MOOCs – overview & issues

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The early MOOCers

• David Wiley• George Siemens & Stephen Downes• Alec Couros• Dave Cormier• Jim Groom

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MOOCs tended to be..• Short – 8-10 weeks• Open to all• Use mixture of free technology• Run by individuals• Not often accredited• Combine synchronous &

asynchronous• Bring in range of experts• Experimental in nature

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How did they fare?

• High drop-out rate• Often confusing for learners• Better suited to experienced

learners

• Popular• Inspirational• Platform for open research• Successful for many learners

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Enter the big players

• Thrun – Stanford AI course

• Becomes Udacity• EdX• Coursera

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New wave of MOOCs

• Free, but not entirely open• Commercial basis• Institutional• Conventional in pedagogy & technology• Linked to accreditation

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Benefits

• Better chance of employee recognition

• Provide model for economic viability

• Provide platform for easy deployment

• Offer free (or cheap) education to many

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Concerns

• Undermines university model

• Conservative approach• Reinvent the OU!• US-centric view?• Only viable if M = Massive• Not so open• All disciplines?• Commercialisation of HE?

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So…

• Are new MOOCs MOOCs at all?• Can both live side by side?• Is the trade-off between the benefits &

concerns a good one?• Don’t dismiss them• Is it all hype?• Could it damage unis (& if so, does that

matter?)