Using personalized support & school-based study groups to increase teachers’ participation in MOOCs: Findings from two European pilot projects

Abstract

There is little doubt that online training formats and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in particular have the potential to increase accessibility for training educators and address some challenges reported by teachers in being able to access relevant professional development (OECD, 2019). However, pre-pandemic data shows that participation in online training is not yet widespread amongst teachers (OECD, 2019). This paper therefore explores two mechanisms that could potentially increase teachers’ participation in MOOCs: an offer of personalized support during a MOOC and the provision of school-based study groups. Evidence of the implementation of a personalized support in field trials has demonstrated substantial impact on teachers’ participation in MOOCs, with 42% of the test group completing a series of MOOCs versus only 32% of the control group. Results from a small pilot program focusing on the use of school-based study groups are more tentative but suggest that a school-based blended learning model that makes use of study groups has the potential to increase participation in MOOCs by engaging teachers who would not have previously considered enrolling to a MOOC and building teachers’ competence and confidence levels so that they are able to start and complete a MOOC.