COLLABORATIVE MOOCS OR THE END OF THE E-LEARNING HISTORY?

In short but intensive history of Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) one can observe significant trends. One of the most important of them is connected with more participatory and more collaborative attitude to the role of learners in the educational process. We already know more about the power of networking and peer-to-peer collaboration between MOOCs participants. We appreciate the efficiency of cMOOCs, i.e. MOOCs designed within connectivist philosophy. Many enthusiasts treat this kind of distance learning model as the final step and the climax of massive e-learning evolution.

But are collaborative massive online courses really the ultimate achievement in learning at a distance? The title of our paper contains an allusion to a famous essay of Francis Fukuyama "End of History", which predicted the completion of the development of Western civilization. Now we know that his thesis proved to be an illusion. Also here, we are going to state that the trend in learning by participatory network, made possible by mass communication in the Internet is still under development. That we can continue exploiting this idea, which means that it is not the end of history in this area.

In our paper we will enumerate the limitations of massive education online, including ethical and psychological constraints, but we will focus on the challenges, opportunities and good promises. Digital world and Internet functionalities give many educational opportunities not available in other conditions. They have already changed the educational background and the situation of learners. Probably we are not able to foresee all the consequences of such a change. Some of them may be positive, others can be very dangerous for people.

Of course the use of collaborative methods, social media support, peer-to-peer learning have shorten the distance very much. However, this tools are far from the creation of real community, with deep mutual relations and lack of alienation.

The main question must be asked whether the biggest challenge for the opportunities offered by the collaborative and connectivist massive courses online is the departure from real life student - master and student – student relationship. If the fear is right, how to react to danger, how to combine the necessary elements of the past with new technological capabilities?

In the paper we will elaborate the set of attributes and contexts of this big question, and then try to answer some of them, holding the same general conclusion of present state of the art in MOOCs being not the “end of history” yet.