Abstract:

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide educational opportunities to global audience without geographical and social boundaries. Its potential to drive down cost, time for self-paced learning and 24 hours’ access to information have attracted millions of people across the globe. These particular functionalities have garnered the interest of researchers and practitioners to promote MOOCs as part of learning. While the implementation of MOOCs can be worthwhile and attractive, it is pertinent to remain cognizant of the strength, weaknesses and implications as the emerging trend have the potential to radically shape the educational landscape. Significant questions raised as how to maximize the digital platform while assuring the quality and integrity of the teaching and learning activities as the core of the higher institution programs. Implementing MOOCs in higher institution is not a straight forward process and new innovation like MOOCs is situated between didactic tradition and need to adapt to the current situation. Therefore, it is imperative to analyze the strengths and weaknesses to create a conducive environment to learn. Thus, this paper presents a case study deployed at a Malaysian higher institution with 25 lecturers. MOOCs seemed to be relatively a new phenomenon in developing countries like Malaysia. The main objective of this study is to understand the perception of lecturers and how these perceptions will influence the practices in teaching and learning activities. Further, the study investigated suggestions for improvement in teaching and learning using MOOCs.

The data were collected from semi-structured interviews. The analysis was informed by Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis and the transcribed data went through a detailed analysis of five-stage process. The steps are familiarization, condensation, comparison, grouping and articulating, labelling and contrasting. As part of the researcher’s effort, the researcher kept a record of ideas and thoughts on interviews, emerging ideas during the research activities, interpretation of the collected data, decisions and changes regarding their study (Cresswell, 2007; Tracey, 2013). According to Lincoln and Cuba (1985) the researcher constitutes an important instrument in qualitative studies therefore it is vital for the researcher to be reflexive throughout the research process.

The findings demonstrated that the lecturers are not rejecting MOOCs. In fact they are confident with the ability of MOOCs to bring effective changes in higher education and viewed MOOC as an integral part of 21st century learning. At the same time, the lecturers stressed the importance of face to face interactions and blended learning approach. The lecturers highlighted that creating a worthwhile experience of MOOCs includes workshops that demonstrate on how effective MOOCs should be designed with interactive tools in blended learning approach.

The findings draw attention to practical importance of effective workshops from various aspects in order for lecturers to consider MOOCs in their pedagogical repertoires

Keywords:

MOOCs, higher education, perception, qualitative analysis.