What are SOOCs?
SOOCs are also highly specialized online courses with content restricted to a limited group of learners.
What are the main features of this training format?
SOOCs, which are intended for a limited number of learners, include a social dimension (via social media or online forums, for example) to generate stronger group dynamics between learners, or between learners and trainers. Thus, one of the SOOC’s aims is to promote the number of connections between learners.
Some SOOCs provide a fully-fledged social network, to which learners log in via an account on an online platform.
Because they are intended for qualified learners, SOOCs are an ideal tool for sharing best practices among experts.
Key success factors for SOOCs
To be a success, SOOCs must be easily accessible. In additional, there must be community managers on hand, to manage forums and other social media platforms, and to act as moderators.
To sustain learner motivation and facilitate the learning process, these community managers must be able to stimulate interactions between learners through a variety of approaches and formats. Lastly, SOOC managers must track specific performance indicators, such as the number of connections, the number of messages posted to a forum, the time spent per learner and per module, the time taken by each learner to complete the training program, etc.
