Increasing the Reusability of MOOCs via Competence-Oriented Development

In this paper, we present a novel life cycle model for MOOC development that focusses on reusability. MOOCs can be used in various contexts: standalone, as an additional resource in a course at an established educational institution, or as the main driver for such a course in, e.g., a flipped classroom setting, among other uses. However, there is no established process how to design and run MOOCs in such a way that it enables their use and re-use in all of these contexts. Our life cycle model is based on a meticulous analysis of the competencies that each unit within the MOOC requires and provides. Based on this analysis, learning objects can be designed in a modular way so as to be easily reusable, clearly specifying their prerequisites, which can also be fulfilled by knowledge supplied from outside the MOOC itself. We illustrate this principle by examining our development of a MOOC about databases, where we follow the proposed life cycle model.