Over the past few years, the fields of education and technology have rapidly expanded.
Along with this expansion came a myriad of new lexicons, terms, and acronyms— many related to MOOCs.
One of the common questions I see about these MOOC terms is: What is an xMOOC vs. a cMOOC?
Here's the difference between the two:
|
Hey, there. Before you continue reading this article, we'd like you to know that we feel it's a bit...outdated. If you'd like to read something more recent that better describes what we do at Extension Engine, take a look at our resources:
If you're here for the article, please continue and apologies for the interruption. |
What is an xMOOC?
xMOOC stands for eXtended Massive Open Online Course.
These MOOCs are based on traditional university courses.
The advantage of xMOOCs: They significantly broaden the number of students who can be exposed to university-level courses.
The disadvantage of xMOOCS: Critics argue that xMOOCs are inferior to the university courses they mimic because they eliminate teacher-student interactions and involve limited student-student interactions.
You can find xMOOC examples on platforms like edX, Coursera, and Udacity provide xMOOCs.
Here's one example of an xMooc from MIT:
Bottom line?
The lecture is delivered by an instructor to the student— a key distinction between the xMooc and cMooc.
What is a cMOOC?
The ‘c’ in cMOOC stands for connectivist, which represents the nature of cMOOCs.
Stephen Downes, co-founder of one of the first MOOCs, coined this term to create a distinction from the ‘xMOOCs’.
Rather than being delivered by an individual instructor, as in traditional university courses, cMOOCs involve groups of people learning together.
cMOOCs often contain content and promote interaction through:
- Blogs
- Learning communities
- Social media platforms
In this environment, participants are all considered teachers AND learners, which stands in contrast to the structure of xMOOCs, where each individual is either a student OR a teacher.
Here's an example of a cMOOC:
Keep Learning
Take a look at a course we helped build.
SmithsonianX: The Rise of Superheroes and Their Impact on Pop Culture is an edX course developed for the Smithsonian Museum.
