ERIC Number: EJ1108408
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2016-Jun
Pages: 35
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1492-3831
EISSN: N/A
The Effect of Multilingual Facilitation on Active Participation in MOOCs
Colas, Jean-François; Sloep, Peter B.; Garreta-Domingo, Muriel
International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, v17 n4 p280-314 Jun 2016
A new approach for overcoming the language and culture barriers to participation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is reported. It is hypothesised that the juxtaposition of English as the "language of instruction," used for interacting with course materials, and one's preferred language as the "language of participation," used for interaction with peers and facilitators, is preferable to "English only" for participation in a MOOC. The Hands-On ICT (HANDSON) MOOC included seven teams of facilitators, each catering for a different language community. Facilitators were responsible for promoting active participation and peer tutoring. Comparing language groups revealed a series of predictors of intention to learn, some of which became apparent in the first days of the MOOC already. The comparison also uncovered four critical factors that influence participation: facilitation, language of participation, group size, and a pre-existing sense of community. Especially crucial was reaching a sufficient number of active participants during the first week. We conclude that multilingual facilitation activates participation in MOOCs in various ways, and that synergy between the four aforementioned factors is critical for the formation of the learning network that supports a social dynamic of active participation. Our approach suggests future targets for the development of the multilingual and community potential of MOOCs.
Descriptors: Large Group Instruction, Online Courses, Barriers, Language Usage, Language of Instruction, Facilitators (Individuals), Student Participation, Peer Teaching, Comparative Analysis, Predictor Variables, Intention, Group Dynamics, Hypothesis Testing, Technology Uses in Education, Teaching Methods, Foreign Countries, English, French, Greek, Spanish, Slavic Languages, Romance Languages
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Bulgaria; France; Greece; Slovenia; Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A