The extent to which the discussion or comments are moderated varies probably more than any other feature in
xMOOCs, but at its most, moderation is directed at all participants rather than to individuals. Because of the very large
numbers participating and commenting, moderation of individual comments by the instructor(s) offering the MOOC
is rarely possible, although there are some examples. Some instructors offer no moderation whatsoever, so participants
rely on other participants to respond to questions or comments. Some instructors ‘sample’ comments and questions, and
post comments in response to these. Some instructors use volunteers or paid teaching assistants to comb for or identify
common areas of concern shared by a number of participants then the instructor or teaching assistants will respond.
However, in most cases, participants moderate each other’s comments or questions