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Using mLearning and MOOCs to understand chaos, emergence, and complexity in education
ARTICLE

, Athabasca University ; , Los Angeles Unified School District ; , JSTOR ; , University of Ottawa ; , Anadolu University ; , University of Massachusetts Boston ; , Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina

IRRODL Volume 12, Number 7, ISSN 1492-3831 Publisher: Athabasca University Press

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Abstract

In this paper, we look at how the massive open online course (MOOC) format developed by connectivist researchers and enthusiasts can help analyze the complexity, emergence, and chaos at work in the field of education today. We do this through the prism of a MobiMOOC, a six-week course focusing on mLearning that ran from April to May 2011. MobiMOOC embraced the core MOOC components of self-organization, connectedness, openness, complexity, and the resulting chaos, and, as such, serves as an interesting paradigm for new educational orders that are currently emerging in the field. We discuss the nature of participation in MobiMOOC, the use of mobile technology and social media, and how these factors contributed to a chaotic learning environment with emerging phenomena. These emerging phenomena resulted in a transformative educational paradigm.

Citation

de Waard, I., Abajian, S., Gallagher, M., Hogue, R., Keskin, N., Koutropoulos, A. & Rodriguez, O. (2011). Using mLearning and MOOCs to understand chaos, emergence, and complexity in education. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 12(7), 94-115. Athabasca University Press. Retrieved August 10, 2024 from .

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