Towards a MOOC Design Model based on Flipped Learning and Patterns: A Case on Introductory Courses

The widespread discussion about the potential of MOOCs has stimulated universities and enterprises to develop courses using private MOOC providers and mainly open MOOC platforms on their own technological infrastructure. Nevertheless, the design of attractive courses for large scale e-learning and practical guidelines to design for learning in MOOCs remain a challenge. In this paper, firstly, we describe a general MOOC life cycle process what can be used to guide the general design and development of courses in this context. Secondly, we investigate how Flipped Learning (FL) teaching strategy and related principles could be used to support the planning phase of this process, acting as an intervention to the current design for learning in MOOCs. Finally, based on previous findings we move towards the conceptual definition of a MOOC Design Model, an approach for recording design experience in the form of a pattern language. To illustrate the applicability of the proposed model, a case study is presented about the design and the implementation of an introductory course. Current results demonstrate, in a practical context, the feasibility of using FL principles to design for learning in open and online courses. The most significant improvement to the pedagogical discussion is the proposal for a new perspective to re-think the virtual moment in the MOOC platform and optimize it using active learning activities.