Integrating a MOOC into the Postgraduate ELT Curriculum: Reflecting on Students’ Beliefs with a MOOC Blend

Marina Orsini-Jones, Barbara Conde Gafaro, Shooq Altamimi

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    Abstract

    This chapter builds on the outcomes of a blended learning
    action-research project in its third iteration (academic year
    2015-16). The FutureLearn Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)
    Understanding Language: Learning and Teaching was integrated
    into the curriculum of the Master of Arts (MA) in English Language
    Teaching (ELT) at Coventry University (UK). The MOOC was
    designed by the University of Southampton in collaboration with
    the British Council and many of its topics appeared to coincide with
    those on the MA in ELT module ‘Theories and Methods of Language
    Learning and Teaching’. The initial blend trialled for the project
    included all students covering the same topics in various ways, e.g.
    in face-to-face workshops at Coventry University, on the MOOC with
    thousands of participants, and on the institutional virtual learning
    environment – Moodle – with peers on the module. This enhanced
    blend afforded unique opportunities for reflection on the problematic
    areas of knowledge encountered by students on the MA in ELT, such
    as learner autonomy. The work reported here was carried out by one
    of the authors (Altamimi), an ‘expert student’ who replicated the
    research design of the first cycles of the study carried out by Orsini-
    Jones in 2014 and 2015, and focused on learners’ beliefs, rather than
    on learner autonomy.
    Original languageEnglish
    Title of host publicationBeyond the language classroom
    Subtitle of host publicationResearching MOOCs and other innovations
    EditorsQian Kan, Stephen Bax
    Place of PublicationDublin
    PublisherResearch-publishing.net
    Pages71-83
    Number of pages13
    Volume1
    Edition1
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 28 Jun 2017

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