Beyond OptimismWhy the Future of OER/OCW is
AssuredCambridge 2012: Innovation and Impact - Openly Collaborating to Enhance Education
Cambridge, U.K., April 18, 2012
Gary W. Matkin, Ph.D.Dean, Continuing Education, Distance Learning, and Summer Session
University of California, Irvine
Imagine a world in which
everyonecould learn
anything anywhereanytime
for
free
Think of the World’s Most Pressing Problems
HungerDisease
Global WarmingTerrorism
Religious StrifePopulation Growth
Environmental DegradationEconomic Development
Natural CatastrophesEnergy
Imagine a World Problem that Does Not Involve
Education
By 2025, 98 million graduates of secondary education WILL NOT be able to attend college
To serve these students, 4 large campuses, serving 30,000 students, would have to be built EVERY WEEK for the next 15 years
Forces that are Impacting Higher Education and Creating an Imperative for OER/OCW The trend toward universal access The “commodification” of education The increasing cost of education and
the demand for institutional accountability
UNIVERSAL ACCESS
Universal Access: Identified and Described by Martin Trow
First scholar to describe the transition in higher education from elite to mass to universal student access
Envisioned a world in which education was ubiquitous
Trow’s Characteristics of Universal Access Adaptation of the whole population to rapid social and
technological change Breakdown of boundaries and sequences and distinctions
between learning and life Postponement of entry, softening of boundaries between
formal education and other aspects of life Great diversity with no common standards Aggregates of people enrolled, some of whom are rarely or
never on campus; Questioning of special privileges and immunities of
academe; Criterion shifts from “standards” to “value adds;” Open emphasis on equality of group achievement
Universal Access: The 3rd Stage in the Evolution of Higher Education Learning can be broken down into
smaller chunks and in sequences that were not possible before
Learning can now take place in our day-to-day activities as never before
The Shift Toward “Value Adds”
Inability to Meet the Goal
of Univers
al Access
Diversity of
Providers with
No Commo
n Standar
ds
Creating a Shift Toward “Value Adds”
Value Adds and the Evaluation of Education
Evaluation will be based on the actual results of education in measureable skills, abilities, or useful knowledge
The failure to provide evidence of value adds will lead to the questioning of the special privileges and immunities of academe
OER/OCW is a Cause and Beneficiary of the Trend Toward Universal Access Recent interest in “badges”
Concerns about learning authentication, validation, and certification in the absence of common standards
COMMODIFICATION
Commodification is the 2nd Trend Impacting Education
Education becomes ubiquitously available at little or no cost
Commodification follows the two elements of that are essential to education—content and communication
Commoditization pushes the traditional “value proposition” of an industry to the periphery of the good or service
Communication/Interaction (Web 2.0)Skype Facebook Twitter
Content/InformationWikipedia Google iTunes YouTube
Learning PathwaysConnexions Flat World
KnowledgeKahn
AcademyMerlotOCWC
Commoditization Pushes the “Value Proposition” to the Periphery of the Good or Service.
How To Make Money While Others are Giving it Away
Higher Education is Threatened by New Competition
Traditional
Higher Educatio
n
COST CONTAINMENT & ACCOUNTABILITY
3rd Trend: Rising Costs and Demands for Accountability
The rising cost of U.S. higher education means that large numbers of our workforce can’t get the education they need, when they need it
This has become a world issue
Demands for Accountability & Continuous Improvement
H.B. No. 2504: Section 51.974. “Each institution of higher education, other than a medical and dental unit, shall make available to the public on the institution’s Internet website the following information for each undergraduate classroom course offered for credit by the institution.”
Our Roles in Transition
1. From visionary to predictor/implementer
2. From periphery to core
3. From optimist to leader
Gary W. Matkin, Ph.D.Dean
University of California, IrvineEmail: [email protected]
Telephone: 949.824.8825On the Web: http://ocw.uci.edu/
Download this Presentation at: http://www.slideshare.net/garymatkin/ocwcglobal201
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