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How can large-scale open online learning serve the professional learning needs of educators which are often highly localized? In this mixed-methods study, we examine this question through studying the learning experiences of participants in four massive open online courses (MOOCs) that we developed on educational change leadership (N = 1,712). We observed that educators were able to integrate their learning from the online courses across a variety of educational settings. We argue that a key factor in this process was that the design of online courses was attentive to various levels in which participants processed and applied their learning. We therefore propose the “Content-Collaboration-Context Model” (C-C-C) as a design model for designing and researching open online learning experiences for professional learning settings where participants’ work is highly localized. In analyzing learner experiences in our MOOCs, we apply this model to illustrate how individuals integrated the de-contextualized content of the online courses into their context-specific practices. We conclude with implications for the design and research on open online professional learning experiences.

Eliciting and interpreting students’ ideas are essential skills in teaching, yet pre-service teachers (PSTs) rarely have adequate opportunities to develop these skills. In this study, we examine PSTs’ patterns of discourse and perceived learning through engaging in an interactive digital simulation called Eliciting Learner Knowledge (ELK). ELK is a seven-minute, chat-based virtual role play between a PST playing a “teacher” and a PST playing a “student” where the goal is for the teacher to find out what the student knows about a topic. ELK is designed to be a practice space where pre-service and in-service teachers can learn strategies for effectively eliciting their students’ knowledge. We review the implementation of ELK in eight teacher education courses in math or science methods at six different universities and assess (a) patterns of interaction during ELK and (b) PSTs’ perceptions of ELK and their learning from the simulation. Our findings suggest that PSTs engage in effective practices such as eliciting and probing more often than less effective practices such as evaluating and telling. Results suggest that PSTs gain experience in practicing talk moves and having empathy for students’ perspectives through using ELK.