A pedagogy of abundance or a pedagogy to support human beings? Participant support on massive open online courses

Authors

  • Rita Kop National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Information Technology, Learning and Collaborative Technologies Group
  • Hélène Fournier National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Information Technology, Learning and Collaborative Technologies Group
  • John Sui Fai Mak

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i7.1041

Keywords:

Connectivism, networked learning, media affordances, learner autonomy, presence, roles, educator

Abstract

This paper examines how emergent technologies could influence the design of learning environments. It will pay particular attention to the roles of educators and learners in creating networked learning experiences on massive open online courses (MOOCs). The research shows that it is possible to move from a pedagogy of abundance to a pedagogy that supports human beings in their learning through the active creation of resources and learning places by both learners and course facilitators. This pedagogy is based on the building of connections, collaborations, and the exchange of resources between people, the building of a community of learners, and the harnessing of information flows on networks. This resonates with the notion of emergent learning as learning in which actors and system co-evolve within a MOOC and where the level of presence of actors on the MOOC influences learning outcomes.

Author Biography

Rita Kop, National Research Council of Canada, Institute for Information Technology, Learning and Collaborative Technologies Group

Dr. Rita Kop has been a researcher at the National Research Council of Canada's Institute for Information Technology since September 2009 and holds a Ph.D. in Adult Continuing Education. Her current research focuses on human learning in advanced networked learning environments, and her recent teaching took place in massive open online events. Before she joined the NRC she was an assistant professor at Swansea University in the UK after a career as teacher and head-teacher in Dutch primary education. Her research interests are adult learning and open educational practice, self-directed learning, widening access to Higher Education, networked learning, and e-research methods.

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Published

2011-11-25

How to Cite

Kop, R., Fournier, H., & Mak, J. S. F. (2011). A pedagogy of abundance or a pedagogy to support human beings? Participant support on massive open online courses. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(7), 74–93. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v12i7.1041

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 7 (2011): Special Issue - Emergent Learning, Connections, Design for Learning

Section

Research Articles

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