DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES (MOOCS) IN STEM: METHODOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS TOWARDS ACTIVE PARTICIPATORY TEACHING AND LEARNING

The Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is an emerging context for STEM education. Thousands of courses are offered worldwide providing unforeseen opportunities for group collaboration and interaction. Several scientific approaches promote the debate for the effectiveness of MOOCs in STEM education. In our paper, we present a meta-analysis of desktop research for the design guidelines of MOOCs. We are focusing on the aspects of MOOCs related to active and group learning. The main purpose of this study is to investigate common patterns for effective teaching through MOOCs in natural sciences, math/statistics and Information Technology (IT) courses. Additionally, we adopt a competencies and skills management approach in order to link didactic/teaching methods with the promotion of specific knowledge, skills and competencies. The overall contribution of this study is a methodological framework that guides the design of MOOCs courses for effective STEM Education.