The Viewpoints of Professors and Specialists in Educational Sciences towards Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

The purpose of this study is to investigate and understand the viewpoints of professors and specialists in educational sciences towards massive open online courses (MOOCs). Thus, a qualitative approach and thematic analysis method was adopted. The statistical society of this research includes the professors and specialists in the field of educational sciences who participated in at least two MOOCs, out of which 9 people were selected by purposeful sampling. Then, the researcher attempted to collect data through semi-structured interviews to reach theoretical saturation. Interviews were analyzed using the method of Brown and Clark (2006). Finally, three themes, 11 main themes and 36 sub-themes were identified. According to the research findings, feelings and attitudes before and after participating in the MOOCs included the main themes such as the first doubt and the final satisfaction. MOOC capabilities were also identified in terms of objectives, content, teaching methods and evaluation. Also, the challenges of using MOOC in Iran have included technical, educational, cultural, economic and moral issues. In the end, reevaluation and provision of appropriate mechanisms to mitigate the effects of potential threats and promote positive situations is emphasized and a few applicable recommendations have been provided.