Part One of the MOOC panel at 2013 Computers and Writing (@cwcon). Summarizes current Composition MOOCs and identifies differences with traditional composition courses. Designed and created by Jason Tham (www.jasontham.com).

1. MOOCOCALYPSE
PREPARING FOR THE
BEFORE TWILIGHT: A SURVEY OF COMPOSITION MOOCS
JASON THAM
ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY, MN
COMPUTERS & WRITING 2013

2. BY THE NUMBERS
Average Enrolment
50,000
Completion Rate
10%
Hours for Developing a MOOC
100
Hours Teaching a Weekly MOOC
8-10

3. DUKE
UNIVERSITY
“English Composition I: Achieving Expertise” by Denise Cormer
12 weeks, 6-8 hours/week
March 18, 2013

4. THE OHIO
STATE
UNIVERSITY
“Writing II: Rhetorical Composing” by Susan Delangrange, Scott
Lloyd DeWitt, Kay Halasek, Ben McCorkle, Cynthia Selfe
10 weeks, 6-10 hours/week
April 22, 2013

5. MT. SAN
JACINTO
COLLEGE
“Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade” by Larry Barkley,
Ted Blake, Lorrie Ross
5 weeks, 4-5 hours/week
May 13, 2013

6. GEORGIA
INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
“First-Year Composition 2.0” by Karen Head
8 weeks, 5-7 hours/week
May 28, 2013

7. DUKE
UNIVERSITY
THE OHIO
STATE
UNIVERSITY
MT. SAN
JACINTO
COLLEGE
GEORGIA
INSTITUTE OF
TECHNOLOGY
“English Composition I: Achieving Expertise” by Denise Cormer
12 weeks, 6-8 hours/week
March 18, 2013
“Writing II: Rhetorical Composing” by Susan Delangrange, Scott
Lloyd DeWitt, Kay Halasek, Ben McCorkle, Cynthia Selfe
10 weeks, 6-10 hours/week
April 22, 2013
“Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade” by Larry Barkley,
Ted Blake, Lorrie Ross
5 weeks, 4-5 hours/week
May 13, 2013
“First-Year Composition 2.0” by Karen Head
8 weeks, 5-7 hours/week
May 28, 2013

8. DUKE OHIO STATE MSJC GA TECH
Students should
have basic English
proficiency and
exposure to
secondary-level
English or
composition.
Students interested
in improving their
writing.
Emphasizes on
developing
understanding of
ways that digital
media shape and are
shaped by reading,
writing and research
purposes.
Three main types of
learners:
• College-bound,
underprepared
students
• Current high
school and college
students in
regular classes
• Global community
members
Fluent English
language literacy as
well as grammatical
and mechanical
knowledge is
required.
Familiarity with basic
word-processing,
image, and audio
recording software.
RECOMMENDED BACKGROUND

9. DUKE OHIO STATE MSJC GA TECH
Students will gain a
foundation for
college-level writing
valuable for nearly
any field.
• Summarize,
analyze, question,
and evaluate
written and visual
texts
• Argue and
support a position
• Recognize
audience and
disciplinary
expectations
• Effective sentence
and paragraph-
level prose
Dividing rhetorical
composing into six
units:
• Thinking rhet.ly
• Responding rhet.ly
• Arguing rhet.ly
• Seeing rhet.ly
• Researching rhet.ly
• Reflecting rhet.ly
Become an effective
builder of sentence
using the basic tools of
grammar, punctuation,
and writing:
• Identify and correct
sentence level
grammatical and
punctuation errors
• Develop 4 sentence
types
• Combine sentences
• Develop a clear
topic sentence
• Write a well-
organized paragraph
Gain confidence in
using written, visual,
and oral
communication to
critique and create
document.
Practice and improve
competence in:
• Critical thinking
• Rhetoric
• Process
• Digital Media
STATEMENTS OF PURPOSE / FOCUS

10. DUKE OHIO STATE MSJC GA TECH
Writing Commons The Everyday Writer
by Andrea Lundsford
(Free access to selected
chapters online)
Writing Commons
N/A Writing Commons
READINGS / TEXTS

