MOOCs for language teaching: a study on CALL from the connectivist perspective

Abstract

The increasing offer of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) in the World Wide Web generated the need to investigate their dynamics, pedagogy and structure in more depth to judge the possibilities of their effective use in the teaching of foreign languages. In this study, based on investigations in Computer Assisted Language Learning (CALL), we start from the perspective of the Connectivist Learning Theory, established, mainly, from the studies of Siemens and Downes to analyze two foreign language courses in the MOOC modality offered in two different digital platforms: one course in Spanish as a foreign language offered by UNED on its own platform and a Mandarin course for Spanish speakers from the UNIMOOC platform. In both cases, it is evident that the courses did not fulfill what they promised, especially regarding the need to create spaces conducive to interaction. This study is part of a broader research proposal, whose objective is to establish adequate criteria for the creation of MOOCs as tools for the teaching of foreign languages.