Empowering teachers: Summary of qualitative evaluation of the Navigation Through the Ages Massive Open Online Course via participant observation.

Abstract

This report complements the questionnaire-based evaluation of the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) Navigation Through the Ages. The aim in this report is to draw on qualitative data to build a rich picture of how the course engaged educators and how this in turn is translated into practice and student engagement. To experience the course as a participant, a single researcher enrolled on Navigation Through the Ages as a participant observer (the process is described in more detail in section 2). Like the other MOOCs, Navigation Through the Ages started with an introduction followed by a set of paced modules (the course structure and content is described in section 1.1). The course introduction presented the participants with an overview of ICT tools and opportunities for participation and interaction with each other. For the researcher these were also opportunities for gathering data, and to follow up these public interactions with conversations via email and online chat (data sources are described in more detail in section 0). From these activities some of the richest qualitative data came from these sources: participant posts and learning diaries published in Padlet1; lesson plans published in Learning Designer2; recorded webinars; the MOOC Facebook group and small group email exchanges.