Sirkku Männikkö-Barbutiu ([email protected])
Shuting Gao ([email protected])
Annika Käck ([email protected])
Ulf Olsson ([email protected])
Department of Computer and Systems Sciences (DSV)
Stockholm University, Sweden
Global Learning, April 16-17, 2015, Berlin
Outline
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Habermas’s theory: Communication Spaces
The educational environment of MOOCs
The educational environment of Study Circles
Discussion
Conclusions
Global Learning, April 16-17, 2015, Berlin
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Communication
Spaces
• Origin in the Theory of
Communicative Action
by J. Habermas (1984).
• Communication in
modern society is
distorted
due to the power
structures
Global Learning, April 16-17, 2015, Berlin
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Two-level construction of
modern society
A system world
of the economy
and the state
vs.
A lifeworld
of the
individual
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Habermas sees these two
in conflict
The system
world
of the economy
and the state
• economic
• hierarchical
• oppressive
forces
The lifeworld of
the individual
• subjective
• individual
• autonomous
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Habermas calls for
independent utterances of will
by autonomous groups
in order to counterbalance
the institutionalized global systems
(of media, for example).
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Communicative Action ––
A central concept of Habermas’ theory
• serves to transmit and renew cultural knowledge
in a process of achieving mutual understandings
• coordinates action towards social integration and
solidarity
• is the process through which people form their
identities
(Habermas, 1987)
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Communicative space
hold the characteristics of
• freedom,
• democracy,
• openness,
• reciprocity,
• mutual respect
• trust
In an educational environment:
each learner will have the
responsibility and opportunity
to act and communicate
in ways beneficial to the
individual empowerment and
development.
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MOOCs:
open
education
for
everybody
Categories:
• xMOOCs
• cMOOCs
• quasi-MOOCs
Theory: Connectivist
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xMOOCs: focused on the
expert knowledge of the
teacher; the learners are
The educational
environment of MOOCs
the receivers,
Formats:video lectures;
quizzes, very little external
materials
Communication: one-way
from the expert teacher to
the learners
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The educational environment
of MOOCs
cMOOCs: applies a Connectivist pedagogical model:
• informal,
• collaborative,
• shared learning as a catalyst for knowledge building
• facilitate for study groups formed all over the world
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quasi-MOOCs:
• provide web-based
materials as open
educational resources
(OER),
• very little or no social
interaction between the
content providers and
the learners
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The educational environment of
Swedish Study Circles
• A part of the Swedish Folkbildning (non-formal
adult education, or liberal adult education)
• A study circle provides small-group based
learning
• “Free and Voluntary” participating, with an
affordable cost, or without any costs
Global Learning, April 16-17, 2015, Berlin
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• over 100 years of history
• deeply rooted in a number
of NGOs
• supported by the state and
organized by 10 study
associations
• 280,000 study circles
arranged, with around
2 million participations each
year
(Folkbildningsrådet, 2014)
Study Circles in
Sweden:
At a large scale
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Study Circle Tradition in Sweden:
tight-knit small-group learning
• engage adults in active learning in a large scale
• a deliberative learning design for constructiveoriented discussions and dialogues among the
participants
• for enlightening and empowering the participants
• with an emphasis on critical thinking and deeper
reflections through their interactions
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Study circle:
a relaxed educational environment
• led by a Study circle leader (instead of “teacher”)
• with 5 to 12 (max. 20) participants (instead of
“students”)
• collectively engage in the decisions of
-- the materials they choose for learning,
-- learning pace
-- learning goals
• Meeting once a week, for 2-3 hours
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cMOOCs vs. Study Circles
• both designed with an emphasis on:
– interactions,
– networking or collaboration,
– knowledge sharing among the participants
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Discussion:
• learning is a social undertaking, in a social context,
humans learn best in interaction. They
-- confront and formulate their ideas with others,
-- explore together and learn from each other
(Vygotsky, 1986).
• learning is about communication and interaction
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Habermas’ Communicative Action:
A tool for examining MOOCs and
Study Circles
A tool for examining the conditions of providing
• a communicative space that supports democratic,
• deliberative communication
• identity development of the individual
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Communication Space in MOOCs
In cMOOCs, clearly in line with the idea of
communicative spaces:
– Structure: open and decentralized
– Learners: encouraged to be
autonomous and collaborative;
sharing and connecting with other
participants through blogs, forums, and
a learning managements system
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Communication Space in MOOCs
In xMOOCs: one-way communication
• we cannot talk about communicative space
designed in a way that mutual respect and
communication occur
In quasi-MOOCs
• there is less of communication; the collaboration
and social interaction are not a central part
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Communication Space in Study Circles
in Study Circles, most of characteristics with Habermas’s
Communicative Spaces could be identified:
• Participants together conduct learning with flexible and
adjustable learning design according the group needs
• organized with democratic principles in the group
• facilitated with mutual support and promoting trust
• act and communicate in a relaxed, solicitude but a scholarly
learning setting, even with collective inquiring
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Communication Space in Study Circles:
emphasizing the equality
Study Circle approach:
• tries to level the power among the
members/participants
• regarding their previous life experiences are valuable
for sharing
• embeds the opportunities and potentials for
participants to be influenced and further have their
identities transformed.
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Conclusions
• cMOOCs are designed in a way that encourages
social learning
• cMOOCs do have potential in the formation of
the educational experience - an effort to
democratize education
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Thank you!
Shuting Gao ([email protected])
Department of Computer and Systems Sciences
Stockholm University, Sweden
Männikkö-Barbutiu, S., Gao, S., Käck, A. and Olsson, U.
Communicative Spaces in MOOCs and Swedish Study Circles.
Global Learn Berlin, Germany.
Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE).
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