This document discusses MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). It defines MOOCs as online courses with unlimited participation and no defined start/end dates. The document outlines the history of MOOCs from their origins in 2004 to their rapid growth in 2012. It also describes the two main types of MOOCs: cMOOCs which emphasize connected learning, and xMOOCs which focus on video lectures and automated grading. The author expresses interest in creating a life sciences MOOC and pursuing topics like microorganisms and evolution in future MOOC experiences.
2. CONTENT
• What is mooc
• What does mooc stand for
• History of mooc
• Different types of mooc
• My field of interest
• The topic I would like to pursue in my future mooc experience
•
3. WHAT IS MOOC
• The concept MOOC is a design introduced to better the system of
teaching and learning, the new invention which is totally different from
the process of one finding a teacher standing in front of the
learners/students in class teaching ,and learners/students listening and
taking notes. MOOC is a project aimed to bring learning content online
to any person who intends to take a course with no limit on attending
classes, meaning study at home courses.
4. WHAT DOES MOOC STAND FOR?
MASSIVE(M)
Uses the Internet to connect with others on a global scale
OPEN(O)
No charge for students
ONLINE(O)
Learning together in digital modes
COURSE
A MOOC Covers a single topic
5. HISTORY OF MOOC
• 2004: George Siemens & Stephen Downes develop theory of Connectivism, “the
thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore
that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks.
• 2008: First MOOC presented at University of Manitoba with ~ 2200 learners
• 2010: Dave Cormier videos about MOOCs added to YouTube (Cormier, 2010)
• 2011: MOOC for college prep skills helps freshmen prepare for college requirements
(Cormier, 2011)
• 2012:
– Harvard’s first MOOC has 370,000 registered students (Pappano, 2012)
– 2012: Coursera launches from Stanford; offers first xMOOCs (Chen,
2012)
– New York Times calls 2012 “The Year of the MOOC” Pappano, 2012)
• 2013: cMOOCs and xMOOCs too numerous to count accurately
6. TYPES OF MOOC
• xMOOC: content-based MOOCs
Follow a more behaviorist* approach arguably dominated by the “drill and grill” instructional methods.
Behaviorism: a theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through
conditioning
Use video presentations, short quizzes and testing.
• cMOOC: connectivist MOOCs
They include discussion forums, allow people to bounce ideas around and discuss learning together and one-on-
one interaction and easy back-and-forth questioning.
cMOOCs emphasize connected, collaborative learning and the courses are built around a group of like-minded
‘individuals’ who are relatively free from institutional constraints.
7. MY FIELD OF INTEREST
• I want to create a Life Sciences MOOC where I can give students a platform to learn
and for them to educate themselves with topics regarding Life Sciences.
8. The topic I would like to pursue in my future mooc experience
• micro organisms
• Transport systems in animals and plants
• Evolution
• Environmental studies