new forms of online learning environments are emerging, as well as new ways of using (elements of) MOOCs, for both teaching and research purposes. In particular, we focus on their potential for the collection, analysis and pedagogical application of large data sets through learning analytics and educational data mining. We argue that hybrid forms of online environments that better foreground social aspects of learning and that take better account of individual differences, have the potential to successfully support language learning on a large scale and to provide researchers and practitioners with unique insights into the language learning process.

Researching massive open online courses for language teaching and learning

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There has been an increasing interest in open educational resources, open practices, and open learning spaces in language teaching and learning in the last decade (Comas-Quinn & Borthwick, 2015;Gimeno-Sanz, 2016) in which language massive open online courses (LMOOCs) have played a relevant role. Defined by Bárcena and Martín-Monje (2014: 1) as "dedicated Web-based online courses for second languages with unrestricted access and potentially unlimited participation", LMOOCs have experienced an exponential growth since their appearance in 2012 (Jitpaisarnwattana, Reinders & Darasawang, 2019), with an unexpected boost due to the recent pandemic, which has led language learning to be in the top 10 subjects of interest in MOOCs (Shah, 2020).MOOCs have caused a stir in the educational landscape, blurring the distinction between formal, non-formal, and informal education, and encouraging new models of content delivery, tuition, assessment, and accreditation. They have been heralded as a serious attempt to democratise higher education, enabling students around the world access to good-quality language learning resources (see, for instance, Mazoue, 2013).

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“…There has been an increasing interest in open educational resources, open practices, and open learning spaces in language teaching and learning in the last decade (Comas-Quinn & Borthwick, 2015;Gimeno-Sanz, 2016) in which language massive open online courses (LMOOCs) have played a relevant role. Defined by Bárcena and Martín-Monje (2014: 1) as "dedicated Web-based online courses for second languages with unrestricted access and potentially unlimited participation", LMOOCs have experienced an exponential growth since their appearance in 2012 (Jitpaisarnwattana, Reinders & Darasawang, 2019), with an unexpected boost due to the recent pandemic, which has led language learning to be in the top 10 subjects of interest in MOOCs (Shah, 2020).…”

A MOOC-based Flipped Classroom Model: Reflecting on pre-service English language teachers’ experience and perceptions

“…Combining the FC model, which promotes a learner-centered learning environment and active learning processes with digitally-enhanced MOOCs, which extends learning beyond the walls of conventional classrooms, the MOOC-based FC model merges the major elements of online and face-to-face learning (Jitpaisarnwattana, Reinders, & Darasawang, 2019). The MOOCbased FC model is, therefore, grounded in connectivism, as according to the theory "learning in the digital age is mostly dependent on the connection of learners with various sources of knowledge from the Internet and the interaction with others in communities or social networks" (Yin, 2016, p.20).…”

Can I MOOC to Catch up? The Effects of Using an LMOOC as a Remedial Tool for EFL Students in Thailand

“…In these studies, several language learning constructs have been investigated including flipped learning (Zhang, 2017;Wang & Wright, 2018), blended learning (Titova, 2017;Luo, 2020), motivation (Beaven, Codreanu, & Creuze, 2014;Uchidiuno, Ogan, Yarzebinski, & Hammer, 2017), interaction (Martin-Monje, Martin-Monje, Castrillo, & Manana-Rodigrez, 2018;Rubio, 2015), personalisation (Perifanou, 2014(Perifanou, , 2015 and pronunciation (Rubio, 2014). Research on LMOOCs can be divided into two main categories: LMOOCs as an alternative to traditional, face-to-face courses, and LMOOCs integrated into a multimodal approach, combining on-and offline learning (Jitpaisarnwattana et al, 2019). Most LMOOC studies fall into the former category, partly because MOOCs were originally designed to serve as stand-alone courses.…”