Below is my response to Tony’s post on more reflection on MOOC and MITx
Here is my previous post where I shared my views on MOOC. Here Dave has also elaborated on what we could learn through the lens of rhizomatic learning and MOOC based on Cynefin Model.
What is the value of MOOC, especially to HE? I think there is already a trend towards learning with the affordance of technology, tools, social media and different COPs and networks by both educators and learners in HE. Would we need to gain a better understanding of what these mean and what the impacts are on HE?
MOOC provides an environment upon which learning with complex learning ecology is experimented and explored, so as to inform learners, technologists, educators and administrators (k-12, HE) and managers, engineers and learners from various businesses on the pros and cons of learning using various platforms or spaces in a complex digital landscape. That is the reality of what “authentic learning” means, and how it could be structured in a typical (future online) classroom environment, with networkers interaction with the networks, other people in the world, and a global environment. This would also help people to develop creative, innovative (though sometimes disruptive) solutions and practices in response to changing environment and demands, and to wicked problems. This would unearth the often good and best practices in simple and complicated cases, as experienced by each others in our institutions, and to refine the ideas for emergent learning, through interaction, participation and engagement in the networks and communities.
These networked learning environment (MOOC) would provide more opportunities for experts, educators and facilitators, knowledgeable others and novices to share and learn together, without the hindrance and silo effect that is typical in a formal organizational setting. The communities that emerged from the MOOC would also form the basis of networked learning, as I have shared in my previous posts here, here and here.
Staying as a lurker may also be a good way to learn too, for some people, as these lurkers have the opportunity to see how “experts”, “knowledgeable others” and active participants facilitate, interact and share with both similar or dissimilar views or opinions, and thus gain a better understanding on how these would impact on HE, K-12 education, the economy, etc. There are certain assumptions that I have made here. Without a MOOC as a precursor, I reckon we may just be looking forward to some networks, networkers, or opinion leaders, without any places (such as blogs) to share and discuss facts, opinions with dialectic discourse among us.
I will continue to explore and share other aspects of MOOC and its impact on HE in future posts.
Images: Google
John
Learner Weblog 