THE MOOC MODEL FOR DIGITAL PRACTICE:
image CC ecstaticist http://www.flickr.com/photos/ecstaticist/3570660643/
Authors: Alexander McAuley, Bonnie Stewart, George Siemens and Dave Cormier
MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES
Digital ways of knowing and learning
Created through funding received by the University of Prince Edward
Island through the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council's
" Knowledge Synthesis Grants on the Digital Economy" .
2010 CC Attribution.
Executive Summary! 3
Introduction! 3
What is a MOOC?! 4
MOOCs, the Digital Economy and Participatory Citizenship! 5
Research Gaps and Future Directions! 6
In the Open – The MOOC model as digital practice! 8
What is a MOOC?! 10
Who are We?! 11
Narrative Introductions:! 13
Dave Cormier! 13
Bonnie Stewart! 16
George Siemens! 21
Sandy McAuley! 25
Methodology! 28
The Research Questions:! 29
1. How do MOOCS reflect effective practices within the digital economy?! 30
Economy in a Digital Age! 30
MOOCS and Fast Capital! 32
MOOCS as Digital Practice! 33
MOOCs and Learner Roles! 37
2. The implications of MOOCs for knowledge-making and what it means to know within the digi-
tal economy! 38
A. McAuley, B. Stewart, G. Siemens & D. Cormier! The MOOC Model for Digital Practice
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The implications of MOOCs! 39
Gaps in knowledge about MOOCs! 41
3. What economic opportunities and challenges does the open model of participation bring into
focus?! 41
4. In terms of discourses, literacies, and prior knowledge, what digital skills are privileged and
rewarded within the MOOC environment?! 46
5. What factors limit participation?! 51
6. How can the MOOC model help engage and develop an effective digital citizenry?! 54
Bibliography and Citations! 57
A. McAuley, B. Stewart, G. Siemens & D. Cormier! The MOOC Model for Digital Practice
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Executive Summary
Introduction
The MOOC Model for Digital Practice responds to the “Building Digital Skills for Tomorrow”
section of the consultation paper Improving Canada’s Digital Advantage: Strategies for Sustain-
able Prosperity by synthesizing the current state of knowledge about Massive Online Open
Courses (MOOCs). It argues that building and sustaining prosperity through Canada’s current
digital strengths depends on a digital ecosystem that embraces both infrastructure and the col-
laborative social networks enabled by that infrastructure. Prosperity in this context requires a
citizenry with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to turn these factors towards creat-
ing wealth. By exploring the relationship of MOOCs to the digital economy in general and their
potential roles to prepare citizens for participation in that digital economy in particular, it illus-
trates one particularly Canadian model of how these needs may be addressed.
In keeping with the multimodality and the alternatives to “traditional” modes of presentation
enabled by digital technologies and integral to the development of the digital economy, our
knowledge synthesis has supplemented the printed report with four online digital videos. Each
synopsizes one main attribute of the relationship of MOOCs to the digital economy:
The first summarizes what a MOOC is:
http://edactive.ca/mooc/whatisamooc
The second summarizes what new users may need to consider for success in a MOOC:
http://edactive.ca/mooc/successinamooc
A. McAuley, B. Stewart, G. Siemens & D. Cormier! The MOOC Model for Digital Practice
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The third touches on the creation of knowledge in a MOOC:
http://edactive.ca/mooc/knowledgeinamooc
The fourth provides an example of how MOOCs might be presented as a contributor to a digital
economy:
http://edactive.ca/mooc/digitaleconomysample
Collectively, the four web-based videos provide an overview of many of the points raised elsewhere in
this report.
What is a MOOC?
An online phenomenon gathering momentum over the past two years or so, a MOOC integrates
the connectivity of social networking, the facilitation of an acknowledged expert in a field of
study, and a collection of freely accessible online resources. Perhaps most importantly, however, a
MOOC builds on the active engagement of several hundred to several thousand “students” who
self-organize their participation according to learning goals, prior knowledge and skills, and
common interests. Although it may share in some of the conventions of an ordinary course, such
as a predefined timeline and weekly topics for consideration, a MOOC generally carries no fees,
no prerequisites other than Internet access and interest, no predefined expectations for participa-
tion, and no formal accreditation.
Word that a MOOC will be offered typically spreads through an online social network. A central
web address may be used to consolidate a registration process, outline the suggested course
schedule, and provide a nexus for support and communication. Apart from this, however, just
about anything goes. Individuals may continue to use the central site to consolidate their partici-
A. McAuley, B. Stewart, G. Siemens & D. Cormier! The MOOC Model for Digital Practice
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