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21Интегрирование массовых открытых онлайн-курсов в традиционное обучение
Гончарова Валерия Владимировна,
кандидат педагогических наук доцент, кафедра иностранных языков № 1, Российский экономический университет имени Г.В. Плеханова E-mail: [email protected]
Маслова Елизавета Геннадьевна,
кандидат филологических наук доцент, кафедра иностранных языков № 1, Российский экономический университет имени Г.В. Плеханова E-mail: [email protected]
Минасян Ева Тиграновна,
кандидат филологических наук доцент, кафедра иностранных языков № 1, Российский экономический университет имени Г.В. Плеханова E-mail: [email protected]
Статья посвящена одному из популярных видов онлайн-образования - массовым открытым онлайн-курсам (МООК) как инновации в высшем образования и способам интеграции МООК в традиционное обучение. Авторы выявили общие черты и представили две модели МООК (коннективистскую и традиционную), которые позволяют понять организацию, технические и методические особенности. Авторы описывают собственный опыт разработки МООК и делятся выводами: МООК рассматривается как инструмент смешанного обучения, который помогает улучшить результаты обучения и мотивацию студентов. Принцип ротации имеет решающее значение для успешной интеграции МООК в учебный процесс. Педагог способен создать собственную гибкую и удобную платформу для педагогического общения, достичь своих личных и профессиональных целей и эффективно управлять учебным процессом.
Ключевые слова: массовый открытый онлайн-курс, электронное обучение, коннективистские и традиционные МООК, смешанное обучение, дистанционное обучение.
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Introduction
One of the most well-known innovations in higher education in recent years is massive open online courses (MOOCs). The origins of MOOCs are not that old. The term first surfaced in 2008 by Stephen Downes and George Siemens and is based on the «connectivist» distributed peer learning concept. In 2011 a few educational videos lectured by Stanford University academics were quite successful and later were made available through free online platforms. Since that time the number of MOOCs has continued to grow daily [1 ].
In Russia the scientists have different views on this issue. On the one hand, they say there are no e-learning standards or legal framework which cause the difficulty in creating such courses [2-5]. Staro-dubtsev V.A. claims that MOOCs currently stand in for an informal method of learning about any subject matter that has not been formally included into the institutional framework of formal education [3]. On the other hand, a number of leading Russian Universities (Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics and Informatics (MESI), Moscow State University (MSU), HSE University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT), Plekhanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE), etc.) and individuals are developing analogues of massive open online courses in order to obtain knowledge of the same or deeper quality as in the traditional form of education [2,4].
Even though MOOCs cannot be properly regulated, the scientists [1,3,5] have identified significant commonalities that characterise all MOOC types.
open access (free and unrestricted use of the internet by anyone);
collaborative learning (adherence to the connectiv-ist model of involvement and knowledge sharing in the learning process);
globalism and mass character (a great number of international students learn practical skills that will be helpful in a global community);
maximum visualisation (training video material including video lectures, slide shows, glossaries, midterm and final tests and much more should be aimed at maximum visibility);
rigid deadlines, timelines and schedules (they are monitored through an automated MOOC system).
During the time of the COVID-19 epidemic MOOCS saw the growth in their development and became the most widely used form of distance learning.
The majority of the educational process at Ple-khanov Russian University of Economics (PRUE) during the time of self-isolation was built on the usage of university educational portal, instant messengers,
videoconferences and MOOCs [6]. But in 2022-2023 when the lockdown period was over, teachers faced the problem whether to stop or continue teaching using MOOCs in the traditional learning. In this regard there is a growing interest for exploring how MOOCs can enrich traditionally taught courses and act as a complementary resource in achieving teachers' and students' goals.
Thus, the purpose of this article is to consider the ways of the use of MOOCs in a traditionally taught course of English for the students of the department of management in PRUE. We will also demonstrate our experience to embed two MOOCs to achieve the learning outcomes with blended learning.
Methodology
The course 'English as a Foreign language (EFL)' is taught in the second year of bachelor level of study programs 'Management' and 'Business Psychology'. It is taught as a traditional learning course with full time students enrolled. Number of students varies from 60 up to 80. This course is enriched with two MOOCs: 'Business Competencies' and 'Psychology of management'. These two MOOCs have been offered as an alternative activity to project work that counts toward the course mark. The inclusion of MOOCs in the course has some objectives: to give the students deeper knowledge of the course and help the students who do not regularly participate in the course to meet the learning outcomes, to increase the students' exposure to online learning.
Our study will be based on the research of two models of MOOCs. The first model, cMOOCs (con-nectivist) is created by the participants and is based on the "pull content" [2]. It means that the learners are active consumers of information and learning. There is a wide usage of blogs, social media networks, etc. The learners themselves define their learning trajectory, judge the quality of the resources and chart their own progress towards the goals. Thus, the authors of the course direct, not manage. It is regulated by the principles of self-learning and decentralisation.
