JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 24(8): 1034-1051, doi: 10.3217/jucs-024-08-1034

Sustaining Continuous Collaborative Learning Flows in MOOCs: Orchestration Agent Approach

Ishari Amarasinghe^‡, Davinia Hernández-Leo^‡, Kalpani Manathunga^‡, Anders Jonsson^‡

‡ Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

Corresponding author: Ishari Amarasinghe ( ishari.amarasinghe@upf.edu )

This article is freely available under the J.UCS Open Content License.

Citation: Amarasinghe I, Hernández-Leo D, Manathunga K, Jonsson A (2018) Sustaining Continuous Collaborative Learning Flows in MOOCs: Orchestration Agent Approach. JUCS - Journal of Universal Computer Science 24(8): 1034-1051. https://doi.org/10.3217/jucs-024-08-1034

Abstract

Collaborative learning spaces deployed in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) provide productive social learning opportunities. However, sustaining collaboration in these spaces is challenging. This paper provides a classification of MOOCs participants based on their behavior in a structured collaborative learning space. This analysis leads to requirements for new technological interventions to orchestrate collaborative learning flows in MOOCs. The paper proposes the design of an intelligent agent to address these requirements and reports a study which shows that the intervention of the proposed orchestration agent in a MOOC facilitates to maintain continuous yet meaningful collaboration learning flows.

Keywords

computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL), intelligent agents, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), Collaborative Learning Flow Patterns (CLFPs)