The discrete optimization MOOC: An exploration in discovery-based learning
Coffrin, Carleton and Hentenryck, Pascal Van

Alternate titleIssue No.37 Experiences and best practices in and around MOOCs
PublishedMarch 2014
JournaleLearning Papers
Volume 37, Issue March 2014, Pages 51-56
Publisherelearningeuropa.info
Original PublicationEMOOCS 2014 conference
EditorsUllmo, Pierre-Antoine and Koskinen, Tapio
CountrySpain

ABSTRACT
The practice of discrete optimization involves modeling and solving complex problems which have never been encountered before and for which no universal computational paradigm exists. Teaching such skills is challenging: students must learn not only the core technical skills, but also an ability to think creatively in order to select and adapt a paradigm to solve the problem at hand.
This paper explores the question of whether the teaching of such creative skills translates to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). It first describes a discovery-based learning methodology for teaching discrete optimization, which has been successful in the classroom for over fifteen years. It then evaluates the success of a MOOC version of the class via data analytics enabled by the wealth of information produced in the MOOC.

Keywords computer science education · discovery-based learning · MOOC · problem solving skills

Published atBarcelona
ISSN1887-1542
RefereedYes
Rightsby-nc-nd/3.0
URLhttp://openeducationeuropa.eu/en/article/The-Discrete-Optimization-MOOC%3A-An-Exploration-in-Discovery-Based-Learning?paper=136477
Export optionsBibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar



AVAILABLE FILES
From-field_37_2.pdf · 743.4KB56 downloads



Viewed by 130 distinct readers




CLOUD COMMUNITY REVIEWS

The evaluations below represent the judgements of our readers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cloud editors.

Click a star to be the first to rate this document


POST A COMMENT
SIMILAR RECORDS

MOOCs as a method of distance education in the Arab World – A review paper
Adham, Raniah Samir; Lundqvist, Karsten Oster
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in the Arab World are still in their infancy. Many Arab countries are now starting to launch their MOOC platforms; however, there are only a few who have actually implemented such ...
Match: ; mooc

Development of OERs through international collaboration E-QUAL case study
Gupta, Parul
Development of Open Education Resources (OER) is similar to product development and it requires due attention to get the final product. Generally, the focus is laid on the final product and not on the process. However, ...
Match: mooc

The impact of OER and MOOCs on ODL: An international perspective
Kanwar, Asha; Mishra, Sanjaya
Keynote Address at the 2015 International Distance Education Development Forum, Peking University, Beijing, China, 10 October 2015 by Professor Asha Kanwar, President & CEO (co-written with Dr Sanjaya Mishra, Education ...
Match: mooc

In the year of disruptive education
Hyman, Paul
As college tuitions soar, various online models vie to educate college students worldwide---at no cost.
Match: mooc

MOBIMOOC 2012: A new tree structure for the delivery of Connectivist MOOCs
Rodriguez, Osvaldo C.
Based on the explicit principles of connectivism (autonomy, diversity, openness and interactivity) and on the activities of aggregation, remixing, repurposing and feeding forward resources and learning, connectivist ...
Match: mooc

An architecture based on Linked Data technologies for the integration and reuse of OER in MOOCs context
Piedra, Nelson; Chicaiza, Janneth Alexandra; López, Jorge; Tovar, Edmundo
The Linked Data initiative is considered as one of the most effective alternatives for creating global shared information spaces, it has become an interesting approach for discovering and enriching open educational ...
Match: mooc

Investigating MOOCs through blog mining
Chen, Yong; McGreal, Rory; Conrad, Dianne
MOOCs (massive open online course) is a disruptive innovation and a current buzzword in higher education. However, the discussion of MOOCs is disparate, fragmented, and distributed among different outlets. Systematic, ...
Match: ; mooc

Design model for integrating Learning Activity Management System (LAMS), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and flipped classroom in Taylor's Integrated Moodle e-Learning System (TIMeS)
Wong, Seng Yue; Tee, Wee Jing; Lim, Pui Voon; Tang, Siew Fun; Logonnathan, Loshinikarasi
The e-learning strategic plan for Taylor's University is being much student centred and focuses on intentional learning. Blended learning has been proposed to apply in Taylor's University to enrich students' quality via ...
Match: mooc

Students’ and instructors’ use of massive open online courses (MOOCs): Motivations and challenges
Hew, Khe Foon; Cheung, Wing Sum
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are among the latest e-learning initiative to attain widespread popularity among many universities. In this paper, a review of the current published literature focusing on the use of ...
Match: ; mooc

Multi-faceted support for MOOC in programming
Vihavainen, Arto; Luukkainen, Matti; Kurhila, Jaakko
Many massive open online courses (MOOC) have been tremendously popular, causing a stir in academic institutions. The most successful courses have reached tens of thousands of participants. In our MOOC on introductory ...
Match: mooc