Andersen is without comparison the most famous Dane in the world. Therefore Johs sees this an extraordinary opportunity
Why MOOCs? Interview Jacob Bøggild and Johs. Nørregaard Frandsen are both professors at the H.C. Andersen Centre at the Department for the study of culture at the University of Southern Denmark. In this example they discuss the purpose of designing a MOOC and their expectations for the finished result. The purpose of designing a MOOC on H.C. Andersen Jacob and Johs. both think that the main purpose is to reach out to as many people as possible with open university teaching. This was certainly the case when making a MOOC on H.C. Andersen and his fairy tales. The number of potentially interested people is enormous. Jacob explains that with FutureLearn you can prospectively reach out to the whole world, which means that with the MOOC you have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with people that you would not have met otherwise. “A fantastic opportunity to explore the worldview on H.C. Andersen” Jacob has very big expectations for gathering material from different cultures and different parts of the world. He hopes that there will be lively discussions among the many participants about H.C. Andersen and his fairy tales. Likewise Johs. has hopes that the MOOC will give a greater insight into H.C. Andersen’s significance. H.C. Andersen is without comparison the most famous Dane in the world. Therefore Johs sees this an extraordinary opportunity to get in contact with potential readers all over the world and explore their view on H.C. Andersen. Designing a MOOC Johs. and Jacob agree that the design process has been very time consuming. Jacob explains that they have spent many hours on the project because there are more media platforms involved than what they are used to working with. “It’s amazing what you can do with technology” The many media platforms have, however, also been extremely exciting to work with, Johs. elaborates. He is surprised by the possibilities of technology and the many contexts in which it can be applied. It has been especially interesting to work with the interaction between video, text and assignments, Johs. explains.
In short Evaluation and conclusion: By designing and carrying out a MOOC on H.C. Andersen, Johs. and Jacob hope to gather a large number of people around something that is familiar and something that can be conveyed to many people. So far there are 13.137 participants registered and the number is growing day by day. The project has been very time consuming and extensive, mainly because the MOOC will run on the established MOOC platform FutureLearn. That has put some pedagogic demands on the design of the course. On the other hand it has also helped simplify the design process at times. All together Jacob and Johs. have had a very positive experience designing the MOOC on H.C. Andersen.
Contact Inger-Marie F. Christensen 6550 7501
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September 2015
