Types
of MOOCs:
xMOOCs & cMOOCs
With the development of the MOOC
phenomenon moving at a rapid pace, experts in the field have now created two
distinct classifications of MOOCs commonly offered by MOOC providers. XMOOCs and cMOOCs are the two terms mentioned
among academic circles, and they are primarily distinguished by the style of
learning theory upon which they are created.
The term cMOOCs was selected as a
label to indicate a specific type of MOOC that emphasizes the connectivist learning
philosophy. According to Downes (2012), connectivist learning theory maintains
that “learning is the creation and removal of connections between the entities,
or the adjustment of the strengths of those connections”. Within the cMOOC environment,
the teacher is not the center of attention.
Breaking away from the traditional centralized instructional model where
the professor is the holder of knowledge, and transfers that knowledge to
students, cMOOCs employ more decentralized learning experiences that foster an environment
in which the students act as both the teacher and student. Typically, students engage in joint teaching
ventures in which collaboration and social networking between faculty members
and students is a key component of learning.
George Siemens, an expert in the field of MOOCS states that “these MOOCs
are structured in such a way as to emphasize creativity, student autonomy and
social networked learning” (Freedom, 2013).
According to Caulfield (2013), cMOOC communities have a greater chance
to persist beyond the end of the course and do meaningful things.
In contrast, xMOOCs is a term that
is often used to describe the type of course that is most commonly associated
with the courses offered by Courses, Udacity and edX (Moe, 2012). This current breed of hyper-centralized
courses are distinguishable from the cMOOCs by the more teacher centered
approach they employ (Caulfield, 2013). In
the xMOOC environment, learning opportunities are more focused around the instructors,
whom commonly utilize recorded videos, quizzes and tutorials. This type of instruction commonly fosters
less interactivity and more independent study.
Many critics of the xMOOC structure point out that they typically lack
the robust sense of community typically found in cMOOCs, which have been lauded
as meaningful and capable of establishing connections that persist even after
the course is complete (Caulfield, 2013).
The video embedded below is a
description of cMOOCs provided by Jeannie Crowley.
References
Caulfield, M. (2013, July 11). xmooc
communities should learn from cmoocs. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/blogs/mcaulfield/xmooc-communities-should-learn-cmoocs
Crowley, J. (Performer) (n.d.). cmoocs:
Jeannie crowley [DVD]. Available from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ZLVa-AY8o&feature=youtube
Downes on connectivism and
connective knowledge.
(2012, May 21). Retrieved from http://www.connectivism.ca/
Freedom,
D. (2013, April 29). xmooc vs. cmooc.
Retrieved from http://degreeoffreedom.org/xmooc-vs-cmooc/
Moe,
R. (2012). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://allmoocs.wordpress.com/2013/06/09/mooc-or-xmooc/
Siemens, G. (2013, September 3). How Large Systems Change. Retrieved from
http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/
Hi James,
ReplyDeleteAs I continue to read our class discussions, I wonder why the xMOOC is seen as having draw backs due to interaction. As a person coming from the science arena, self-study is not always a bad thing. While I do understand discussions enrich an educational experiences, it does not mean that we cannot obtain an education without them. It almost seems that persons may be trying to pull more students to the cMOOC. Maybe the debate moves from not so much MOOC or non-MOOC, but a debate between x and c MOOCs?
HI James,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a good post on the difference between xmoocs and cmoocs. (btw, did you announce your post on the course site or on twitter? I don't think I saw it listed either place...). I like the comparsion you've drawn based upon the different learning theories. I do think some are starting to blur the lines. It will be interesting to see how they evolve over time. Thanks also for the vid! Finally, I agree with Juanita; there does seem to be more criticism of xmoocs than cmoocs. I wonder why that is. Is it just the learning theory (behaviorism not as "in" as connectivism?) or is it something else that we don't like?