Small Groups in a Social Learning MOOC (slMOOC): Strategies for Fostering Learning and Knowledge Creation

Abstract

Social support and face-to-face learning may enhance outcomes for students who face barriers in accessing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). In this study, we investigated how self-identified volunteer leaders guide and foster interactions among small groups of students who face technical and conceptual barriers in accessing MOOC content. Several months prior to the start of the MOOC (Environmental Education: Trans-disciplinary Approaches to Addressing Wicked Problems), we asked for volunteers among the registered students to lead groups for participants whose primary language was other than English and where limited Internet access, culture, or other barriers curtailed access to and understanding of course materials and pedagogy. Based on a survey and open-ended interviews (n=10), we found that group leaders were instrumental in overcoming barriers related to language, content, cultural ways of learning, access, and time. They also fostered cooperative learning strategies, which helped students acquire course content, and encouraged collaborative group projects leading to their groups adopting some features of online knowledge communities. We propose the term social learning MOOC (slMOOC) to capture a growing trend of incorporating collaborative learning strategies in xMOOCs.

English for specific purpose through facilitated and nonfacilitated MOOCs: An analysis of the learners' perspectives

“…In the nonfacilitated MOOC, however, the relevance of the course contents with the needs of the learners comes out as the major motivating drive as the learners are all students of journalism and need to improve their professional English; however, simultaneously, the absence of a facilitator works as the major cause of failure in registration and completion of the course despite the existence of the stronger relationship between the learners' needs and the course design. Thus, it corresponds with Krasny et al (2018) in finding out that MOOCs that have been facilitated have shown greater completion, motivation, and learning efficacy levels on the part of learners. The respondents from the nonfacilitated MOOC do refer to other issues like unavailability of time and being occupied with the regular academic degree program, but what they emphasize is the technical problems in registration and understanding the required formats for submitting assignments, which could have been solved by a facilitator.…”

“…This study draws on the theoretical approaches of sustainability in sociocultural learning, cognitive behaviorist pedagogies, and online learning behaviors while examining the MOOC that hybridizes in-person and online learning [2,3,10,20]. As learners usually learn more effectively through collaborative and socially cohesive communities, MOOCs also focus on creating such collaborations and communities of peers with diverse participants to ensure effective learning processes [6,11,14].…”

“…As learners usually learn more effectively through collaborative and socially cohesive communities, MOOCs also focus on creating such collaborations and communities of peers with diverse participants to ensure effective learning processes [6,11,14]. MOOCs that have been facilitated by former students of MOOCs have shown greater completion, motivation, and learning efficacy levels on the part of learners [10].…”

“…More recent studies have found MOOCs as an interesting platform for those who want to enhance their learning without physical shifts or travels, and by not spending much time and financial resources [12]. MOOCs facilitated by volunteers in their respective communities were found more effective in their learning outcome than the ones which were not facilitated [10].…”

“…It clearly shows the motivation and confidence created by the faceto-face interaction that is informative and encouraging while creating in the learner a sense of self-controlled and autonomous learning. Thus, MOOCs that have been facilitated have shown greater completion, motivation, and learning efficacy levels on the part of learners [10].…”