Many thanks for these explanatory points Jaap. I think inevitably indviduals will be working on slighty different scales - and I would suspect that this is the case in any form of reflection/evaluation exercise. What I like about the footprints is that they show so clearly how unique the learner experience is - and therefore how challenging it is to draw any generalisations about it at all!
However, you have pointed to the influence of prior experience on the drawing of footprints. I do agree with you that past experience, for example of a MOOC, is likely to affect how the factors are interpreted. I myself have found that I tend to judge factors such as autonomy, diversity and so on in relation to my experience of CCK08 - so I am not challenged by these as much as maybe someone who is more used to working in prescribed learning environments might be. That is why the descriptions that go with the footprints are also very important.
I completely agree though that a prescribed course does not mean a low-value course and I very much like how you have described this - A course will be emergent if student and course do have a fit together. Fitness for purpose is something we have always thought important, but perhaps we should emphasise more.
