Quels usages des outils de communication dans un MOOC selon les profils des participants ?

• Published in: Revue internationale de pédagogie de l'enseignement supérieur Vol. 38; no. 3
• Main Authors: Boumazguida, Karim, Temperman, Gaëtan, Derobertmasure, Antoine, De Lièvre, Bruno
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; French
• Published: Association Internationale de Pédagogie Universitaire 23.12.2022
• Subjects: actualité pédagogique; communication; Facebook; MOOC; pédagogie universitaire
• ISSN: 0383-0802; 2076-8427
• DOI: 10.4000/ripes.4278

MOOCs generally integrate various resources likely to promote learning. This is particularly the case for communication tools that support exchanges between learners. In this contribution, we compare how learners from two contrasting groups in terms of enrolment modalities (spontaneous vs. enrolled) in the MOOC use two different types of communication tools (Forum vs. Facebook group). Our results show that the forum was used more by spontaneous learners than by enrolled learners. The latter preferred a social medium, Facebook. Most messages published on the forum by participants in both groups relate to the coordination of the MOOC, requests for help or clarification, and the sharing of personal information unrelated to the course. The participants publish more massively on the Facebook group messages related to its coordination, of a phatic nature [thanks, humour, greeting] and requests for help. Compared to the forum, the types of messages published by the subjects of the Facebook group differ according to the group to which they belong. Regardless of the communication tool used, we can see that the number of messages published by learners in both groups decreased as the MOOC continued. Finally, the comparison of the participants’ declarations regarding their actual use of the communication tools shows, despite some disparities, an overall adequacy between declared practices and actual use.