Learning with MOOCs in face-to-face classes. Pilot study in a programming course

Abstract

Since 2008, online education has experienced a growth in scale thanks to the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These courses have now begun to be used as a complement to face-to-face classes, giving rise to hybrid learning environments. However, in the context of Ecuadorian universities, little or no use has been made of the pedagogical mediation that a MOOC can offer, so digitization as an engine of innovation in higher education is limited. For this reason, this paper presents a pilot study in which N=140 students participated, and who made use of a MOOC as part of a flipped classroom pedagogical proposal, with the purpose of evaluating their academic performance. For this purpose, standardized questionnaires were used, and a conceptual data model was designed based on personal variables of the students, as well as learning preferences. The results of the pilot study show that the experimental group performed better academically and that the use of the MOOC as a flipped classroom favored students with active and reflective learning styles