Massive open online courses (MOOCs), which first appeared in the USA in 2008, have, of late, been hyped in the higher education space, and have evolved substantially world-wide in the last few years. In view of the fact that past applications of technological tools in education have not redeemed the high expectations for innovation, an interesting question is whether this latest development in the use of ICT will fundamentally change and improve higher education. A particularly important issue concerns how and to what degree it will have an impact on policies and practices of learning and teaching in higher education institutions. In this volume, researchers in the field of educational technology, MOOC developers and users critically analyse and discuss the current state-of-the-art from different perspectives. In addition, the volume presents views on possible future developments and influences of open and flexible digital learning and teaching. This book is based on the presentations and discussions at a symposium held in Stockholm in late May 2015, arranged jointly by the Academia Europaea and the Wenner-Gren Foundations.

CONTENTS

Frontmatter (Preface, Contributors, Abbreviations)

The hype of MOOCs
Erik De Corte, Lars Engwall and Ulrich Teichler

Part I: MOOCs, Teachers and Students How should professors adapt to the changing digital education environment?
Diana Laurillard

The complications of the orchestration clock
Pierre Dillenbourg, Nan Li and Łukasz Kidziński

MOOCs as social practice: a kaleidoscope of perspectives
Mark Brown

MOOCs as components of rich landscapes of learning
Gerhard Fischer

Part II: Research on MOOCs MOOC research: some of what we know and avenues for the future
Lori Breslow

Learning from MOOCs: lessons for the future
Jeff Haywood

Opportunities and challenges for the future of MOOCs and open education in Europe
Andreia Inamorato dos Santos, Yves Punie and Jonatan Castano Munoz

Looking to the edges: future perspectives
Robin Middlehurst

Part III: Economics of MOOCs The high costs of ‘free’ online education: some observations and policy suggestions
Michael A. Cusumano

Are MOOCs sustainable?
Devayani Tirthali Part IV:

Emerging Models The flipped classroom: a model for active student learning
Gunnar Karlsson and Sverker Janson

Structural implications of MOOCs: low grade tremors?
Tim Gore

MOOCs for Norway: new digital learning methods in higher education
Berit Kjeldstad

Inter-university use of tutored online courses: an alternative to MOOCs
Paul Ruhl

Part V: Epilogue From books to MOOCs: final reflections
Piet Henderikx

Index