A Study of the Significance of Massive OpenOnline Courses (MOOCs) for the ProfessionalDevelopment of Prospective Teachers ofUndergraduate Teacher Education Programme

Abstract

MOOCs are the globally available and accessible academic and professional courses that have migrated
from the closed and limited audience in a physical classroom setting to online courses which are available
to unlimited number of participants. MOOCs are a potential learning resource in teacher education and
support the professional development ofteachers. Literature review showed that disengagement ofthe
participants, lack of individual interaction/ attention from the participants and failure to understand the
content are some ofthe plausible reasons due to which most ofthe MOOCs participants do not complete
the course. So, what kind(s) of online learning portals are available for ensuring the access, equity and
quality for undergraduate teacher education course? What is the competence level ofprospective teachers
in using technology to promote their professional growth? How do MOOCs support the professional
growth of prospective teachers? What is the perception of the prospective teachers for MOOCs with
respect to their professional growth? To answer these research questions a descriptive survey research
was conducted by the investigator and ten B.Ed. institutions affiliated to GGSIP university, Delhi were
randomly selected for the data collection. It was found that there is a dire need to launch MOOCs
through different national co-ordinators at SWAYAM for teacher education in languages other than
Hindi. Majority of the prospective teachers had moderate level of competence in using technology for
their professional growth. Engaging and interactive academic content, precise presentation of course
objectives, assessment, feedback etc. are some ofthe significant criteria which a B.Ed. institution should
consider for deciding and selecting a MOOC for the professional growth of prospective teachers. The
study had educational implications for prospective teachers, teacher educators and curriculum planners.