Supporting Local Educational Innovation through Collaborative, Continuous Improvement: Self-Directed/Community-Supported Learning in MOOCs

• In Event: Advancing The Teaching and Learning of Collaborative Continuous Improvement in Education

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this analysis is to explore the use of massive open online courses (MOOCs) to address two challenges with institutionalizing CCIE in large numbers of diverse, local educational contexts: developing the technical knowledge and skills needed by large numbers of diverse local stakeholders to leverage formal approaches to CCIE; and developing the social norms and dispositions needed by diverse local stakeholders to work together as welcomed and valued colleagues in CCIE.

Theoretical Framework: The analysis focuses on discerning patterns of learner engagement in Transforming Education in an Interconnected World, a CCIE-focused MOOC series anchored in an instructional approach called Self-Directed/Community-Supported Learning. Self-Directed Learning uses “xMOOC” design elements and supports to develop technical capabilities for CCIE through individual, transfer-oriented learning experiences. Community-Supported Learning uses “cMOOC” design elements and supports to develop social capabilities for CCIE through collaborative, constructivist-oriented learning experiences.

Method: Our method was an ongoing process of social sensemaking in the context of weekly design team meetings in which we used evidence generated routinely through the MOOCs to interrogate our rationale and design for Self-Directed/Community-Supported Learning. Key sources of evidence included pre-course surveys; learners’ contributions and artifacts on discussion forums; and post-course surveys.

An important dimension of our sensemaking was collaborating with campus-based graduate students who engaged the Transforming Education series to gain their perspectives on Self-Directed/Community-Supported Learning. These graduate students were a microcosm of the global community of learners in the Transforming Education series, with representation from China, Columbia, Egypt, Pakistan, the Philippines, and the U.S. They were also representative of the diverse educational stakeholders for whom the series was designed, with representation from programs in teacher education; educational leadership and policy; program evaluation and improvement research; educational equity, justice, and social transformation; and learning experience design.

Substantiated Conclusions: Across the full complement of learners in the Transforming Education series, the dominant pattern of engagement featured high numbers of enrollments and low completion rates; selective engagement across and within courses; and small numbers of learners fully engaged. Our collaborative sensemaking with University of Michigan graduate students provided deep insights into “best case” engagement among learners fully committed to Self-Directed/Community-Supported Learning. We identified two additional patterns among these learners: value in individual design elements and supports for developing technical and social capabilities for CCIE, but complications in the interactions among them.

Significance: Our analysis suggests that using MOOCs to support CCIE requires calibrating expectations. MOOCs function most strongly as a resource for cultivating broad interest among learners who are curious about CCIE but content to remain on the periphery of formal learning opportunities. They can also function as a resource for developing technical capabilities for CCIE among those who leverage individual learning opportunities. They can go further, to function as a resource for developing social capabilities for CCIE among those who leverage collaborative learning opportunities, though (a) conditioned on the availability of complementary, face-to-face learning opportunities and (b) mindful of the time demands on the most committed, engaged learners.

Authors

• Donald J. Peurach, University of Michigan

• Aysha Jerald, University of Michigan

• Jacob M. Aguinaga, University of Michigan