This past summer, I experimented with several different webcast topics and formats. One of the most enjoyable was 'MOOCast'. It was done in conjunction with EduMOOC 2011 and was "an open-ended opportunity for EduMOOC'ers to share resources, ideas, and feedback about assorted eduMOOC topics and/or the MOOC itself".  Despite that fact that it was a 'no-prep' show (or perhaps because of it),  a diverse parade of talented educators showed up to participate and we had some really interesting conversations.  

I think MOOC's are great, but as we discussed on the final MOOCast, I'm not a fan of the name itself. Aside from just not liking the sound of the word, I see MOOC's as part of a larger movement toward educators and learners working together and sharing resources online.  'Massive' learning events like Change,  MobiMOOC , & Stanford's AI  have a valuable impact on those that participate and play an important role the evolution of instructional design. I see these as the 'big hit' portion of the long tail of open education. I think the truly 'massive' potential of open education happens when courses of whatever size are opened up online. Of course this is already happening in variety of ways, but continuing to figure out ways to share and remix resources, collaborate with other educators, and help our learners connect with each other, is essential to reaching the truly massive potential of open learning. 

 

Looking forward to some 'cool' conversations...