Research trends in language MOOC studies: a systematic review of the published literature (2012-2018)

The Role of Activeness for Potentiating Learning in LMOOCs for Vulnerable Groups

“…2 A study undertaken in 2017 identified the existence of 85 LMOOCs, the most popular languages being Chinese, English, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese, in that order. 3 There are obviously more now, but the countries, institutions, and publishers that are committed to LMOOCs have remained rather stable (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). Usually, LMOOCs focus on a specific linguistic target, like a level (e.g., B1), a channel (e.g., oral), a process (e.g., writing) or a specialized domain (e.g., medical), which determines course design and the facilitation required (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020).…”

“…3 There are obviously more now, but the countries, institutions, and publishers that are committed to LMOOCs have remained rather stable (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). Usually, LMOOCs focus on a specific linguistic target, like a level (e.g., B1), a channel (e.g., oral), a process (e.g., writing) or a specialized domain (e.g., medical), which determines course design and the facilitation required (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). After more than a decade, these courses still have great educational potential (e.g., in terms of increased effectiveness) and challenges (e.g., new competitors, turning them into a profitable or sustainable activity) for academic institutions and other providers of educational services.…”

“…The availability of low-cost technological devices together with Internet access has opened up the possibility of online language learning (Godwin-Jones 2018). Open and Distance Learning (ODL) arguably addresses this demand, where massive open online courses (MOOCs) have provided the most promising results to date (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). Language MOOCs (LMOOCs; Martín-Monje & Barcena 2014) have existed for almost a decade and have been designed and developed to cover a large number of languages and applied to the teaching and learning of most of the competences and skills they involve (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020).…”

“…Open and Distance Learning (ODL) arguably addresses this demand, where massive open online courses (MOOCs) have provided the most promising results to date (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). Language MOOCs (LMOOCs; Martín-Monje & Barcena 2014) have existed for almost a decade and have been designed and developed to cover a large number of languages and applied to the teaching and learning of most of the competences and skills they involve (Sallam, Martín-Monje & Li 2020). Some LMOOCs specifically aim at the social inclusion and employability of displaced people, namely refugees and migrants (Read, Sedano & Barcena 2018).…”

Researching massive open online courses for language teaching and learning

“…Although LMOOC research is an emergent field of study, with the first scholarly publications dating back to only 2014, it is an expanding one. The following research trends or directions for LMOOC research have been identified (Sallam et al, 2020): (1) conceptualisation of LMOOCs and their distinctive features, (2) attempts to find the most suitable model for language teaching and learning beyond the xMOOC/cMOOC dichotomy, 1 (3) suitability of LMOOCs for languages for specific purposes courses, (4) focus on the learners and their motivation and experience throughout the course, (5) reflection on the new role of the teacher, (6) instructional design and how it affects participants' learning and possible attrition, and ( 7) the importance of social learning in LMOOCs. The number and depth of these identified trends is an indication of the interest and opportunity in the field of LMOOCs.…”