This document discusses strategies for developing low-cost MOOCs. It compares xMOOCs and cMOOCs, noting that xMOOCs require higher upfront costs for preparation while cMOOCs have higher costs during the course. Several recommendations are provided to maximize registration, minimize dropouts, optimize teams and schedules, and enhance sustainable and open communication and knowledge sharing in a low-cost manner through strategies like leveraging open resources and cloud services. The document poses questions about whether xMOOCs should be favored over cMOOCs for low-cost approaches and ideas for enhancing openness while maintaining low costs.

2. Towards a Low-cost
Development of MOOCs
Pedagogies and Communication

3. Sílvia Simon and Miquel Duran
University of Girona
@silviasimonr @miquelduran #moocs4all

4. What does Low-Cost mean as far as
communication and pedagogy are
concerned ?
• Optimizing everything to save
– Time
– Money
– Personal energy

5. • Having a clear answer of when, who and how
What does Low-Cost mean as far as
communication and pedagogy are
concerned ?

6. 1. Sustainable approach to
MOOCS
• Assessing differences between MOOCs and
MOODLE

7. 2. xMOOC vs cMOOC
• xMOOC – higher cost preparation
• cMOOC – higher cost during the Course

8. 2. xMOOC vs cMOOC
• Thinking of a MOOC as a project
• Relevance of communication issues for
cMOOCs

9. 2. xMOOC vs cMOOC
• Linking goal with competences
• Clear learning path
• Surveys at the beginning, in between, and
just before finishing course

10. 3a. Maximizing registration
• Find an enticing subject
• Have an expertise on the contents
• Think about tentative audience

11. 3a. Maximizing registration
• Publish an attractive promotional videoclip
• Create an interesting presentation video
• International marketing

12. 3b. Minimizing dropouts
• Surveys during the course
• Mixing evaluation types
• Gamification, providing badges to students
• Provocative questions and discussions

13. 4. Team and Schedule
• Getting most of the Team
• Yielding optimal time schedule
– Each WHAT need to have a WHEN, WHO and
HOW

14. 4. Team and Schedule
• Using simple cloud services (e.g., google docs)
• Using simple corporate/enterprise/groupal
social networking
• Using instant messaging for fast, simple,
ephemeral question/answer

15. 5. Sustainable Interpersonal
Communication
• Rational use of E-mail
• But using:
– Hangouts
– Livestreaming + twitter backchannel
– Open discussion and forums
– Clubs, groups and regional meetups
– Social networks
– Contests

16. 6. MOOCs and Open Knowledge
• Maximizing reuse and aggregation of Open
Educational Resources (OERs)
• Shooting short videos thus easy replacement
and edition
• Maximizing future reuse of
– OERs
– learning flow
– social network/forum activity

17. 6. MOOCs and Open Knowledge
• Open Video Annotations
• Fast subtitling through Youtube service
(e.g., accessibility, multilanguism)
• Multilinguism: platforms that allow for
multiple languages - in the future not
likely to be an issue hindering learning
• Optimal use of free instant translation
services

18. Question open for discussion 1/2
Should xMOOCs be favored vs.
cMOOCs when considering a
low-cost approach?
Tell us about your opinion !

19. Question open for discussion 2/2
Any ideas enhancing openness of
MOOCs while keeping them low
cost?
Discuss them at http://magsci.eu !

20. Thanks for your attention.