The Dialogical Authentic Netlearning Activity (DIANA) model for collaborative knowledge construction in MOOC

The ways in which we work and learn are changing rapidly. These changes require research and competencies that are not only new, but which also respond to the requirements of the digital age. The extensive social phenomena and pressures that are a result of digitalisation also call for more careful consideration. Digitalisation requires us to renew educational structures. Massive open online courses (MOOC) and their associated pedagogical decisions can promote the development of digitalisation. Open online courses necessitate a stricter pedagogical structure that enables authentic learning and dialogue based on collaborative knowledge creation. This article presents a case study showing how the DIANA (Dialogical Authentic Netlearning Activity) pedagogical model was used to support collaborative knowledge construction in a micro open online course titled "Making learning personal" A questionnaire and interviews were used to collect data from fourteen participants, and qualitative content analysis was used to analyse the data. Various phenomena of MOOCs are evident in the results, however, the results also reveal the challenges of dialogical, authentic learning and collaborative knowledge creation in an open online course. The results indicate that sufficient guidance is required to gain a thorough understanding of a pedagogical model, and that collaborative knowledge creation requires time, shared learning objectives, and a substantial knowledge of dialogical participation.  In recent years, ongoing digitalisation has required us to renew our educational structures and learning environments. Many e learning courses are designed in a linear format, with the assumption that the students begin and finish a course at certain pre defined points (Herrington et al. 2010) The developments in digitalisation have caused us to change our understanding regarding learning environments. However, these changes also create new possibilities. Massive open online courses (MOOC) and their pedagogical decisions can promote the development of digitalisation on both national and international levels. Open online courses necessitate a stricter pedagogical structure that enables authentic learning and dialogue based on collaboration. Laurillard (2009) states that digital technologies create new opportunities for change and support new ways of working. Digital technologies open a wide range of possibilities for education, but also create a need for a pedagogical framework. Online learning environments need to include more student centred activity and collaboration, yet there are too many open online courses that are excessively technology driven. According to Wheeler (2015) when we consider the digital learning of the future, pedagogy ought to come first and technology only second. To foster development, we need digital wisdom. It is said that information has become more democratic, and for learning it has become more open and communal. Wheeler suggests that blogging is one of the most effective ways of informal learning, especially when it includes some form of dialogic knowledge creation. Sangran and Wheeler (2013) view that every college ought to offer MOOCs and that new technologies are the key to the development of informal learning models. However, the possibilities of digital Open Educational Resources (OER) have not been properly utilised, nor have the quality criteria of open online courses been recorded. In addition, the content of such courses has not been evaluated from the perspective of learning. Learning is becoming more informal, and this change is enabled by MOOCs. In the modern world, MOOCs form an important way of learning and of acknowledging learning, and also serve to challenge our pedagogical thinking. Means et al. (2014, p. 69) argue that many MOOC designers have neglected to use the basic knowledge acquired by learning science, that is, how people actually learn. According to Scanlon et al. (2015) the impact of technology on pedagogy (the manner or structure of teaching) is complex. Only a small amount of direct research exists on the ways that technological possibilities and their The Online Journal of Distance Education and e Learning, April 2016 Volume 4, Issue 2 www.tojdel.net Copyright (c) The Online Journal of Distance Education and e Learning 58 associated pedagogical responses operate to benefit learners. They further point out that the area of formal learning is undergoing a period of rapid change, and that due to these changes, needs for alternative modes of delivery arise. The Hame University of Applied Sciences (HAMK UAS) School of Professional Teacher Education (Finland) in cooperation with Coleg Cambria (United Kingdom) has created and implemented a mOOC that is based on dialogical, authentic learning and collaborative knowledge creation. The course was titled "Making Learning Personal: How to develop individualised approaches in Vocational Education and Training" and its value was 2 ECTS. This pedagogical pilot was developed in a Mapping project (Leonardo Da Vinci, Transfer of Innovation) and the Canvas Learning Management System was chosen as the learning environment. The key element in the course was formed by study groups and also the sense of a learning community that they perceive. Learning and knowledge were created collaboratively by focusing on a certain theme. The learning process was structured following the principles of the DIANA (Dialogical Authentic Netlearning Activity) pedagogical model (Aarnio Enqvist, 2001) and in this context, implementation of the model requires a genuine dialogical learning community, a commitment on the part of learners and the teacher, and a solid presence on the net (Aarnio Enqvist, 2001; 2002) This article reports a case study for designing and implementing dialogical, authentic and collaborative knowledge creation based on a MOOC format, and investigates how the DIANA model construes the learning process. In addition, the article focuses on the realisation of a practical pedagogical process, and shows how the DIANA model supports collaborative knowledge construction in the mOOC context. The data for this study was collected by using an online questionnaire and in depth online interviews, and analysed using a qualitative content analysis approach. This article is structured as follows: First, the topic is reviewed through theoretical concepts. Second, the study case and content analysis are described. Finally, the results are presented and discussed. The respondents' answers are presented verbatim in their original form. In those cases where participants answered in Finnish, the quotation has been translated and marked separately. THE OVERALL COCEPT OF MOOCS MOOCs (massive open online course) originate from American universities where the first course was launched in 2008. The words describing this new form of online courses have specific meanings. Massive means that the number of participants is unlimited, and open means that there are no entry requirements or tuition fees. Haber (2014, p.83) gave a concise interpretation that open means a free of cost or entrance requirement and with no barriers to entry and everything else are variant on eLearning. The courses function entirely as online courses and are structured in the form of goal directed teaching (McAulay et al. 2010) Massive open online courses are defined by various prefixes whose purpose is to describe the realisation methods or pedagogical approach of a particular course. One of the MOOC pedagogy branches is the cMOOC, and is based on collaborative and community oriented learning where learning is viewed as a social and collaborative learning event enabled by technology (Haavind Sistek Chandler, 2015; O Toole, 2013) Siemens (2005) notes that connectivism as a learning theory is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations, and that new information is continually being acquired. This concept has adapted to the digital age, an according to Grunewald et al. (2013) it describes learning as the creation of connections between information, and Web 2.0 functionalities lend support for this process. Connectivist knowledge and connectivism (Downes, 2012; Siemens, 2005) include insight of the cycle of knowledge development. In practice this means that individuals provide the community with knowledge, and also gain knowledge from the community. This kind of collaborative knowledge creation is seen as one aspect of the Web 2.0 philosophy. Means et al. (2014, p. 55) describe cMOOCs as endeavoring to generate online discussion and collaboration, through which the networked community of learners will build their knowledge and understanding. For example, on such courses the lectures and exercises are traditionally presented in the form of videos or text, but the learners are expected to create communities, to engage in discussions, and to give each other feedback on the exercises. In addition to MOOCs, there are so called micro open online courses (mOOC) which are based on the same principles as massive open online courses, but where the number of participants is limited. Instead of tens of thousands of participants, for example only 500 participants can enrol on the course. Amongst other things, the reason for this may be that the methods of discussion, guidance and feedback used are simply not feasible for a massive course. Additionally, the percentage of participants who pass the course tends to be higher when the number of learners is limited (Hiidenmaa, 2013) The Online Journal of Distance Education and e Learning, April 2016 Volume 4, Issue 2 www.tojdel.net Copyright (c) The Online Journal of Distance Education and e Learning 59 According to some researchers, the MOOC pedagogy is based on the principle of learner centricity. In this, the learners decide, for instance, what, when and where they study, and to what extent they commit th