The online learning hive: transfer to practice within a MOOC community of educators

We describe the analysis of online engagement by participants in a massive online open course (MOOC) on teaching with tablets and mobile devices. The MOOC was aimed at educators, prompting them to use tablets in novel and innovative ways in their own educational practice. The MOOC included instructor-led and student-led activities and had a substantial social and constructivist component. We analysed the online discussions (across several platforms) and identified clear and frequent examples of participants providing evidence of their own practice, and many examples of peer to peer learning. While the MOOC was designed to facilitate the transfer of novel teaching approaches to the participant's practice, there were fewer examples of this happening. A surprising finding was the degree to which peer support encouraged participants to engage more fully in the MOOC