An open course developed by Chrissi Nerantzi and Lars Uhlin used problem-based learning and provided flexibility through distance and online learning. The course allowed multiple learning modes, including working independently or in groups. Over time, discussions emerged around incorporating group work and problem-based learning into MOOCs to enhance collaboration and connected learning. Various models were tried, such as rolling groups, learning hubs, discussion pyramids, and facilitated connected learning MOOCs. Platforms and apps also launched to support grouping in open online courses.

1. Developing a flexible collaborative learning framework
for open cross-institutional Academic Development courses
at postgraduate level
Chrissi Nerantzi
PhD student, Edinburgh Napier
University
Academic Developer
Manchester Metropolitan
University
@chrissinerantzi
the journey
continues...
Year 2:
turning into
a toddler
ccGeeHock,imagesource:
https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4093/4741884552_be5c88e6b9_z.jpg

2. coocs: discovered on the 15 Jan 14

3. 16 Jan 2014

5. #BYOD4L: next experiment, a magical
open box (5 days 27-31 Jan 14)

6. FDOL141 Feb-March 14
92% of all who completed worked in groups.
52% of those working in groups completed.
FDOL131, FDOL132, FDOL141

7. FDOL132 Findings:
initial survey
17 completed
Countries: UK 37%, Sweden 37%, other 26%
Age range: 35-54 82%
Gender: 35% male, 65% female
Qualifications: 53% Doctoral
qualification, 35% Postgraduate
qualification, 12% undergraduate
qualification
•All employed ( 88% HE and 12%Public Sector)
•Participated in online courses before 88 %
•Participated in an open online course before
47%
Learning values
to be an open learner
To connect with others
To collaborate
To be supported by a facilitator
Application to practice
Prior experience
Working in groups 77%
Problem-Based Learning 30%
Online collaboration 38%
Social media in a professional capacity
50%

8. FDOL132 Findings:
final survey
Final survey: 11 completed
Mode of participation
Group member 91%
Autonomous learner 9%
Study hours per week
55% 3 h, 27% 5h, 18% over 5
Main reason for not participating in a
specific aspect of the course: TIME
Learning values
•Structured course
•Variety of synchronous & asynchronous
engagement opportunities
•Flexibility
•Resources
•Communication
•Feedback from facilitators, peer and
others
•Recognition for study
•Group work > participation was often a
struggle
Personal Learning goals achieved 100%
Learning goals
•Technologies for learning
•Problem-based Learning
•Learning in groups
•Open learning
•Open course design
Facilitation (satisfaction)
Support 100%
Participation in online discussions 100%
Provision of regular feedback 64%

9. FDOL132 Key observations
perceived importance of specific features
for learning
initial survey final survey
group work 82% 64%
feedback on work 59% av 70% (60%
facilitator, 80% peers)
formal recognition for
study (credits)
18% 50%
informal recognition
for study
47% 78%
independent study 100% 100%
facilitator support 100% 100%

10. critical voices against the M word

11. massive?

12. different voices?

13. How about a
map for non-
MOOC open
educational
offers?
http://openeducationeuropa.eu/en/european_scoreboard_moocs

14. http://openeducationeuropa.eu/en/european_scoreboard_moocs

15. discovering
groups?

18. Is the language changing?

22. Mon 03/03/2014 21:33
To:Nerantzi, Chrissi;
Dear Chrissi,
The text is horrible - was I really so bad?
I wonder if you used a software for automatic transcription? The software
appears to have flaws which can be critical if the texts are the basis for your
scientific work.
No idea how you will analyse the texts phenomenographically - but I am only
a physician. Maybe Martin Heidegger and Edmund Husserl will help you?
Good luck and best regards
FDOL132 participant

23. Join our open educational adventure
10-15 March 14
http://www.celt.mmu.ac.uk/flex/oer
week.php
Launch of the North-West OER Network

24. draft 17 March 2014

25. Opening up education (SEP 13)

27. http://ooac.org/ca-certificate.html

28. March 14 > groups new to
MOOCS?
I have a problem
with the
SHOULD! How
about could, also
give them the
choice?

29. March 14
• onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2014/0
3/30/an-unique-approach-to-a-xmooc-
learner-centric-course-design
• Unique cMOOC design??? To check

30. 3 March 14 PGR Conference

32. http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2014/03/20/harvard-business-school-launches-
online-education-program/L2x3xMuBgjR12TLlh01XYO/story.html

34. HEA future unsure (April 2014)

35. Getting ready for OER14 28-29 April 14

36. April 2014

37. the language is changing

38. Free online course the new MOOC?

39. ocTEL 2, April 14 (different language)

40. Futurelearn
(April 2014)
charging for
Statement of
participation

41. Community indicator Framework (CiF)
Galley et al. (2010)
2. Participation
• Sustained over time
• Commitment from a core group of
participants
• Emerging roles and hierarchy
3. Cohesion
• Support and tolerance
• Turn taking and response
• Humour and playfulness
1. Identity
• Group Self-awareness
• Shared language and vocabulary
• Sense of community
4. Creative capacity
• Igniting sense of purpose
• Multiple points of view expressed and
contradicted or challenged
• Creation of knowledge links and patterns
CiF

42. GroupMOOC app
http://groupmooc.com/

43. Group discussion spaces

44. groupMOOCs (Donald Clark)

45. watching videos
not enough
focus more
contextualised
learning
what people
bring

46. CLMOOC (connected learning MOOC)
facilitated and groups

48. Mobile MOOC - 20 May 14

49. 22 May 2014

50. Coding has started 10 June 2014
Really messy process, loads of nodes, too many at the moment? Forming categories will be a
challenge

