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A massive open online course is an ecosystem
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from which knowledge can emerge
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In a traditional course
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you end up in a social contract
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with an institution
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or with an instructor.
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They have the knowledge
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and you want that knowledge
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so you go to a classroom
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you go to an online location
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and you engage in this social contract
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where you go
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you've purchased the time,
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and you'll take home the knowledge.
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They will judge whether or not
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you have the appropriate knowledge
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at the end of that course.
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In a lot of situations
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that's really good.
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A MOOC is something entirely different
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The knowledge contract in a MOOC
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does not presume
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that there is one thing you need to know
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in a given field
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the materials that we study that are part of the syllabus
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are really just a starting point
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for the negotiation of knowledge.
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The outcomes might be as varied as a discussion,
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a blog post or a peer reviewed article.
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Really a MOOC is just a catalyst for knowledge
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Knowledge in a MOOC is emergent
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During those discussions
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between the participants
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and between the facilitators
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themes are going to begin to emerge
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those themes are going to combine
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with the course materials
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to create a really unpredictable knowledge base
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from which people are going to learn
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and with which they are going to engage.
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For the participants in a Mooc
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they are gonna come out of the course
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with a far better idea of how their own knowledge
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matches up against others in the field.
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The more importantly
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they're going to come out with a knowledge network
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a network of people and ideas
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that's going to carry
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long past the end of that course date.
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For the field itself
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it offers a focused discussion
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That discussion may clarify point of debate
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or it may push knowledge in that field
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to new and interesting places.