MOOCS

MOOCS

Rhyon Whittle, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Definitions and background

MOOCS is an abbreviation of Massive Open Online Courses (Chen, 2014). Delivered since 2008, MOOCS are online courses that allow for large numbers of students to participate freely (Rodriguez, 2013). George Siemens and Stephen Downs delivered the first MOOC (De Langen & Van Den Bosch, 2014). These online courses are usually led by individuals regarded as experts in the particular field being taught (Fournier, Mak, & Kop, 2011). MOOCS are characterized by accessibility, in that they are open globally and provide access to a free learning opportunity to participants across the world (Esposito, 2012). While the model is free, MOOCS sometimes allow learners the opportunity to pay a fee to have their work recognized through the awarding of credits (Chen, 2014). Usually, the total number of participants numbers over 500 (Koutropoulos et al., 2012). A MOOC participant base consists of a mixed group; those that actively participate and contribute to the learning community exist side by side with learners who are participating in a non-proactive fashion (Esposito, 2012). In principle, a MOOC is intended to encourage its participants to connect and network among themselves, using these networks to support the learning process (Fournier et al., 2011).