Universities, community colleges, and high schools can use MOOCs to create an environment to enhance student learning. Last fall a professor at San Jose State used recorded MOOC lectures in an introductory electrical engineering course to create a flipped classroom. Students passed at a much higher rate than usual—91%, compared with 59% and 55% in two other, more traditional sections of the same course.
In the course, the students were instructed to watch the short lectures before each class session. At the beginning of the class session, the instructor would spend 10 minutes answering questions from the students about the MOOC lectures. Then the instructor spent about 10 minutes giving a summary of the most salient themes from the MOOC lectures, plus some original material.
Afterward, the 86-student class was divided into groups of three and worked on worksheets based on the lecture material. The instructor and teaching assistants observed the groups and provided tips when the students were stuck. Finally, the students were given a quiz to take on their own. The instructor wrote all the quizzes and worksheets.
For additional information see the article at The Chronicle of Higher Education by Steve Kolowich on May 23, 2013.