11. DUKE OHIO STATE MSJC GA TECH
About 40 interactive
instructional videos.
Four major projects
in sequenced stages:
• A critical response
to an argument
about expertise
• An explication of
a visual image
• A case study of an
expert
• An Op-Ed about
expertise
Smaller assignments
enable students to
build up to these
projects.
Compose, edit, and
assess projects in WEx,
The Writer’s Exchange.
Online training, then
participate in a peer
review process to
create substantive
feedback about other’s
writing using defined
criteria.
• Getting to Know You
• Getting to Know
One Another
• Making a Visual
Argument
• Composing a
Researched
Argument
• …
Video teaching sessions
by the professors,
writing exercises and
activities, discussions
with faculty and tutor
team members, and
opportunities for meet-
up sessions using
Blackboard
Collaborate/Google
Hangouts
• Video lecture
• In-video quiz
• Reading
• Journal writing
• Discussion forums
• Peer reviews
• Weekly quiz
Two introductory
videos. Twenty four
10-min videos, eight
20-30-min hangouts
• Personal
Benchmark
Statement
• Personal
Philosophy Essay
• Personal
Philosophy Visual
• Personal
Philosophy Oral
Presentation
ASSIGNMENTS / COURSE REQUIREMENTS

12. DUKE OHIO STATE MSJC GA TECH
Project Drafts – 20%
Peer Feedback – 20%
Project 1 Final – 10%
Project 2 Final – 10%
Project 3 Final – 15%
Project 4 Final – 10%
Self-reflection – 15%
Incompletion of peer
feedback (-20%)
Requirement for
Statement of
Accomplishment
(SOA) not
mentioned.
SOA:
• Complete at least
three small activities
• Complete all three
major papers with
required number of
peer reviews
SOA with Distinction:
• Complete at least
five small activities
• Complete all three
major papers with
required number of
peer reviews (PRs)
• Meet at least one of
these criteria:
a. Achieve an average
of 3 out of 5 in MPs
b. Achieve an average
of 3 out of 5 in PRs
Quizzes (in-video &
weekly) – 60%
Peer reviewed writing
assignments – 20%
Final paragraph – 20%
Requirement for
Statement of
Accomplishment (SOA)
not mentioned.
Personal Benchmark
Statement (initial) –
10%
Personal Phil. (PP)
Essay (draft) – 10%
PP Essay (final) – 15%
PP Visual (draft) – 10%
PP Visual (final) – 15%
PP Oral (draft) – 10%
PP Oral (final) – 15%)
Personal Benchmark
Statement (final) –
15%
Requirement for
Statement of
Accomplishment (SOA)
not mentioned.
GRADING

13. COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL COMPOSITION COURSE
HIGH LEVEL PARTICIPATORY LEARNING
• Group-based learning
• Networked connections
• Working with strangers

14. COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL COMPOSITION COURSE
INTERACTIVITY
• Collaborations
• Peer assessments

15. COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL COMPOSITION COURSE
VOLUNTARY / ACTIVE LEARNING
• Learning by choice
• Little to no consequence for
withdrawal

16. COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL COMPOSITION COURSE
DIVERSITY
• Culturally rich
• Diverse understanding on the
materials

17. COMPARED TO A TRADITIONAL COMPOSITION COURSE
LOADS OF INFORMATION
• Navigation
• Presentation of content
• Information overload

18. Yes… they are coming…

19. WORKS CITED
• http://www.katyjordan.com/MOOCproject.html
• https://chronicle.com/article/The-Professors-Behind-the-MOOC/137905/#id=overview
IMAGES
• http://nealizham.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/23-warm-bodies.jpg
• http://jacketupload.macmillanusa.com/jackets/high_res/jpgs/9781457600043.jpg
• http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-
XaxCN5Q0GkA/T91ugOBFi1I/AAAAAAAABOE/a00291AgJos/s1600/BONK+MOOC+Hands.JPG