Considerations for Developing an Activist Mindset in MOOCs
When we think about developing MOOCs within an activist framework, we have to consider differences between learning face-to-face, online, or in blended environments. There are real differences and concerns to think about, and in this module we offer three aspects to consider: Access, Community Building, and Content. Each section includes questions and resources to help you think through some of the concerns posed by developing a MOOC within an activist framework.
Access
![A colorful open sign made from license plates.](https://i0.wp.com/dhsi2018.chrisfriend.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/06/james-sutton-199643-unsplash-e1529082916417-300x300.jpg?resize=300%2C300&ssl=1)
Just as in other physical spaces, learning in online spaces must address issues of access. When developing a MOOC within an activist framework, this is particularly important. We see at least two areas of concern to consider: 1) accessibility of resources and 2) accessibility to diverse audiences.
Accessibility of Resources
Questions to Reflect on:
- When creating a MOOC within an activist framework, what do you want to affirm with your choice of resources?
- What proportion of resources used in a MOOC ought to be open access?
- Should closed resources, such as those behind paywalls, even be used in a MOOC?
Resources to Consider:
- Open Educational Resources Commons
- Open Educational Resources from the University of Pittsburgh Library
- Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition (SPARC)
- Chris Gilliard, “Pedagogy and the Logic of Platforms”
Accessibility to Diverse Audiences
Questions to Reflect on:
- What audience(s) do you want to reach with your MOOC?
- How does the design of your course enable a diverse audience to access your MOOC?
- How will you assess whether your MOOC is actually accessible?
Resources to consider:
- Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
- Section508.gov, the U.S. General Service Administration Government-wide IT Accessibility Program
- WebAIM from the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University
- Amara.org, Caption, Subtitle and Translate Video
- ATbar, open-source, cross-browser toolbar to help users customise the way they view and interact with web pages
Community Building
![Five arms meeting fists in solidarity over a worktable. The arms vary in skin tone and accessory.](https://i0.wp.com/dhsi2018.chrisfriend.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/06/rawpixel-250087-unsplash.jpg?resize=300%2C205&ssl=1)
How can we build community across the constraints of time and space that are characteristic of distance learning? What does a digital course community within an activist framework look like? The following questions and resources are here to help you consider and create a digital community that is rooted in critical pedagogy. From construction to operation, this module will help you decrease both environmental and pedagogical obstacles to learning.
A Caring Community
Questions to Reflect On:
- How do you unify dispersed learning communities when using a single digital platform?
- How can you develop a pedagogy of care across the digital divide?
- What might a pedagogy of hospitality offer to distance learners seeking community?
Resources to Consider
- Maha Bali, “Pedagogy of Care — Gone Massive
- Sean Michael Morris, “Hospitality and Agency”
- Jake Stratman, “Toward a Pedagogy of Hospitality: Empathy, Literature, and Community Engagement”
A Civil Community
Questions to Reflect On:
- How can we ensure that our digital course community operates under standards of mutual respect?
- What if collaboration is the only model we adopt when creating guidelines that govern our shared digital community?
- How does co-creation encourage activism and innovation within and beyond our courses?
Resources to Consider
- Sean Michael Morris and Jesse Stommel, “A Bill of Rights and Principles for Learning in the Digital Age”
- UMW Domains, Module: Digital Citizenship
- Created by Matt Applegate, Digital Manifesto Archive
Content
![A diverse group of adults in discussion in front of a wall of art work.](https://i0.wp.com/dhsi2018.chrisfriend.us/wp-content/uploads/sites/25/2018/06/antenna-503044-unsplash.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1)
Incorporating critique into a curriculum is essential to adopting a critical pedagogical approach. This section explores two strategies that help students to develop an activist mindset through: 1) problem-posing education as a model of process-centered learning 2) rivaling as a mode of critical thinking in proto-public spaces.
Problem Posing Education
Questions to Reflect on:
- What are alternatives to the banking model of education [see Freire]?
- How do we encourage students to think critically about the institutions and learning communities in which they find themselves working, including MOOCs and blended courses?
- How can we guide students toward creative methods of problem solving?
Resources:
- Paulo Freire, Pedagogy of the Oppressed
- bell hooks, Talking Back
- Neil O. Houser, “Problem Posing in Teacher Education: A Freirian Approach”
Proto-public Spaces
Questions to Reflect on:
- How can discussion in a MOOC be improved by incorporating a rivaling model?
- How does constructing a proto-public space in a MOOC encourage students to develop an activist mindset?
- In what ways is the interdisciplinary nature of the rivialing method beneficial for MOOC adaptation?
Resources:
- Rosa Eberly, “From Writers, Audiences, and Communities to Publics: Writing Classrooms as Protopublic Spaces”
- Linda Flower, Learning to Rival: A Literate Practice for Intercultural Inquiry
- Pearl Brilmyer, Review of Flower’s Learning to Rival in Cross Cultural Rhetoric
Additional Resources
- Jesse Stommel, “How to Build an Ethical Online Course”
- Pedagogical Effectiveness of Online and Hybrid Classes Resources from Georgia State University Library
- Audrey Watters, “The Web We Need to Give Students”
- Sean Michael Morris, “A Call for Critical Instructional Design”
- bell hooks, Talking Back