Thanks for this, Dave, worth bookmarking for future reference. I ‘get’ the Cynefin thing a little better now with your explanation and your ability to relate it to situations for which moocs may or may not be well-suited. This line jumped out for me “If you’re looking for chaotic experiences where you need to put your foot in the ground and ‘do anything’ you already have the internet. You don’t need a MOOC.”

Your description also validates why I flat out rejected the idea of developing goals for my participation in moocs. For me, the complexity of a mooc lends itself to exploration and expeditions as noted in Jaap’s blog today http://connectiv.wordpress.com/2012/03/06/learning-goal-and-teaching-goal-change11/ Goal setting feels too simplistic and contrived for a complex environment. Your thoughts?