2020 Theses Doctoral

The Elements, Processes, and Outcomes of Collaborative Massive Open Online Course Development Teams

Stengel, Paul Joseph

This dissertation explores the experiences of nineteen individuals assigned to six collaborative Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) development teams across four university sites. Based on an analysis of these semi-structured interviews and process artifacts, findings reveal that collaborative MOOC development teams are composed of members with cross-campus affiliations who possess distinct knowledge, skills, and attitudes that—when combined with specific resources—facilitate the interdependence needed to effectively collaborate on MOOC curriculum. This research suggests that process behaviors that cultivate empathy and expedite trust among members positively mediate states that emerge from the diversity of power and affiliations commonly found on MOOC teams. Further, these process behaviors and emergent states are found to have an impact beyond the MOOC itself, on faculty behaviors in the classroom, staff behaviors with regards to future curriculum collaborations, and institutional acceptance and promotion of cross-campus collaborations with regards to online learning and collaborative curriculum development. While existing MOOC research has focused on the historical, pedagogical, and technical aspects of MOOC curriculum development, this dissertation contributes to a better understanding of how MOOC teams effectively collaborate to develop curriculum that leverages existing scholarship. This research therefore has implications for advancing scholarship on effective teams, collaborative curriculum design, online learning, and MOOCs, as well as informing practical recommendations for stakeholders engaged in strategically composing and working within collaborative curriculum development teams.