51. June 2014

52. announcement about Karolinska &
Lund course June 2014

53. MOOC students are passive (June
2014)

54. SOOCs an evolution? June 2014
Harvard Business School

55. July 2014

56. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news/reputations-at-risk-as-platforms-fail-to-screen-moocs/2014381.article
10 July 2014

57. July 2014

58. July 2014
http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/43316

59. #BYOD4L: 2nd iteration
(5 days 14-18 July 14 with 5
institutions)

60. http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.p
hp?story=20140708091436155

61. https://twitter.com/timpaul
davies/status/48915733224
5704704/photo/1

62. European open ed

65. October 2014
“learning as collaboration” (Nerantzi, 11. 10.14)
new term? after studying the literature on
cooperative and collaborative learning and
attempting to come up with my definition which
is collaboration as a process for learning.
collaborative meaning making, that does not
need to be linked to a shared goal or product.
Focus of collaboration is the learning process.

66. Dr Liz Bennett: Digital Practitioner
Framework
• key findings
• limitations

67. Feeling a failure!
• Degree determination panel meeting
• Was given 3 months extension to re-submit
15 Oct 14

68. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/news
/moocs-will-not-transform-education-says-
futurelearn-chief/2016379.article

69. 20 Oct 14: EMMA - multilingual MOOCs, EU funded project

70. Open Education Handbook

71. http://connectedcourses.net/

73. all about groups in open courses

74. “(about) groups in open courses timeline”
2007 Dron & Anderson discuss the degree of connectedness in online settings, and recognise that there are groups, networks and collectives
2007 November: Stephen Downs dismisses the notion of groups in networks altogether by stating that networks are diverse and require autonomy in
contrast to groups which require belonging. But he recognises that there are communities of practice in networks.
2013 January: Coursera, Fundamentals of Online Education: Planning and Application > Group chaos
2013 February: open course FDOL using simplified PBL and COOL FISh design for working in group as a choice FDOL131, FDOL132, FDOL141 – multiple
learning modes possible
2013 March: George Siemens “MOOC providers will need to include problem based learning and group learning in their offerings”.
2013 March: Futurelearn MOOCs and rolling groups of 10, 20, 30...
2013 May: Coursera introducing the ‘blended’ MOOC model (MOOC-based learning and on campus (Learning hubs)
2013 June: Prof. Dianne Laurillard proposes the “pyrarmid discussion group”
2013 August: Feminist Anti-MOOC: or DOCC distributed open collaborative course
2013 August: ds106 University of Mary Washington, group projects (stand alone for individuals and groups since spring 2014) – different universities have
used ds106 jpining the network
2013 September: University of Maryland & Vanderbilt University creating learning communities through cross-institutional open courses using Coursera
2013 September: Harvard SPOOCs – small private online courses (smaller class sizes, still free)
2013 November: Coursera introduces learning partners ‘peer groups of learners’
2014 January: Prof.Dianne Laurillard about the myths of MOOCs: unsupervised learning, students supporting each other and education as a mass customer
industry
2014 February: NovoEd “placing students in groups at the start of the course”

75. • Dron and Anderson (2007) discuss the degree of connectedness in
online settings, and recognise that there are groups, networks and
collectives while Downes (2007) appears to dismiss the notion of
groups in networks altogether by stating that networks are diverse
and require autonomy in contrast to groups which require
belonging. However, Downes recognises that there are
communities of practices within networks. Isn’t this a form of
belonging too? For Downes (2007) “Networks offer that path that
isn't the individual and isn't the group, doesn't force you to choose
between the individual and the group.” Rather than ask a question,
how does this help to inform your argument for doing the research.
If this is a critique of Downes’ notion or conception of autonomy
within groups it should be developed further and not just stated as
a question to enhance your critique of this work and to make clear
that this is part of your developing argument.

76. January 2013

77. #FDOL131, #FDOL132, #FDOL141
Flexible, Distance and Online Learning an open course using COOL FISh
http://fdol.wordpress.com/ Twitter: @openfdol
an open course using
Problem-Based Learning
developed by Chrissi Nerantzi & Lars Uhlin
linked to PhD research project by Chrissi Nerantzi

78. discussions about PBL in MOOCs?
George Siemens, 10 March 2013,
http://www.elearnspace.org/blog/2013/03/10/group-work-advice-for-mooc-providers/

79. Rebecca Ferguson, http://futurelearn.com/idea/futurelearn-ideas-rolling-moocs/

80. May 2013
Blended learning: a new thing?

81. “Pyramid discussion group” by Prof. Dianne Laurillard

82. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/19/feminist-professors-create-alternative-
moocs
Distributed open collaborative course
US cross-institutional initiative (Aug 13)

83. http://ds106.us/open-course/
First open version August to December 2013
stand alone
for individuals and groups since Spring 2014

84. cross-institutional courses (US)
"This trans-institutional and interdisciplinary MOOC sequence will provide an exemplar of
how intentionally coordinated MOOCs can create learning communities that cut across
traditional institutional and disciplinary boundaries."

85. The SPOCS are here!!!
small private online courses
• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-24166247

86. Nov 13 – coursera introduces learning partners, turning online into
supported blended

89. • Carpe Diem - Learning Design MOOC led by
Prof. Gilly Salmon – use of groups

90. at George Mason University using
ds106:grouping but from same uni

92. GroupMOOC app
http://groupmooc.com/

93. Group discussion spaces

94. groupMOOCs (Donald Clark)

95. CLMOOC (connected learning MOOC)
facilitated and groups

96. 22 May 2014

97. June 2014

98. In February 2014 UoPeople received
accreditation from the Distance and Education
Training Council, a U.S. Department of
Education authorized accrediting agency.