A Curated Conversation

On British MOOCS

A Curated Conversation on the UK approach to MOOCs@fredgarnett @altmoocsig#altMOOCsig held at UCL 27 June 2014

ukMOOCs Overview

Based on altMOOCsig held 27 July 2014This is a curation of speakers thoughtsThemes; 1 uk MOOC characteristics 2

as Teacher CPD 3 uk Innovation 4 Further Research 5 Critiques

Summary & Conclusion by Fred Garnett

altMOOCsig

Organised by Mira Vogel UCL Learning Support Programme for the Day

Overall brief; MOOCs –which way now?Range of presentations mostly on

ukMOOCs; practical, theoretical, researchCoursera & Futurelearn represented Audio recording of all presenters’ talks

My old thoughts on MOOCs

I came to the meeting to critique the limitations of xMOOCs – which are;

“E-learning without the learning”

Anachronistic course-based content delivery offered now; an age of self-directed networked learning

But what did the @altmoocsig reveal?

Structure of altMOOCsig

As you can see from the altMOOCsig programme

A range of creative MOOC solutions were presented at the conference

A range of issues were identified both for review & for further research

But first – is there a ukMOOC model?

cMOOC xMOOC ukMOOC

If a connectivist cMOOC is based on network connections then it is andragogic

If an instructivist xMOOC is based on subject-course delivery then it is pedagogic

Does the ukMOOC exhibit the creative features of heutagogy?

What is #heutagogy?

1. ukMOOC characteristics

Patrick Haughian on learner-centred social networks

Matt Jenner on reputational engagement;

Freda Wolfenden on inclusive OER design

Shirley Ellis on educational stewardship

Helen Gillespie on teacher completion

Patrick Haughian QUB

MOOCs which are in tune with social networks of the audience are well placed to provide a learner-centred environment which facilitate easy access & interaction between learner, academic and content.

They should aim to accommodate formal and informal learning by providing frequent and varied learning interactions with space for 'sense-making'.

Matt Jenner UCLMOOCS boost reputational engagement,

outreach & exposure. Build capacity, capability, research, diversification, interdisciplinarity & recruitment.

International collaboration widens participation beyond traditional markets; pioneering platforms create new literacies and alternative revenue.

Disaggregated services encourage appropriately licensed materials and pedagogical experimentation with mixed learner communities. Micro-credentials reward contributions.

Freda Wolfenden OUMOOC design draws heavily on

existing OER with the generation of minimal original content . Design needs to address low bandwidth issues, support, beyond the more standard online approaches.

A significant amount of OER is produced in the global north. Design will address contextualisation through scaffolding and support that MOOC offers.

Shirley Williams Reading

When planning a MOOC getting the right educator(s) is important.

But it is essential to think of stewardship while courses are running, and to be aware that a popular course may be run several times over a few years.

Stewards can be undergraduates, academic staff, postgraduates or past participants

Helena Gillespie UEAFuturelearn 1st 6 open online courses found

different successes for different courses; school teachers high levels of completion engagement brand for businesses attracted

sign ups Students study skills gave international

reach Buck MOOC demographic trend and

recruit learners without degrees. The next step is to establish institutional aims for open online education.

2. MOOC success with CPD

MOOC take up has been greatest with educational professionals; open CPD & meeting Millennium Goals

Diana Laurillard communities of knowledge

Tim Seal – North/South collaborative CPD

See also (innovation)Eileen Kennedy – exciting CPD

Diana Laurillard IoE

We could begin to solve the big problems of education by running MOOCs as CPD to curate & orchestrate online collaborative innovation in the teaching community @ scale

Those teachers form networks of knowledge building that could support the training of the 1.5 million teachers we need to provide universal primary education.

Tim Seal OU

MOOC structures support contextualisation & collaboration to not only realise the benefit of OERs - mainly produced in the global north - as offering a flexible content approach

This also impacts on teacher education from the South to the North through collaborative practice and the uptake of large scale CPD

3. UK MOOC innovation

UK degrees are built around full degrees NOT courses. This makes them less flexible, reflecting our different educational culture

However UK staff have always innovated (see ALT) within overall degree rigidity. We saw some innovative practice; storytelling, geocaching & affective excitement...

3. UK MOOC innovation

The presentations include much innovation, MOOCs were interpreted as learning design beyond the classroom…

Aidan Johnston - storytellingAlex Griffin – geocachingEileen Kennedy – affective dynamic

Aidan Johnston Strathclyde

Our course has storytelling at the heart of MOOC design. Why storytelling? “we wanted to give students the means whereby they could immerse themselves in the story – the real science behind forensic science”

An overview of MOOC course design, challenges and critical success factors of the University’s first high profile MOOC.

