How it Works
English Eco is a way for learners to practice English. It is based in connectivist principles and ecological theory, and modeled after a MOOC style of learning.
​
However, language learning is unique, and a language learning MOOC needs unique features.
Like many MOOCs, English Eco is intended to be:

- decentralized
- distributed
- connective

Unique features for a language learning context:
​
- 'Open' for both learners and facilitators.
- The 'Course' is ongoing. Participants drop in and out as their own lifestyle permits.
- Instructional Design is high in initial structure, with the intent that learners will develop the ability and comfort to take more control of their own learning design.​
The English Eco strategy is based in the unit of a 'topic'. Topics are two weeks in length and can be on any subject matter - from direct language instruction to more common topics like movies, or travel destinations.

A facilitator creates a topic by posting the components (on their blog, webpage, twitter, etc) and then providing feedback over the two-week period to anyone who has decided to participate in that topic.
​
A learner participates in the topic by completing the elements, or tasks, of the topic. These tasks are left up to the facilitator to determine, however there are suggested guidelines and practices, meant as a starting point only.
​
Ideally, the tasks of the topic will result in learners interacting with people and content becoming distributed across the internet, both spatially and temporally. Past participants in any given topic, and their distributed content (blog posts, artifacts, comments, etc) are some of the best ways to generate new interaction and language use.

A – Learners are encouraged to take two two-week long introductory topics that get them used to this structure of learning, and familiarize them with some of the online technology and tools.

B – After the introductory topics, a learner finds a topic that they wish to participate in. 2 weeks topics are continually being created and revised. The small circles represent two-week long topics that are user created and can be on any subject matter that can act as a background to language use and interaction.

C- Two-weeks topics can also form strands, if the facilitator who created them intend them to be part of a series or theme of topics. These strands can end after a certain number (as this one does after four)...

D - ...or they can continue on indefinitely, if the subject matter suits. It should be noted that strands can only be suggested courses of topic order – learners alone can decide which topics they wish to participate in.

E – Strands may also split into other strands, if any facilitator (including learner turned facilitator) wishes to create a topic that explores a new direction. This strand split actually loops back into the original topic.
​
F – Content and Interaction is not contained within any topic itself, and is also not contai9ned within the structure of the language learning MOOC either. Content and interaction takes place across any boundary. As learners begin to realize and get comfortable with this, they understand the MOOC structure as mostly a guide, a place to practice and play-out their own autonomous learning skills.