A Model and Tool to Support Pedagogical Scenario Building for Connectivist MOOC

Abstract

The work presented in this paper examines part of a broader issue in the field of technology-enhanced learning and focused on Massive Open Online Courses environments (MOOC). The main goal is to provide an approach, models and tools to assist teachers in the scenario design process and the operationalization of pedagogical scenarios in a connectivist MOOC context. The major contribution of this work is the MOOC Authoring Tool (MOOCAT), which is a visual authoring tool that is intended for the design and deployment of cMOOC-oriented scenarios. MOOCAT has two main innovative features. The first feature offers a tool for designing educational scenarios in a simple way, through a graphical representation for defining learning workflow. The second feature is related to its capacity to bridge the gap between the design phase and its execution in different Learning Management Systems (LMS), by offering services that allow the automatic deployment of pedagogical scenarios to existing LMS. This paper presents the underlying model of MOOCAT, and describes the cMOOC scenario-building process. The tool was evaluated primarily from the point of view of utility and usability. A total of 40 individuals have participated in the experimentation. The findings confirm that MOOCAT can be used to design connectivist pedagogical scenarios and can provide all the necessary elements for the design of such courses. Feedback from participants emphasized the ease of use and the benefits of the proposed visual authoring tool.