Open and Collaborative Innovation for the Social Construction of Learning: Descriptive Analysis of an xMOOC Design

Abstract

In education, technological advances have boosted digital processes that expand training possibilities, such as xMOOCs (eXtended Massive Open Online Courses). The purpose of this study was to analyze the design of the xMOOC in the light of open and collaborative innovation and the social construction of learning. The quantitative method and descriptive statistical analysis were used to analyze the perceptions of eight expert’s MOOC developers based on the results of a Likert scale questionnaire. The results were integrated with a previous study carried out with inferential statistics on 217 xMOOC students. The findings revealed two approaches to innovation to support the social construction of learning and its challenges: (a) design and teaching-learning strategies that integrate social learning activities; (b) learning objectives to strengthen social learning activities through pedagogical and technological innovation. The contribution of this research is to add value to the body of knowledge available to trainers, researchers, and stakeholders in MOOC design, the social construction of learning, and open and collaborative innovation.