Researching Usability and Design in the Irish 101 MOOC

This paper explores research undertaken during the design and the development of the Irish 101 Massive Open Online Course or MOOC to be delivered in 2016. The MOOC hopes to attract language learners with a specific interest in... [ view full abstract ]

This paper explores research undertaken during the design and the development of the Irish 101 Massive Open Online Course or MOOC to be delivered in 2016. The MOOC hopes to attract language learners with a specific interest in Irish culture and language, and in particular to engage with the global Irish Diaspora. The Irish Government through the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht have provided support for the project and it is viewed as the first step to deliver a fully online Irish language programme. Language learning MOOCs or LMOOCs are described as being neonatal in terms of their prevalence within the broader MOOC space with the majority of LMOOCs being available in one of three global languages. Very few LMOOCs are available in Lesser User Languages and most LMOOCs adopt approaches to language learning based on an asynchronous and an acquisition design-based approach. The Irish 101 MOOC is underpinned by a pedagogical framework based on an action-oriented approach to language learning known as languaging derived from cultural-historical activity theory. A critical component in the development of the LMOOC has been the design and re-design phase, which has included conducting usability studies with cohorts of potential participants. This paper discusses the methodological approach undertaken to engage with usability studies, aimed specifically at language learners. The findings of the studies are reported, and the paper concludes by positioning these findings within the MOOC design and computer assisted language literature.