MOOCs—A powerful tool for imparting climate literacy? Insights from parleys with students

Abstract

Climate literacy is a key impetus for triggering individual behavioural and societal change. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), at first glance, entail a multiplier effect for climate literacy as they are recognized for offering non-formal learning opportunities to a wider audience. However, throughout the recent years MOOCs have been under manifold criticism from various corners challenging their educational value. A remedy for shedding light on the question whether MOOCs are a powerful tool for climate education is to bring in the students’ perspectives on and experiences with MOOCs. These findings disclose the recipients’ perceptions and give empirical evidence to assess the incorporation of non-formal learning into the students’ learning context. Empirically, the chapter is based on 35 interviews conducted with students who participated in an English-speaking MOOC about interdisciplinary perspectives on climate change. The interviewed students represent a variety of different nationalities and academic backgrounds. During the semi-structured interviews, the students revealed diverse reasons for their participation in the MOOC, multiple learning outcomes and manifold opinions regarding the use of the MOOC in their personal learning context. This allows concluding that, albeit MOOCs are a promising tool for climate change education, they require a deeper understanding by incorporating the students’ perspective.