Changing the Tune: MOOCs for Human Development? A Case Study (Pre-print)

Abstract

The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is covered in critical analysis as well as in popular media as a development exclusively bearing on the Higher Education sector (The Economist, 2014). This term has also acquired an informal brand connotation – it refers to a package of course offerings, platforms, and processes identified with three pioneering organizations, namely edX, Coursera, and Udacity who tend to offer lecture and content-based MOOCs or “xMOOCs.” A thoroughly informed analysis of MOOCs has tended to focus on their role and impact in higher education in North America (Hollands & Tirthali, 2014). In contrast, proponents of connectivist MOOCs or “cMOOCs” have focused on pedagogy and style (for example, see Siemens, 2014).