The social perspective of the main MOOC platforms through Facebook

Abstract

In its capacity as a social network, Facebook provides a strong means of social communication through the Internet, connecting users with shared interests. The present study analyzes the Facebook accounts of 7 of the most important MOOC platforms -Coursera; EdX; Future Learn; Harvard Extension; Miriada X; Stanford Online; and Udacity- for the purpose of describing the way in which these platforms use their accounts as a digital space for communication, information, and social interaction with their users. Online measuring tools related to the growth and visibility of accounts, the content published, and the interactivity with followers, have been utilized to achieve our aims. The results made it evident that the number of followers is not proportional to the number of publications and the activity level of the respective accounts. This shows the need to have and develop strategies revolving around social networks, insofar as it can contribute to the consolidation of groups interested in the educational project offered by each platform.