Teaching literature online a critical analysis of select massive open online courses MOOCs

Abstract

The thesis examines the effectiveness of select Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for teaching literature. The design and interactive features of various MOOCs like the FutureLearn MOOC William Wordsworth: Poetry, People and Place have been studied in depth. The unique digital pedagogy of the MOOC has been explored with numerous examples. A Udemy MOOC on Rumi s poetry forms the basis for evolving a tripartite model for the analysis of Literature MOOCS. The model is based on the MOOC s market, ideology and pedagogical features. Thereafter, a comparative analysis of the YouTube and MOOC platforms for teaching Premchand s short fiction has been done. Some Literature MOOCs on edX, Coursera and Swayam try to replicate the classroom experience by uploading the lectures of renowned university professors. However, MOOCs have been rightly criticised for their high attrition rate, short-termism and lack of academic rigour. At the same time, it must be accepted that MOOCs increase access to critical appreciation of a wide-ranging literature. newline