(1882) THE ROLE OF AFRICAN MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES (MOOCS) IN SUPPORTING THE MOST MARGINALIZED

摘要

With increasing connectivity throughout the developing world, there is great optimism for democratizing access and bridging inequality in the world. However, Digital Divide Theory suggests that technology in fact exacerbates inequality. This study reviews the roles that African Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) play in helping the most marginalized to improve their capabilities. Through evaluating MOOCs created by Western universities, I argue that Western MOOCs are not adapted to non-Western contexts, and are thus unsuccessful in supporting African education. Little research exists on designing MOOCs for developing countries. Reflecting on colonial history, I draw parallels between the colonization of education and “digital neo-colonialism” through Western MOOCs. By this analogy, I extend discourse on the decolonization of education, currently circulating in formal tertiary institutes around the world, to informal online education platforms. Using the Transformative Paradigm as my epistemology, I analyze the appropriateness of MOOCs to SSA contexts through conducting a literature study of MOOCs created in Sub-Saharan African contexts, aimed at serving the needs of their communities. Specifically, I aim to analyze whether these MOOCs assist the most marginalized to find employment and improve their capabilities. The six African MOOCs reviewed were categorized based on whether they were: 1.) part of a degree, or a single module; 2.) a primary source of education, or supplementary to other studies; 3.) “inwardly” serving university students, or “outwardly” open to anyone in the public; and 4.) partnered to meet industry needs, partnered with existing educational institutes, or independent. Taking into account the various issues relevant to Sub-Saharan African contexts, the MOOCs were evaluated on the following criteria: 1.) purpose of the MOOC; 2.) MOOC pedagogy; 3.) resources and infrastructure required; 4.) types of students supported; 5.) accreditation acquired; 6.) localization and sources of knowledge; 7.) financial sustainability; 8.) relevance to employment; and 9.) openness. From analysis of these MOOCs, I hypothesize the framework for a decolonized African MOOC through my “Blended-learning Community MOOC model”. I use the TPACK framework to break down the model using three lenses: Technology, Pedagogy and Content. The literature study reviewed in this paper is one of six phases in my research methods. Going forward, my mixed research methods include online participatory research, semi-structured interviews with MOOC designers and industry, surveys to past, present and potential students, and database analysis of the demographics of MOOC participants. Finally, I plan to run a Randomized Control Trial in order to test the “Blended-learning Community MOOC Model”.