Factors leading to effective teaching of MOOCs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to survey the factors which facilitate effective teaching through massive open online courses (MOOCs).Design/methodology/approachA descriptive meta-analysis was conducted to first examine the literature covering the characteristics of teaching in MOOCs, the profil...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:AAOU journal 2016-08, Vol.11 (1), p.105-118
Main Author: Wong, Billy Tak-ming
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Educational Environment
Educational Resources
Higher education
Learning
Learning Theories
massive open online courses (mooc)
MOOCs
Online instruction
online teaching
Participation
Students
Teaching
teaching effectiveness
Teaching Methods
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Summary:PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to survey the factors which facilitate effective teaching through massive open online courses (MOOCs).Design/methodology/approachA descriptive meta-analysis was conducted to first examine the literature covering the characteristics of teaching in MOOCs, the profile of participants, the instructional design of course materials and/or the course assessment methods – and then to summarise the factors which are conducive to the teaching effectiveness of MOOCs. A random sample of MOOCs was then reviewed to sort out the extent to which the factors can be identified in these courses.FindingsThe factors leading to effective teaching of MOOCs revolve around six areas according to the stages of course delivery, namely, preparation, attraction, participation, interaction, consolidation and post-course support. They address the application of technology to achieve educational purposes, while coping with the potentials and constraints of the MOOC environment. In practice, however, existing MOOCs show varying degrees of the implementation of the factors.Research limitations/implicationsAs this is an exploratory study summarising and categorising the factors, further work should be done, in particular on the proper adoption of these factors in teaching, their effectiveness and ways of assessing such effectiveness.Originality/valueThe factors identified will help institutions and academics who plan to offer MOOCs to be aware of how teaching can be best delivered to promote effective student learning.
ISSN:2414-6994
1858-3431
2414-6994
DOI:10.1108/AAOUJ-07-2016-0023