Content and instructional design of MOOCs on information literacy

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to uncover the current status of information literacy (IL) instruction through massive open online courses (MOOCs), comparing the content and instructional design of existing offers and showing avenues for future MOOCs.Design/methodology/approachAn extensive search for existing MOOCs on IL revealed 11 offers that are available for analysis. A content analysis is conducted to compare their content and instructional design. The category system is based on the IL standards and performance indicators of the Association of College and Research Libraries (2000), which has been supplemented with additional categories and an evaluation grid for MOOCs.FindingsThe results suggest first, that the topics covered by IL MOOCs differ widely. While some of the MOOCs mainly reflect the performance indicators suggested by the ACRL standards on IL from 2000, some other MOOCs focus on completely different topics such as fake news or internet security. Second, they show that MOOCs on IL tend not to emphasize subject-specific and country- or culture-specific contexts. Third, it shows that input-based teaching approaches dominate, while collaborative and interactive activities are only rarely used. Fourth, they allow drawing a possible connection between student engagement and design of the learning contents.Research limitations/implicationsThis work reflects the current status of IL facilitation through MOOCs. Further research is needed.Practical implicationsThe results confirm that MOOCs are a promising approach for developing IL skills and provide avenues for future MOOC projects, especially on IL.Originality/valueThis paper is one of few works to discuss IL facilitation through MOOCs.