Les rôles endossés par les apprenants les plus actifs dans un forum de MOOC : le cas d’ItyPA 2

Abstract

In online trainings certain roles, like tutoring, are considered to be crucial in learners motivation. They improve the results of most of learners. Because MOOCs are massively open, these roles are particularly difficult to implement and to finance. Do MOOCs’ learners assume these roles themselves?In this article, we present our results based on an analysis of the contents of messages posted by the most active forum’s speakers in the MOOC ItyPA 2. This MOOC was characterized by a voluntary lack of precise instructions. We made the hypothesis that this mode of organization was able to encourage the exchanges between learners in order to better organize themselves or to define common objectives of learning. Our results show that in the MOOC ITYPA 2, the most active forum’s speakers have put on spontaneously several roles, usually assumed by the pedagogical staff. Active learners have been tutors, community managers and coordinators without specific instruction inciting them to move forward this direction.

Keywords

• MOOC
• online training
• learners
• forum
• thread of discussion
• pedagogical role