Developing a pedagogical model for a massive open online course (MOOC)

Abstract

MOOCs are a new phenomenon in higher education and have the potential to change both student behaviour and design of courses. However, at present MOOCs are still in the experimental stage and it won't be clear for some time if they are a short-term but passing phenomenon or the engine of a revolution in higher education. We have been involved in developing and presenting a MOOC that provides an introduction to ecosystems and report here on the model we used to both engage learners in the subject and retain their interest throughout the 6 weeks of the course