The format included video lectures, webinars, discussions, quizzes and assignments. It was divided into four complementary but not cumulative modules that allowed participants to jump in at any time during the fourweek period. Participants were presented with a badge following each module and a certificate signifying completion at the end of the course. Approximately 750 people participated in the MOOC during its live phase; 24 certificates were awarded to those who completed the entire MOOC, and 148 badges were given out. The MOOC was primarily a learning experience for FSU students. “It provided an authentic instructional design and facilitation experience for our students,” said Dennen. In addition to participating in a unique experience, FSU students gained valuable insight into open learning, intellectual property issues and hands-on experience with MOOCs. The MOOC also had far reaching impacts outside of the classroom. Dennen was awarded two Florida State University Distance Learning Awards for the EME 6635 online course: the Distance Learning Award for Excellence in Online Teaching and the Distance Learning Award for Innovative and Effective Use of Technology. Beyond FSU’s walls, Dennen and Bong have presented
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their data at a number of conferences, including the American Educational Research Association’s (AERA) annual meeting and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) 2014 convention. Dennen has also given invited talks on the topic at the AECT Learning and Knowledge Analytics in Open Education (LKAOE) 2015 symposium in China and at universities and research centers in China and South Korea. A number of publications have been produced following the MOOC, as well. Dennen and Amit Chauhan, doctoral student in ISLT, created an analysis of MOOCs that was published in MOOCs Forum. Dennen and Bong have an article in press about MOOC design that will appear in the International Journal for Educational Media and Technology.
presentation and publication. Dennen and Bong are currently working on several projects, including a book chapter on MOOCs as a professional development tool, articles on the motivational value of badges in a MOOC and interaction patterns of MOOC participants. Dennen, Bong and ISLT doctoral student Zhongrui Yao are preparing presentations for the 2015 AECT conference. Dennen is also considering running the MOOC — and the FSU course — a second time, to provide more research and practice opportunities for FSU graduate students and to share the ISLT program’s expertise on social media use in education with the larger education community. The future of MOOCs is unclear, but we can be certain that our faculty and students are at the forefront of innovative technology and resources and are making continuous impacts across the field of education. T
The MOOC project continues to bring opportunities for
Fabrizio Fornara, Vanessa Dennen, Jiyae Bong and Wei Qiang Kelly wearing MOOC team badges at the ISLT 40 conference.