The European ECO project tests the hypothesis that intercreativity and interculturality in MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are key factors for removing barriers to new teaching–learning processes. These two elements are understudied and undertheorized in most research about MOOCs. The ECO project proposes a new model named sMOOC (social MOOCs), based on constructivist and connectivist pedagogical theories that foster intercreativity and interculturality. Participants from six European countries and their attendant linguistic and cultural zones (Spanish-speaking and French-speaking world mostly) become the protagonists of their own learning, building their knowledge through collaboration and participation in different virtual platforms and social networks. The transnationally produced and shared sMOOC “Step by Step” serves as a learning practice experience which fosters interculturality in conjunction with intercreativity. It is analyzed as a case study to examine the main characteristics of online collaboration, in particular support, engagement, diversity, loss of control and internal policing. The results confirm the presence of such characteristics that are instrumental in the creation of collective intelligence in constant coordination. Additionally, strong cognitive processes are at work: interventional or accidental focus, empathy, tolerance to error, decentring, tolerance to ambiguity, presence to self and identity construction.

Keywords

ECO project · intercreativity · interculturality · MOOC · open data · open education · sMOOC · technosocial communities · transmedia connectivity