MOOC Camps: Stories to Tell, Lessons to Share

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume V, Issue III, March 2021 | ISSN 2454–6186

MOOC Camps: Stories to Tell, Lessons to Share

Rey A. Mangarin¹, Rebecca C. Sagot², Wendie D. Cutillon^3
1Faculty, The University of Mindanao (Panabo)
²Faculty, The University of Mindanao (Professional Schools)
³Master Teacher I, DepEd Davao del Norte

Abstract: This study explores the different unique experiences of different MOOCers in the Division of Davao del Norte. Data were gathered through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions while thematic analysis was used to generate knowledge on what were the unique experiences with strong moral lessons of these teachers who engaged in MOOC Camps. Moreover, this study also narrates the challenges and struggles, and personal and professional barriers on the completion of MOOCs and how these addressed the challenges encountered by MOOCers by equipping themselves with initiative, sense of responsibility, collaboration, belongingness, and enhanced teaching-learning competence. Nine significant stories with exceptional lessons were found and these are: For better or for Worst, Crossing Borders, Breaking Walls, The Highland Victory, Connecting the Unconnected, Friendship Goals, Leading as Models, Siblings Reunited, and M-Pop and C-Pop Phenomenon. This study revealed that MOOC experiences have significantly contributed to public school teachers’ holistic development processes with a long term effect and that massive open online courses are good venues for professional training of teachers.

Background of the Study

In this digital era where information and facts are wide and immeasurable and learning comes in various forms, teachers are in the bank of responsibility to update them and get ahead over the learners. Experiences as they say are the best teachers and it is through this research that teachers’ experiences in the Massive Open Online Course are good points of reflection and reference for innovative learning strategies and design of learning avenues. Tracing the long term effects of online courses is a very good basis of re-developing other online courses based on strengths and weaknesses of the current and previously completed courses.
Although massive open online courses (MOOCs) are designed to be stand-alone online courses, their implementation to the participants are not really meant to be just like very independent by nature but instead, they have to be expanded to the space of possibilities for blended course designs, combination of online and meet-ups, in order that participants will be able to successfully complete the courses offered. The innovated MOOC Camps which leveraged a MOOC course and platform for lecturing, grading, and discussion, enabled the facilitators to lead the participants incourse in a topic much desired, leading the camps to be effective (Bruff, 2013).
Participants in Massive Open Online Course had experiences on the instructor presence and participation, instructor responsiveness and feedback, student-to-student interaction facilitated by instructor, deep thinking, reflection and learning from others, connections to own experiences, course organization, clear expectations, and course content. The experiences from participants of online courses offer rich, descriptive narrative that provides educators with valuable information that should assist faculty in developing, constructing, and implementing engaging online courses. The stories generated in the study augment existing studies that provide quantitative data on learners’ experience in online courses. Also, the stories provide concerned educational leaders with significant information regarding engaging online courses that can guide them in constructing appropriate and necessary support for teachers and other personnel in their participation to online courses.

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