This document discusses learner-centric MOOCs and the use of learning extension trajectories (LxTs). LxTs are additional optional resources provided to learners to extend their learning beyond the core content. They help address learner diversity by catering to different interests, backgrounds and levels of expertise. The resources are accompanied by assimilation quizzes to incentivize learners to engage with them and ensure key concepts are understood. Examples of LxTs and their dynamics and structure are provided to illustrate how they can advance learning for diverse learners in MOOCs.

1. Learner-Centric MOOC
Gargi Banerjee | Jayakrishnan M | Sahana Murthy
Sameer Sahasrabudhe | Sridhar Iyer | Veenita Shah
Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
Designing Learner Centric MOOCs

2. Learner-Centric MOOC
Dr. Veenita Shah
Learning Extension Trajectory (LxT)

3. Learner-Centric MOOC
Session Objectives
3
After this session, you will be able to:
 Describe what is a learner-extension trajectory, and
why and how they are used
 Understand the process of selecting an effective LxT

4. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner Diversity in MOOCs: A challenge
4
Addressing Learner Diversity
 Learners need prerequisites → Advanced Topics
 Doing MOOC for Personal Interest → Certificates
 Young → Old
 Students → Professionals
 Not proficient in the language → Proficient in language

5. Learner-Centric MOOC
Addressing Diversity
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Providing Resources: VARIED!!
“Catering to wide variety of people with different interests!!”
(as quoted by one of you)

6. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 6
You just finished a lecture, where students were engaged and seemed to
have understood the concepts. At the end of the class, you shared various
additional resources with students in the form of videos, research papers,
weblinks using a USB. Which of the two scenarios provided below do you
expect to benefit more number of students?
Activity
Scenario A Scenario B
You explained the students
as to how each one of these
resources provide to them
will help them advance
their learning.
Following this, you asked
the students to go through
at least two resources.
You explained the students as to how each
one of these resources provide to them will
help them advance their learning.
Following this, you asked the students
to go through at least two resources.
Lastly, you announce in the class that in
the next class, I am going to take a 5 min
quiz based on the shared resources.

7. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 7
Discussion
You explained the students as to how each one of these resources
provide to them will help them advance their learning. Following
this, you asked the students to go through at least two resources.
Lastly, you announce in the class that in the next class, I am going
to take a 5 min quiz based on the shared resources.
ONLY providing resources is not sufficient
 Learners do not access these resources
 Side-track from main content
MOOCs: Provide rich/diverse resources + Incentivized
the assess to these resources
Scenario B

8. Learner-Centric MOOC
Resources+
Assimilation
Quiz
Learner
Experience
Interaction
Learning
Dialogues
Learning
Extension
Trajectories
Learning
by Doing
Learner-Centric MOOC Model
8
Orchestration
TRADITIONAL MOOC
Additional Resources:
Did not cater to diverse
learners.
No motivation to learn
from these resources
LCM MOOC
Varied learning resources
to address diversity of
learners followed by a
graded quiz

9. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 9
Week 2: Pedagogical Design: Learner Engagement and Active Learning
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=54&assessment=122
LxT: Book chap: How people learn
https://www.desu.edu/sites/flagship/files/document/16/how_people_learn_book.pdf
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=77&assessment=82
LxT: H5P video with interactivity
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=77&lesson=88
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=77&assessment=89
LxT: Bloom’s taxonomy (video and paper)
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=77&lesson=79
https://onlinecourses.nptel.ac.in/noc19_ge27/unit?unit=77&assessment=81
Portal

10. Learner-Centric MOOC
Example of an LxT
10

11. Learner-Centric MOOC
Example of LxT
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12. Learner-Centric MOOC
Example of LxT
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13. Learner-Centric MOOC
LxT Dynamics
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accesses
accesses

14. Learner-Centric MOOC
LxT Dynamics
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answers
answers

15. Learner-Centric MOOC
LxT Structure
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 Ensure pre-requisites
 Advance learning
 Support inherent
motivation
 Support learner needs
with varying experiences
 Language/Context

16. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 16
You are going to offer a MOOC of a course that you
regularly teach in a classroom.
Considering the diversity of learners in MOOCs,
which key questions/aspects would you consider before
creating LxT resources?
Activity

17. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 17
How much diversity should I address?
(Scoping for Diversity)
How will I search for appropriate resources
and provide them? (Address the diversity)
How do I frame the Assimilation Quiz (Incentivize)
Discussion

18. Learner-Centric MOOC
Learner-Centric MOOC 18
In alignment with the LeD created yesterday,
find one resource that you think will be useful
for learners to be provided as an LxT.
Create 1-2 Assimilation Quiz question/s for
the same.
Activity

19. Learner-Centric MOOC
Guidelines for Scoping Diversity
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 List all the possible “diversity categories”
 Prioritize the diversity you want to address: “Who is
you main target audience?”
 Use the priority while identifying the resources
for a topic
 Try to ensure that you address most of the diversity
across the entire course

20. Learner-Centric MOOC
Guidelines for Gathering Resources
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 Diverse Expertise
• Resources from prior courses
• Refer to advanced courses
 Diverse motivation
• Educational websites
• Video aggregator sites (e.g. youtube)
 Other starting points
• Open books (openstax/wikibooks)
• Open online course repositories (MIT open courseware,
NPTEL MOOC, Learning spaces: Open university)
• Open repositories (OER Commons, Curriki)

21. Learner-Centric MOOC
Guidelines for Creation of an AQ
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 Close the loop of every LxT resource with
Assimilation Quiz
 Should not be too complex
 Assimilation Quiz should have minor grade associated
with it

22. Learner-Centric MOOC
Summary: LxT
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 Enables the learner to increase the depth or increase
breadth of their existing knowledge/understanding.
 Caters to diverse type of learners and diverse levels
of learning.
 Followed by an Assimilation Quiz to ensure that
learners assimilate the key concept/knowledge
intended from the resource.
Takeaway: Provide a rich set of LxT resources,
and close the loop with Assimilation Quiz

23. Learner-Centric MOOC
Research Evidence
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 “Having the assimilation quiz following the LxT
resources made us look into those resources […] we
realized that the LxT resources gives you details
about strategies and their uses at different places”
[ET611Tx participant]
 “Watching videos of Prof. Mazur made me realize that
students in my class may also be nodding their heads
without really understanding the concept”
[ET601Tx participant]

24. Learner-Centric MOOC
Thank you
24

25. Learner-Centric MOOC
Copyright Issues
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While sharing resources:
 You check the copyright of the resources
 You get appropriate permissions from the owner of
the copyright
 You provide correct attribution to the open resources
For more on copyrights refer-http://www.knowyourcopyrights.org/