A team of LNM researchers (led by Scott Bulfin and Neil Selwyn) will lead one of the 28 projects just selected for funding under the MOOC Research Initiative. This program is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and is bringing together an international group of researchers to explore the recent rise to prominance of massively open online courses (MOOCs) in post-secondary education. The Monash project will develop a critical discourse analysis of the popular debates surrounding MOOCs over the past three years – drawing on established methodologies from linguistic studies and the social sciences. The project aims to identify and explore broader societal struggles over education and digital technology and capture a significant moment before these debates subside with the normalization and assimilation of MOOCs into educational practice.
As part of the project, the Monash team will be presenting interim findings at the upcoming MOOC Research Conference held at University of Texas, Arlington between 5-6th December.
