RELO MOOC experience: facilitating online learning with a diverse group of the participants

Abstract

The article describes the Project, aimed at supporting a diverse group of the participants in their learning with the help of such Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as English for Media Literacy and English for STEM and organized by Teachers of English Association of Kazakhstan (KazTEA) and the Regional English Language Office of the U.S. Embassy in Nur-Sultan (RELO). Amongst the project participants were students and teachers from all over Kazakhstan, including Karaganda, Almaty, Atyrau, Kyzylorda, Shymkent, etc. Foreign language skills among the participants ranged from beginner to advanced levels. To help adapt to the Courser's platform, ensure the maximum involvement of the participants, their cooperation, and mastery of new competencies in each group, a facilitator teacher, whose role was in contrast to a regular teacher, was involved. This project was the first, in which the main tasks and the principle of the facilitator's work were gradually clarified and defined. The experience gained helped to describe in detail the functions of the facilitator, their difference from the generally accepted ideas about a teacher-leader. Thanks to the facilitators’ sessions, all participants successfully completed both courses and later used the platform to proceed with other courses in their professional areas and interests.