Institutional or individual academics' proprietary learning management systems are used to provide xMOOCs (extended) [2]. They are conventional in that the authors, who are "pushing" the material to the participants, totally manage and regulate the work. The principle of centralisation is applied here.
As we found out most MOOCs in higher education relate to the second type as an adjunct to the mainstream curriculum and are completely managed and regulated by the authors of the course. Learners appear to be the objects of educational activity. In our MOOCs we tried to mix two principles of centralisation and decentralisation. For instance, the same content may be covered in a traditional lesson and then presented in a different way online under our guidance or through self-study assignment. Thus, we created a 'blend' specifically suited to our teaching scenario taking into consideration the level of the students, the setting, the goals, the curriculum, this is what we mean by blended learning. According to the opinion K. Srivas-
tava, by using the most suitable technology in various classroom contexts and under various conditions, blended learning helps students discover comfortable environments for them to achieve their goals more readily than in conventional learning environments, hence lowering the costs of learning [7].
Characteristics of the MOOCs
First of all, we chose a popular educational learning constructor 'Eduardo' as it provides a teacher the freedom to design their own easy and adaptable course for use in the classroom or as supplement to blended learning. The Eduardo constructor has the same components as well-known distance learning platforms enabling you to customise the educational experience taking into account the specifics of your tasks and the abilities of students [8].
Although the MOOCs have a similar framework, the material varies because of the variations in the curricula. Each MOOC is divided into eight sections, including reading extracts, listening segments and cases. Each section is built on unadapted texts on a particular topic with a set of tasks enhancing reading comprehension, vocabulary and language skills. Then the students get a chance to listen to authentic speeches of businesspeople and professionals (TED TALKS). Implementing this online tool helps to develop listening skills such as listening for information and note-taking. Finally, our learners have case studies based on realistic business and psychological problems or situations which allow to use language and communication skills related to the specific theme. MOOCs also incorporate writing-related activities. The current and final control includes variety of test questions for understanding the material as well as self-assessment with self-examination tasks.
Blended learning approach allows us to give our learners an opportunity to gain deeper knowledge in the chosen field in the form of discussions and debates at the lesson as we try to use the principle of rotation. It alternates between learning the topic offline as a direct, one-on-one teaching and then online to facilitate indirect participant connection [5]. A. Bralic', B. Divjak (2014) stated that these in-person sessions help reinforce the expectations of the online learning components [9].
Data and Results
To make our research more profound and complete we created a questionnaire where the students elaborated on the experience of learning with the MOOCs. The questions were based on the connection between the MOOCs and the traditional course of English.
1. What did you discover? Please refer to the course learning objectives.
2. How do the topics and tasks addressed in the MOOC compare to those in traditional course?
3. In light of your participation in the MOOC, what changes can we make to traditional course?
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4. How would you sum up your MOOC-taking experience?
5. Calculate how long it will take to finish the MOOC (personal opinion, not what is listed on the MOOC site)
In general, learning with the MOOCs have been a pleasant experience, and students have shown interest in taking more of these kinds of classes. Here are some of the answers from the questionnaire:
"The entire experience has been excellent. Although this is the first time I've studied something in this manner, it most certainly won't be the last".
"The MOOCs experience was fantastic, and I'll keep learning this manner for my own progress".
"The ability to access information at any moment, when I was motivated, focused, and interested in that topic, is a benefit of MOOCs. I was able to learn the material more quickly and simply as a result of this."
However, we had a low number of negative answers that allowed us to introduce some changes later in our traditional course. For example, some students complained that they were unable to complete the courses owing to other university related commitments. Not all students were able to fulfil the deadlines for the courses, which was another issue. For them, the course's material and some of the assignments were too challenging. Furthermore, the students only got one chance to take exams with a time constraint, which they felt was unfair.
As a result, we came to the conclusion that the dropout problem can be partially resolved by incorporating MOOCs into conventional face-to-face classes and awarding credit for their completion. It caused the change in the awarding system of our MOOCs later. To reduce tension and anxiety, we also made the decision to modify the test system. Now the students can take tests with two attempts without the time limit.
According to the feedback gathered in the questionnaire, the MOOCs have supported the experience of studying in virtual environments, giving the majority of the students a novel opportunity and motivation.
Conclusion
As a result of integrating the MOOCs into a conventionally taught course of EFL we came about some important results.
• MOOC in higher education has common features such as maximum visualisation, high mobility, access, push content and etc.
• MOOC based on the principles of centralisation and decentralisation is considered as an instrument of blended learning aided at enhancing students' learning outcomes and motivation.
• A teacher is able to create their own flexible and convenientplatformfor pedagogical communication, achieve their personal and professional objectives and manage efficiently the educational process.
• As a result of the students' increased involvement in the learning process, which also increases their recall of the material they have acquired, the rotation concept is crucial to the successful integration of MOOCs.
