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Proceedings of the Fourth Annual Teachers College Educational ...

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MOOCs, Open Education, and Implications for Online Schooling for<br />

Middle School/High School Students<br />

Kristin Gorski,<br />

<strong>Teachers</strong> <strong>College</strong>, Columbia University, New York, NY,<br />

Email: kg2366@tc.columbia.edu<br />

Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (known as MOOCs) are open educational<br />

environments which present learning opportunities and challenges. Through leveraging<br />

information and communication technologies (ICTs), social media, and media creation<br />

tools, MOOC participants create connections across networks as <strong>the</strong>y pursue au<strong>the</strong>ntic<br />

learning goals. The unstructured, abundant information can overwhelm, so developing<br />

skills to filter and make sense <strong>of</strong> what participants find is crucial. MOOCs are ideal places<br />

in which to practice necessary digital literacy skills. In April 2011, I participated in a<br />

MOOC on mobile technologies and learning. In pilot research, I surveyed 21 fellow<br />

participants on what <strong>the</strong>y were learning from MOOCs, recommendations for<br />

educators/participants, and <strong>the</strong>ir thoughts on this format for middle and high school<br />

students. The results point to skills needed for MOOC success, how MOOC structure and<br />

design impact learning, and how to develop mini-MOOCs for adolescent learners eager<br />

to pursue <strong>the</strong>ir interests online with a cohort.<br />

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