Abstract
When MOOCs exploded into the public consciousness in 2012, many supporters touted their potential to disrupt higher education. In a short time, MOOCs have evolved, and that role as radical change agents seems to have faded. However, the use of Hybrid MOOCs, in which onground courses use MOOCs for some or all of their content, does have the potential to be disruptive, albeit on a smaller scale. This article will describe one Hybrid MOOC and the ways it could be used to disrupt individual pedagogy, and perhaps affect larger change as a result.
TopHybrid Moocs
Hybrid MOOCs go by several other names, including Blended MOOCs (LaMartina, 2013), Wrapped Courses (Johnson & Zitta, 2015), and Distributed Flips (Caulfield, 2013). There are slight differences among the courses described by these terms, though they all follow the same general pattern: a Hybrid MOOC is an onground course that employs MOOC content as all or part of the course. It is important to distinguish between a Hybrid MOOC and an onground course that simply uses online content that is not of the course instructor’s design; the “C” in MOOC stands for “course,” and MOOCs are designed to be stand-alone courses (or their equivalent), with particular objectives and assessments, rather than just a collection of related online content. A MOOC’s status as a course contributes to the pros and cons that come with creating a Hybrid MOOC.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Evaluation: The process of responding to, and assigning value to, a piece of student work.
Participants: People enrolled in a MOOC.
Hybrid MOOC: An onground course that uses online MOOC content as all or part of its course content.
MOOC: A Massive Open Online Course, in which an unlimited number of participants can enroll and complete on the internet, usually with defined start and end dates and content.
Students: People enrolled in an onground course.
Onground Course: A traditional course offered by an institution of higher education, offered all or in part in face-to-face format.
Grading: As part of the evaluation process, assigning a number or letter to represent a summative assessment of a piece of student work.