Facilitating Collaborative Learning in a Teacher Professional Development MOOC

• In Event: 81.025 - Innovating MOOC Pedagogies

Abstract

Objectives
MOOC discussion forums often fall short in sustaining learner interaction and collaboration (Gillani & Eynon, 2014; Tawfik et al., 2017; Zhang et al., 2016). The present study explored the use of instant messaging technology to support a collaborative learning intervention in a teacher professional development MOOC in China. By examining interaction patterns in collaborative learning groups, we intended to answer the following questions: (a) Did the introduced collaborative learning intervention facilitate group interactions? (b) What were the factors that influenced MOOC learners’ collaboration and disciplinary engagement?

Perspectives
This study was guided by the community of inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). In our context, cognitive presence was concerned with the extent of disciplinary engagement reflected in the content of learners’ group messages. Social presence and teaching presence were deeply weaved in learners’ collaborative processes.

Context
The teacher MOOC has been offered 13 times, with each term lasting for 7 weeks. The collaborative learning intervention was implemented in two terms, during which participants met on a regular basis through QQ or WeChat. A total of 173 participants were recruited to join collaborative groups, each of which was made of 6 to 10 learners. There were 9 and 4 groups respectively formed in two terms. Some participants left the group due to the lack of commitment to the MOOC. In addition, each group was supported by 1 or 2 teacher assistants, who assisted in forming the group, setting up schedules, providing learning materials, and facilitating group conversations.

Data Sources and Analyses
Data collected in this study included: (a) 6,127 messages from 26 group meetings; (b) semi-structured interviews with 16 learners about their perceived engagement, social presence and cognitive presence; (c) discussion summaries generated by facilitators; and (d) learning materials provided by the MOOC instructors. This study combined content analysis and grounded theory to address the research questions. Content analysis was used to code and analyze transcripts of text-based group messages, whereas grounded theory was used to induct theories from interview data.

Results
Both quantitative and qualitative findings that demonstrated sustained and productive discussion were found in some groups. However, barriers to learner engagement and collaboration were also identified, which implied the importance of having structured supports for collaborative learning in MOOCs. Factors that influenced learners’ collaboration and disciplinary engagement were rather complicated. Teaching presence, which was reflected in time management, task structure, grouping, regulation, and evaluation, played an important role. The technological environment (e.g., synchronous vs. asynchronous) impacted learners’ perception of social presence. Besides teaching and social presences, individual characteristics of learners, such as motivation, prior knowledge, professional background, also had an impact on MOOC learners’ engagement.

Scholarly Significance
It remains a challenge to engage MOOC learners in collaborative learning activities. To address this challenge, this study explored the approach of facilitating small groups on instant messaging apps and identified interaction patterns of group activities and factors related to learners’ collaboration and disciplinary engagement. Both the intervention design and empirical findings will inform future work in this area.

Authors

• Jingmin Miao, The Open University of China

• Qiong Wang, Peking University

• Bodong Chen, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities