Hybrid Pedagogy Online Journal to Host MOOC Focused on MOOCs on the Canvas Network

SALT LAKE CITY, Dec. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hybrid Pedagogy, an online journal of teaching and technology, has announced it will host its second MOOC MOOC on the Canvas Network by Instructure, starting January 6, 2013. The course is open to the public and is currently accepting enrollments at MOOC MOOC course page.

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"Our goal with this second MOOC MOOC is to work even deeper into the ideas behind MOOCs. We're not yet satisfied that MOOCs are a solution to the current educational crisis, but they may point the way to something very interesting indeed," said Sean Morris, director of educational outreach at Hybrid Pedagogy. "We're hosting the course on the Canvas Network because it allows us the flexibility to design the learning experience in a way that is meaningful to us."

With the advent of new platforms for teaching and the rush by colleges and universities to offer open online courses, MOOCs have taken center stage. These innovative but problematic courses boast attendees in the thousands, tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands. They have met with both enthusiasm and vitriol from the academic community.

Many scholars and pedagogues are criticizing each and every aspect of the MOOC, from its "massive" scale to its free-for-everyone openness. These questions have been raised as to whether MOOCs are even courses at all; and the old familiar critiques of online learning have found new fodder:

• Are MOOCs worthwhile?
• Do they offer learners, teachers, schools and universities unique opportunities; or are they simply a marketing ploy?
• What might they teach us about the state of education, the value of pedagogy and how online learning can or should be adopted or rejected?

Hybrid Pedagogy (http://www.hybridpedagogy.com) intends to address these questions and others in its own MOOC: a MOOC about MOOCs aptly titled "MOOC MOOC." Unlike other MOOCs, which can last 8 to 12 weeks and include several thousand participants, this course will last only one week.

"Everyone has many questions about MOOCs, not the least of which is whether there is an effective pedagogical approach to this type of mass instruction," said Jared Stein, director of knowledge resources at Instructure. "We applaud the Hybrid Pedagogy team for tackling the fundamental MOOC questions within the MOOC format and look forward to learning through their discoveries."

To learn more, visit the MOOC MOOC course page on the Canvas Network or follow @MOOCMOOC on Twitter. 

About Instructure:

Instructure is a technology company committed to improving education. We provide instructors and students modern tools and resources to empower the learning experience. Instructure offers Canvas – the open, easy-to-use, cloud-native learning management system. We also provide the Canvas Network, an index of open, online courses from Ivy Leagues to community colleges. To keep learning, visit www.instructure.com.

Copyright © 2012, Instructure, Inc.  All rights reserved. Instructure, Canvas and their respective logos are registered trademarks or trademarks of Instructure, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other brands and names may be claimed as the property of others.

SOURCE Hybrid Pedagogy