Литература
1. Meltem Hury Baturay (2015) An overview of the world of MOOC. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences pp. 427-433 URL: https://www.re-searchgate.net/publication/277651580_An_over-view_of_the_world_of_MOOCs (дата обращения: 02.01.2023)
2. Титова С.В. МООК в российском образовании // Высшее образование в России. 2015. № 12 С. 145-151.
3. Стародубцев В.А. Персонализированные МООК в смешанном обучении // Высшее образование в России. 2015. № 10 С. 133-144.
4. Данько O.A. (2012) Развитие модельных представлений как средство интеграции учащихся в современный информационный социум: ав-тореф...дис. кан. пед. наук. - М.: 2012. - 19 с.
5. Хусяинов Т.М. Основные характеристики массовых открытых онлайн курсов (MOOC) как образовательной технологии // Наука. Мысль: электронный периодический журнал. 2015 № 2 С. 1-8 URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/arti-cle/n/osnovnye-harakteristiki-massovyh-otkrytyh-onlayn-kursov-mooc-kak-obrazovatelnoy-tehnologii/viewer (дата обращения: 09.01.2023)
6. Goncharova, V.V., Kondina, A.S., Minasyan, E.T., Pastuhova, E.V. Online course as a motivating tool in second language learning. 2023. Modern Pedagogical Education. № 1, С. 120-123
7. Srivastava, K. (2014). Blended learning in higher education: issues and challenges.URL: https:// www.researchgate.net/publication277327550_ Blended_Learning_in_Higher_Education_Issues_ and_Challenges (дата обращения: 03.01.2023)
8. Eduardo. URL: https://eduardo.studio/%23rec 7951227. (дата обращения 05.01.2023)
9. Bralic', A., Divjak, B. (2018) Integrating MOOCs in traditionally taught courses: achieving learning outcomes with blended learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. № 15(2) URL: https://educationaltechnologyjour-nal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-017-0085-7 (дата обращения: 10.01.2023)
MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES AS AN INTEGRATING TOOL IN TRADITIONALLY TAUGHT COURSES
Goncharova V.V., Maslova E.G., Minasyan E.T.
Plekhanov Russian University of Economics
The article is devoted to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) as a part of higher education and the ways of incorporating MOOCs into traditional classroom setting.
The authors identified the common features of MOOCs and present two models (connectivist and extended) of MOOCs that allow to understand the peculiarities of their technology, administration and methods. The authors describe their own experience of developing MOOCs and share their conclusions: MOOC is seen as a blended learning tool that helps to improve students' learning results and motivation. The rotation principle is crucial to the successful integration of MOOCs with the teaching process. A teacher is able to create their own flexible and convenient platform for pedagogical communication, achieve their personal and professional objectives and manage efficiently the educational process.
Keywords: Massive Open Online Course, e-learning, connectivist
and extended MOOCs, blended learning, distance learning.
References
1. Meltem Hury Baturay (2015) An overview of the world of MOOC. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences pp. 427-433 URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/277651580_An_over-view_of_the_world_of_MOOCs (Accessed: 02.01.2023).
2. Titova, S.V. (2015). MOOCs in Russian Universities. Vyshee Obrazovanie v Rossii [Higher Education in Russia]. № 12 pp. 145-151. (in Russ., abstract in English)
3. Starodubtsev, V.A. (2015). Personalised MOOCs in blended learning. Vyshee Obrazovanie v Rossii [Higher Education in Russia]. № 10 pp. 133-144. (in Russ., abstract in English)
4. Danko, O.A. (2012) Razvitije model'nyh predstavlenii kak sred-stvo integrazii uchashchihsya v sovremennoi informatsionnoi srede. Avtoreferat diss. ... kand. Ped. Nauk. M., 2012
5. Husjainov, T.M (2015) Osnovnye harakteristiki massovyh otkr-ityh onlajn kursov kak obrazovatel'noj tehnologii. Nauka. Mysl'.
№ 2 pp. 1-8 URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/osnovnye-harakteristiki-massovyh-otkrytyh-onlayn-kursov-mooc-kak-obrazovatelnoy-tehnologii/viewer. (Accessed: 09.01.2023)
6. Goncharova, V.V., Kondina, A.S., Minasyan, E.T., Pastuhova, E.V. (2023) Online course as a motivating tool in second language learning. Modern Pedagogical Education. № 1 pp.120123
7. Srivastava, K. (2014). Blended learning in higher education: issues and challenges.URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publi-cation/277327550_Blended_Learning_in_Higher_Education_ Issues_and_Challenges (Accessed: 03.01.2023)
8. Eduardo. URL: https://eduardo.studio/%23rec7951227 (Accessed: 05.01.2023)
9. Bralic', A., Divjak, B. (2018) Integrating MOOCs in traditionally taught courses: achieving learning outcomes with blended learning. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education. № 15(2) URL: https://educationaltechnology-journal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s41239-017-0085-7 (Accessed: 10.01.2023)
