Tony Bates, an e-learning and distance education expert, explores the differences in design principles and philosophical positions between xMOOCs and cMOOCs. According to Dr. Bates, xMOOCs, such as those offered by edX and Coursera, use a teaching model “focused on the transmission of information, with high quality content delivery, computer-marked assessment (mainly for student feedback purposes), and automation of all key transactions between participants and the learning platform. There is almost no direct interaction between an individual participant and the instructor responsible for the course.” In contrast, connectivist or cMOOCs or cMOOCs primarily use “a networked approach to learning based on autonomous learners connecting with each other across open and connected social media and sharing knowledge through their own personal contributions. There is no pre-set curriculum and no formal teacher-student relationship, either for delivery of content or for learner support. Participants learn from the contributions of others, from the meta-level knowledge generated through the community, and from self-reflection on their own contributions.”
http://www.tonybates.ca/2014/10/13/comparing-xmoocs-and-cmoocs-philosophy-and-practice