Influential factors for managing virtual groups in massive and variable scale courses

Integration of collaborative learning in MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) is an open research challenge. However, team formation and subsequent management are complex tasks that depend on multiple factors, both pedagogical and technological. To fulfill these tasks, it would be helpful to provide teachers with supporting tools. This paper analyzes the factors influencing the formation of teams in MOOCs that can be taken into consideration in the design of this type of supporting tools. The paper presents a proposed classification and illustrates their need and utility by a scenario.