Lorena Spooner – Guelph, Ontario, Canada

I live equidistant to several highly respected Canadian Universities and Colleges. Access to higher education has never been a problem. Nevertheless, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), rather than bricks-and-mortar institutions, have re-opened the doors of opportunity for me — and countless others.

Inclined to be curious and unconventional, I find satisfaction and enjoyment in seeking new options, acquiring new perspectives, and building fresh solutions to problems. Back in 2011, my world shrank as life’s challenges started wearing me down. The isolating — and exhausting — grind of being the primary caregiver for an aging parent, victimized by a catastrophic stroke, required retrenching in all areas of my life.

Career and social interactions took on part-time status at best. I spent more time interacting with healthcare providers than with family, friends, or colleagues. With many friends and family members living at a distance, I had a vague presence on Facebook, but how much time can one spend staring at photo streams and cat shares? By early 2013, I was beyond desperate, and looked to MOOCs to keep my sanity.

Writing II: Rhetorical Composing (RC) hosted on Coursera by Ohio State University, helped me rediscover the dormant side of my personality, and surfaced opportunities for change and deeper exploration. It launched me into an exciting new future, stripped of decades of socially driven conformity and compliance.

Within a few weeks of starting RC, my first MOOC, both my online and physical world interactions changed. I found myself applying key course principles in all my communications — and I was getting excellent results. A rare-in-life light bulb moment had flashed and lit up future pathways. That flash of light became more valuable to me than any lottery win. Immersion in the course content, along with myriad conversations amongst fellow participants and educators, brought something new, and very effective, into all my day-to-day interactions and tasks. Not a single dynamic in my life remained unaffected.

Key concepts involving Ethos, Pathos, Logos, and Kairos, applied in the context of 21st Century digital communication, underpin every success I have enjoyed since. It is unlikely that I could have benefited, in quite the same way, had I taken this same course in my late teens. Choices and priorities are quite different when facing life-defining decisions armed with not much more than a wallet full of dreams. However, in the context of lifelong learning, intended to compliment formal education and life practice, the experience was nothing short of transformative. I came away embracing creativity and innovation. I now thrive on change.

The Launch of a New Future

I continue participating in MOOCs, volunteer as a Coursera Community Teaching Assistant, and am in the process of launching a new business. The business plan started to evolve, quite organically, during the course of a research assignment involving 21st century digital learning and innovation. Business launches are stressful, but exciting. The needs of the business have kept the research project alive and well. Learning and earning seem to be moving forward in a pleasantly symbiotic fashion.

Engaging with digital culture in a meaningful way is now a normative part of my daily life. From a few connections on Facebook, my network has grown to include hundreds of people who are passionate about education and communication. Admittedly, only a little over a tenth of these are truly intimate connections that I interact with constantly. What is significant is that most of those I name ‘intimate’, were directly involved in the spring 2013 RC experience. I count on them. They count on me. Together, we continue to work the magic that was, and is, RC — online and off. Pixar Founder Ed Catmull’s mantra: “When faced with a challenge, get smarter.” captures the spirit of MOOC inspired collaborative teams.

Lifelong learning is something that I have always believed in. Even so, I still marvel that so much came from a mere 10-week investment in time. RC was, and remains, the definitive collaborative experience of my lifetime. There is far more to MOOCs than traditional education outcomes – statistical or otherwise. Massive open online courses are reshaping the global landscape and reinventing learning. I believe that the best is yet to come.