Language MOOCs in China: The Perspectives of Teachers and Learners
Keywords:
Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs), Language MOOCs (LMOOCs), reasons, features of good-quality LMOOCs, EFL contextsAbstract
Language Massive Online Open Courses (LMOOCs) have developed fast and attracted increasing research attention worldwide. However, little is known about the reasons that motivated instructors and learners to engage in LMOOCs and their perceptions of the features of good-quality LMOOCs in English as a foreign language (EFL) context. To address these gaps, this study used a questionnaire to elicit data from 51 instructors and 723 learners of LMOOCs in China. The results showed that many instructors and learners reported that their involvement in LMOOCs was largely related to departmental or university requirements. Many instructors endorsed intrinsic reasons such as keeping pace with the time and the new trend of teaching and providing learning resources to more people, while many learners admitted intrinsic reasons such as improving their English proficiency and acquiring more knowledge. This study identified three conspicuous aspects regarding the features of good-quality LMOOCs: instructors and course design, language assistance, and reinforcement and interaction activities. Implications for university administrators, designers, and instructors of LMOOCs are finally presented.
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