Exploring future #seamless learning strands for #MOOC

Last year Nilgün Keskin, Apostolos Koutropoulos, and myself stuck our heads together and wrote a research paper on Exploring Future Seamless Learning Strands for Massive Open Online Courses. There are quite a few research options to explore, so feel free to read the paper.

To provide an idea of what to expect, I gladly share the abstract below, the draft version of the article can be read here through Academia.

This chapter reviews the concept of seamless learning for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) based on the distillation of key factors from papers discussing and describing the mobile seamless learning (MSL) concept. The MSL concept was used as a starting point to explore how MOOC could be prepared for seamless learning and to explore future research options. There is a vast area of research to be explored related to seamless learning in MOOC. The authors belief that some of the challenges faced by MOOC , such as “dropout” rates, redefining learning activities to fit diversity of contexts, self-directed learning, collaborative content artifact creation, the mobility of the adult learners, and the “dip-in, jump-out” aspect of participation can be countered by researching and suggesting seamless learning designs and guidelines that fit both the adult learners and the MOOC realities. Investigating all the elements, challenges and benefits for providing seamless learning in MOOC environments will contribute to the  body of knowledge of contemporary online learning.

For those looking for references: de Waard, I., Keskin, N. O., & Koutropoulos, A. (2014). Exploring Future Seamless Learning Research Strands for Massive Open Online Courses.Handbook of Research on Emerging Priorities and Trends in Distance Education: Communication, Pedagogy, and Technology, 201.