Mentored Open Online Communities (MOOCs) as a Third Space for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

Online learning environments have been promoted as educational innovations with tremendous potential. Originally framed as massive open online courses (MOOCs), large-scale, open, online learning experiences have gained significant attention under the dichotomised umbrellas of either revolutionising education or failing the schools. To provide a third space for teaching and learning in higher education institutions, modified the original framing of MOOC to develop our own mentored open online community (MooC). This chapter explores a case study of a social media project that evolved around the hashtag #WalkMyWorld and developed into this alternative type of online learning experience. A group of university teacher educators sought to break through dichotomous perspectives by experimenting with a hybrid environment \u27removed\u27 but still embedded within face-to-face classes, allowing participants to communicate, socialise and learn in a flexible, open environment. #WalkMyWorld was conceived as a third space to support learners in online spaces, offering a new organisational structure within face-to-face undergraduate and graduate-level education courses