Is professor still at the centre stage of MOOCs?
Yes, six years on since 2008, and it seems that the professors of courses have been brought back to the spotlight in cMOOC.
Who initiated the learning revolution? I have shared them in my previous posts here and here.
In my post what are teachers for?
The present xMOOCs have all focus on education on a massive scale, leading to automated teaching (short videos with the instructors exposition of the essential concepts, procedures) with quizzes, followed by assignments, tests and examinations etc. Flipping the classroom has merely changed the procedures in teaching – by asking the learners to view teaching by teachers (or animated videos, or documentary etc.) first, and discuss that after. This is similar to the video based distance learning in the past decade, except that now we could incorporate forum, discussion boards to allow peer-to-peer discussion, and teachers to explain on more advanced concepts or applications, or respond to some of the questions raised. The use of synchronous session may be used in both x and c MOOCs as a way to further discuss the ideas or questions relating to assigned readings, or videos. That’s basically a replica of what are typical in classroom teaching, in most cases, except that these are now all digital, with artifacts readily available for rewind, recap, and re-view. The teachers are needed to have the first recording, after then they might only be needed in future courses for responding to students.
Photo: Google image
Here are the forum posts on MOODLE in CCK08:
Role of teachers – Teaching the Teachers
Can a network of learners serve the same role as a teacher or professor?
Have there been much changes in the role of professor and learners in MOOCs (x and c MOOCs) since 2008?
Are these changes based on learner-center or teacher-center or both?
Learner Weblog 