ABSTRACT
The massive open online courses (MOOCs) concept at its inception seemed promising to achieve an open learning environment that creates networks of people learning from each other and contributing to a common good, which the author's label a "Knowledge Commons". In such a knowledge commons, MOOCs are positioned on the cusp of formal and informal education. The majority of e-learning design models are currently founded on the development of positive learning outcomes under the influence of effective teaching practice in institutions of higher education. The generation, accumulation, processing, and analysis of digital data is now being touted as a potential solution for many prevailing educational problems. Connectivist massive open online courses (cMOOCs) represent a new pedagogical approach in the network age. cMOOCs focus on knowledge creation and generation. In the earliest cMOOCs, which first emerged in 2008 and 2009, certain students received credits through the University of Manitoba, whereas others located across the world participated informally at no cost.
