The OER Knowledge Cloud makes use of cookies. By continuing, you consent to this use. More information.
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 · 743.4KB74 downloads



Viewed by 228 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

Digital Learning Objects for teaching computer programming
Topali, Paraskevi; Mikropoulos, Anastasios
The evolving character of learning technology has fostered changes in the way that the learning material is produced, stored, manipulated and experienced. The result was the development of reusable learning content, ...
Match: computer science education

Adapting a MOOC for research: Lessons learned from the first presentation of literature and mental health: Reading for wellbeing
Hodge, Rachael
The University of Warwick’s FutureLearn MOOC Literature and Mental Health: Reading for Wellbeing, which began its first presentation February 2016, was identified as an opportunity to conduct some research into the ...
Match: mooc

Report of the massive open online course on introduction to technology-enabled learning (TEL MOOC)
Cleveland-Innes, Martha; Ostashewski, Nathaniel; Wilton, Daniel; Murphy, JoAnne
This is a report on the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Introduction to Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL) organised by Athabasca University, Canada in collaboration with the Commonwealth of Learning from January 9 ...
Match: mooc

An examination of anxiety towards a MOOC educational approach: The case of the MOOC of the Alhambra
Romero-Frías, Esteban; Arquero, Jose L.; Del Barrio-García, Salvador; Ubachs, George; Konings, Lizzie
Overview of papers on enhancement of European Higher Education as presented during the Online, Open and Flexible Higher Education Conference in Rome, October 2016 MOOCs, one of the main innovations in digital education ...
Match: mooc; spain

OER in and as MOOCs
Czerniewicz, Laura; Deacon, Andrew; Walji, Sukaina; Glover, Michael; et al.
This chapter reports on the investigation into the production and rollout of four Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in South Africa, and on the experiences of the educators ...
Match: mooc

MOOCs are more social than you believe
Blom, Jan; Verma, Himanshu; Li, Nan; Skevi, Afroditi; et al.
We report about two ongoing studies, which challenge the individualistic model of MOOC based learning. MOOC usage is embedded in the context of collocated study groups. The ability to pause a lecture and discuss its ...
Match: mooc; spain

Second language learning in the context of MOOCs
Wu, Shaoqun; Fitzgerald, Alannah; Witten, Ian H.
Massive Open Online Courses are becoming popular educational vehicles through which universities reach out to non-traditional audiences. Many enrolees hail from other countries and cultures, and struggle to cope with ...
Match: mooc; spain

The role of Open Educational Resources in personal learning
Downes, Stephen; McGreal, Rory; Kinuthia, Wanjira; Marshall, Stewart
Match: mooc

A descriptive statistical analysis of the profiles of massive open online course users and non-users in India
Trehan, Sangeeta; Joshi, Rakesh Mohan
The current paper presents our research regarding differences between massive open online course (MOOC) users and non-users. Extant literature, mostly in the Western and also Chinese contexts, has evidence regarding the ...
Match: mooc

Exploring the ethical implications of MOOCs
Marshall, Stephen
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) represent a potentially exciting opportunity to use technology to realise many of the long-promised benefits of universal higher education. While there are many positive aspects to ...
Match: mooc