Developing world MOOCs: A curriculum view of the MOOC landscape
Journal Article
2014-07
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Journal Title
Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies
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Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies
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University of Cape Town
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Abstract
MOOCs offer opportunities but are also pose the danger of further
exacerbating existing educational divisions and deepening the homogeneity of global
knowledge systems. Like many universities globally, South African university leaders
and those responsible for course, curriculum, and learning technology development are
coming to grips with the implications and possibilities of online and open education for
their own institutions. What opportunities do they offer to universities, especially from
the point of view of research-focused campus-based institutions which have not yet
engaged with MOOCs and have little history with online courses? Given the
complexities of the MOOC-scape, this paper provides a means for contextualising the
options within an institutional landscape of educational provision as possibilities for
MOOC creation, use and adaptation. This takes into account what is currently available
and identifies what new opportunities can be explored. Refining this further, a
categorisation of existing MOOCs is provided that maps to broad institutional interests.
The notion of courses offered by universities as being either primarily ‘inward’ or ‘outward’ facing is explained. Five categories of MOOCs are described: Category One,
Teaching Showcase; Category Two, Gateway Skills; Category Three, Graduate Skills;
Category Four, Professional Skills and Category Five, Research Showcase. These are
elaborated on and examples provided. This taxonomy provides a nuanced way of
understanding MOOCs and MOOC type courses in order for educators to strategically
prioritise and decision makers to support the full gamut of emergent opportunities.
Description
Reference:
Czerniewicz, L., Deacon, A., Small, J., & Walji, S. (2014). Developing world MOOCs: A curriculum view of the MOOC landscape. Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, 2(3).