Merging MOOC and mLearning for Increased Learner Interaction

In this paper, the authors suggest the merger of the Massively Open Online Course (MOOC) format and mobile learning (mLearning) based on mutual affordances of both contemporary learning/teaching formats to investigate learner interactions and dialogues in an open online course. The paper presents a case study of how MobiMOOC, a course created using the MOOC format, demonstrates the synergistic characteristics between the MOOC format and mLearning, making a combination of both fields ideal for contemporary, digital, collaborative learning, and knowledge construction based on learner interactions and dialogue. MobiMOOC was a six-week online course focusing on mLearning that ran in April and May 2011. An endof-course survey providesinsight thatsupportsthe synergies between MOOCs and mLearning: collaboration, informal and lifelong learning, and dialogue.Fil: De Waard, Inge. Athabasca University; BélgicaFil: Koutropoulos, Apostolos. University of Massachusetts; Estados UnidosFil: Hogue, Rebecca J.. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Abajian, Sean C.. California State University Northridge (calif. State Univ. Northridge);Fil: Keskin, Nilgün Özdamar. Anadolu University; TurquíaFil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad del Cema. Departamento de Ingeniería Informatica; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Gallagher, Michael Sean. University of Edinburgh; Reino Unid

Emotive Vocabulary in MOOCs: Context & Participant Retention

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have been growing in popularity with educational researchers, instructors, and learners in online environments. Online discussions are as important in MOOCs as in other online courses. Online discussions that occur in MOOCs are influenced by additional factors resulting from their volatile and voluntary participation structure. This article aims to examine discussions that took place in MobiMOOC in the spring of 2011, a MOOC structured around mobile learning. This line of inquiry focused on language from the discussions that contained emotive vocabulary in the MobiMOOC discussion forums. Emotive vocabulary is words or phrases that are implicitly emotional (happy, sad, frustrated) or relate to emotional contexts (I wasn't able to...). This emotive vocabulary, when present, was examined to determine whether it could serve as a mechanism for predicting future and continued participation in the MOOC. In this research, narrative inquiry approach was used in order to shine a light on the possible predictive qualities of emotive text in both participants who withdrew from the course as well as moderately or moderately active participants. The results indicated that emotive vocabulary usage did not significantly predict or impact participation retention in MobiMOOC. (Contains 5 figures and 4 endnotes.)Fil: Koutropoulos, Apostolos. University of Massachussets; Estados UnidosFil: Gallagher, Michael Sean. University of London; Reino UnidoFil: Abajian, Sean C.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Inge de Waard. Institute of Tropical Medicine; BélgicaFil: Hogue, Rebecca Joanne. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Keskin, Nilgün Özdamar. Anadolu University; TurquíaFil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Emotive Vocabulary in MOOCs: Context & Participant Retention

Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) have been growing in popularity with educational researchers, instructors, and learners in online environments. Online discussions are as important in MOOCs as in other online courses. Online discussions that occur in MOOCs are influenced by additional factors resulting from their volatile and voluntary participation structure. This article aims to examine discussions that took place in MobiMOOC in the spring of 2011, a MOOC structured around mobile learning. This line of inquiry focused on language from the discussions that contained emotive vocabulary in the MobiMOOC discussion forums. Emotive vocabulary is words or phrases that are implicitly emotional (happy, sad, frustrated) or relate to emotional contexts (I wasn't able to...). This emotive vocabulary, when present, was examined to determine whether it could serve as a mechanism for predicting future and continued participation in the MOOC. In this research, narrative inquiry approach was used in order to shine a light on the possible predictive qualities of emotive text in both participants who withdrew from the course as well as moderately or moderately active participants. The results indicated that emotive vocabulary usage did not significantly predict or impact participation retention in MobiMOOC. (Contains 5 figures and 4 endnotes.)Fil: Koutropoulos, Apostolos. University of Massachussets; Estados UnidosFil: Gallagher, Michael Sean. University of London; Reino UnidoFil: Abajian, Sean C.. California State University; Estados UnidosFil: Inge de Waard. Institute of Tropical Medicine; BélgicaFil: Hogue, Rebecca Joanne. University of Ottawa; CanadáFil: Keskin, Nilgün Özdamar. Anadolu University; TurquíaFil: Rodriguez, Carlos Osvaldo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Argentin

Using mLearning and MOOCs to understand chaos, emergence, and complexity in education

In this paper, we look at how the massive open online course (MOOC) format developed by connectivist researchers and enthusiasts can help analyze the complexity, emergence, and chaos at work in the field of education today. We do this through the prism of a MobiMOOC, a six-week course focusing on mLearning that ran from April to May 2011. MobiMOOC embraced the core MOOC components of self-organization, connectedness, openness, complexity, and the resulting chaos, and, as such, serves as an interesting paradigm for new educational orders that are currently emerging in the field. We discuss the nature of participation in MobiMOOC, the use of mobile technology and social media, and how these factors contributed to a chaotic learning environment with emerging phenomena. These emerging phenomena resulted in a transformative educational paradigm.Facultad de Ciencias Exacta

What Tweets Tell us About MOOC Participation

In this research paper, the authors analyze the collected Twitter data output during MobiMOOC 2011. This six-week data stream includes all tweets that contain the MOOC's hashtag (#mobiMOOC) and it has been analyzed using qualitative methodology. The analysis sought to examine the emotive vocabulary used, to determine if there was content-sharing via tweets, and to analyze the folksonomic trends of the tweets. In Addition sought a deeper understanding of what, and how, MOOC participants share what they share on the MOOC’s Twitter channel. The aim of this study is to provide a little more insight into MOOC learner behaviors on Twitter so that future MOOC designers and facilitators can better engage with their learners