ABSTRACT
In Chapter 11, Trang Phan, Assistant Professor and Director of Instructional Technology Resource Center from California State University at Fresno, discusses the emotional benefits of diversity in MOOCs as seen in her groundbreaking dissertation study. The purpose of her qualitative study was to describe the emotional benefits of teaching and learning resulting from exposure to highly diverse global audiences and expectations in MOOCs. Participants were 15 instructors and instructional designers in American higher educational institutions who were involved in designing and delivering MOOC courses on the Coursera platform to learners in hundreds of countries throughout the world. Phan explains how these MOOC course designers and instructors adapted their courses to a wide range of learners, whether from the Global North or Global South. Multiple roles of participants in their MOOC design, development, and delivery are described. Also detailed are their perceptions of diversity, including some of the key merits as well as several marked challenges. Phan also describes how exposure to global learners has caused these MOOC instructors and instructional designers to be more culturally sensitive and compassionate in their thoughts and acts towards engaging global learners with the course content and associated learning activities. Those teaching or developing MOOCs for the Global South should find high value and personal meaning in her associated stories.
