The use of collaboration and gamification in MOOCs: an exploratory analysis

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have shown great potential to provide open access to learning, especially in higher education, with just Internet connection. However, the pedagogical model used in these courses is frequently being criticized. Many researchers claim the application of active pedagogies in MOOCs in order to improve the student learning processes, as it has been shown in face-to-face courses. Nevertheless, some common features of MOOCs such as the heterogeneity of user profiles, the scale or the asynchronism can hinder the application of these active pedagogies. This paper explores twenty MOOCs, in different languages, platforms and knowledge domains to analyze in detail the current use of collaboration and gamification in such courses. Results show that although there is a trend to promote social interaction, there is a lack of underpinning pedagogical intentions to achieve collaborative outcomes, and when collaboration happens, it is mostly spontaneously, not pursued by the instructional design. Also, results show that gamification is frequently used as a motivational strategy, implemented for rewarding students’ individual actions, lacking the recognition of collective achievements. Finally, there is evidence that MOOC platforms are often complemented with additional tools to support student interaction and gamification.

Keywords

• cursos online
• conceptualización
• colaboración
• motivación
• gamificación.