We're coming to the end of the induction period of ocTEL. I've posted a quick round-up -- as much as it is possible to round-up the activity of a thousand people -- at http://octel.alt.ac.uk/big-questions-and-learning-the-ropes/
As I said in reply to a recent blog post, the first week in a MOOC is partly a sorting out process. Traditional courses usually do some "sorting out" in advance of the start, using
(a) course fees to filter out people with uncertain motivation and
(b) some sort of assessment to pre-qualify people who have the skills and experience to take part effectively [...]
Consultant and occasional writer, based in London. Chartered Pscyhologist and CMALT. Overall co-ordinator of ocTEL.