While hastily trying to finish off a proposal on the mooc course design and challenges (which will influence the design itself) for a book chapter,  I’ve come to a realisation that my online students (fellow academics) are not really present in the course. Yes, they log in and out and do post a few messages sporadically in response to the activities, I still am not getting the level of engagement I would like. Going back to my masters research on the types and levels of interaction within the course, I am a bit worried if this group will do well on a collaborative task. Therefore, I have planned a synchronous session that will help me develop more of a presence and be the facilitator of learning in the course. I have invited students to join in with questions etc and also come prepared to summarise the first topic of digital citizenship. I will record the session for the benefit of others in the course.

Reading on the MOOCs phenomenon and the diverse ways in which learners and teachers alike respond to it, is very intriguing at this stage as I plan the implementation of the 703 mooc. A meeting with the copyright officer and the library liaison is high on the cards as I need to clarify what is acceptable and can be legally shared through the mooc. The pieces of the theoretical puzzle are slowly getting solved as I discover more literature on the pedagogy of MOOCs.

MERLOT Journal of Online Teaching and Learning and MOOCs forum seem to be excellent sources of information on the current status and application of the MOOCs initiative. What’s also reassuring is that cMOOCs and their design is what is relevant in my approach to mooc design, development, implementation and integration in ACADPRAC 703. cMOOCs are influenced by well known learning theories and concepts such as Socio-constructivism that has its roots in social learning, Connectivism that is informed by network theory and Community of Practice (CoP) model that is relevant in academic professional development initiatives.