Introductory learning on soil science through a MOOC course

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to describe the resources used in the design of an introductory massive open online course (MOOC) on soil science, to evaluate the effect of resources on student performance and evaluate the development of the course. The course was structured for six weeks, including different educational resources, with qualified activities like tasks and tests, and optional as forums and suggested activities. The data collected from 1,020 students of different careers or disciplines, of which the respective descriptive performance analysis was performed, was expressed as percentage. In addition, a qualitative and quantitative optional evaluation was carried out to evaluate the course that was aimed for students. The results indicate that the strategies used influence the positive performance of students and the evaluation indicates that the student- teacher interaction is key for the success of the course. This exploratory study explains the process for the design and implementation of an online course on soil sciences in an efficient way.