Alex Griffin Huddersfield

Wherigo geocaching is a type of MOOC, and seeks to explore how the game can be used as an engaging online tool to help architecture students investigate actual and virtual places as part of design projects.

A Wherigo cache is intended to be planted in Huddersfield in an urban analysis project

Eileen Kennedy IoE

MOOCs could be seen as part of the spectacularisation of education. Nevertheless, we could learn from MOOCs to add some spectacle to our online courses and events (particularly CPD)

to build excitement among busy professionals and use teacher-produced video to create a positive affective dynamic within our online learning communities.

4. MOOC review/research

The opportunities & innovations offered by ukMOOCs need to be reviewed & fresh research needs carrying out

Pat Lockley- new paradigmJenny Francis– heterogenity &

metaphorsAmy Woodgate – risk-taking open

mindCurt Bonk – learning experiences of

self-directed learners

Pat Lockley Uni of London

How did we adjust organisationally to this new Coursera MOOC paradigm?

How has the experience enhanced the provision for our students studying on paid-for programmes?

This will cover the challenges of; taking the first steps, the problems in staying the course & what to do when you cross the finish line

Jenny Mackness Frances Bell

Dave Cormier’s MOOC ‘Rhizomatic Learning: The Community is the Curriculum’ used the rhizome metaphor to challenge arborescent, hierarchical, traditional ways of thinking & learning.

This metaphor promotes ceaseless connections, heterogeneity, multiplicity, nomadic thought & lines of flight. OUR ongoing research questions participants’ use of metaphor & “learning through the MOOC”

Amy Woodgate - Edinburgh

MOOCs have reached a critical point – are they about numbers or reach?

The former is easy – carry on as normal; the latter is somewhat more problematic – how do we reach those we have never reached before???

This big question requires new approaches, collaborations, risk-taking & an open mind to potential…

Curtis Bonk Mimi Miyoung Lee

Instead of course completion, our research explores the learning experiences of self-directed learners; including common barriers, obstacles, motivations, & successes in such environments.

It also documents possibilities for life change from the use of OER and MOOCs.

Data collection included MIT OCW subscribers & Blackboard CourseSites MOOC participants

5. ukMOOCs – Critiques

MOOCs offer access to education & the digital economy, what more is needed?

Sherif Halawa – diagnosing dropout

Ronald Macintyre – the promise of OPEN

Fred Nigel – equity, inclusion, digital

Sherif Halawa StanfordMOOC dropouts are caused by time

constraints, procrastination, & perceived difficulty of material.

Personalizing interventions (supplemental help resources, workload reduction & motivational) requires us to predict & diagnose dropout.

Ongoing work to improve accuracy involves accounting for learner demographics, intentions & course traits (length, difficulty, workload).

Ronald MacIntyre OU(S)

Looking at the promises made by Open Universities most felt Open was the most important enabler. The group reflected on the promise that MOOC developers ought to make

NOT about equity and Widening Participation, we ought to promise, innovation, engagement with like-minded people, fun, brand awareness Is that really enough for a revolution?

Fred Garnett LKL Nigel Ecclesfield JISC

MOOCs have focussed on e-enabling education rather than transforming learning.

If MOOCs are to bring equity & inclusion, as well as access, to education then their design needs to become learner-centred rather than content-centric.

In co-creating learning MOOCS will also help shape the values of an emerging networked digital economy

6. ukMOOCs - Summary

ukMOOCs demonstrate a range of innovation in learning design not just in course platforms

Initial focus on how do we scale content delivery? Now replaced by learner experiences, self-determined open learning & more…

Potentially moving away from e-enabling education towards creative engagement through learning design by digital stewards

ukMOOCs - ConclusionFrom our work on Craft of Teaching &

the Digital Practitioner we now see in HE

A similar curiosity & confidence in university practitioners, as we found in FE

A similar concern with creating “artfully-crafted, student-centred, learning experiences”

A similar self development with personal tech & a move away from tech monocultures…

ukMOOCs – A questionIs there an emerging practice in

designing & implementing ukMOOCs? Is heutagogy key?

altMOOCsig programmeBefore & After MOOCsDigital PractitionerA Craft of eTeachingJOLT – MOOCs

facilitation & self-determination

altMOOCsig – Contributors

Patrick Haughian QUB, Matt Jenner UCL, Freda Wolfenden OU, Shirley Williams Reading, Helena Gillespie UEA, Diana Laurillard LKL, Tim Seal OU, Aidan Johnston Strathclyde, Alex Griffin Huddersfield, Eileen Kennedy IoE, Pat Lockley London, Jenny Mackness, Francis Bell, Amy Woodgate Edinburgh, Curtis Bonk Open , Mimi Miyoung Lee Houston, Sherif Halawa Stanford, Ronald MacIntyre OU(S), Fred Garnett LKL, Nigel Ecclesfield JISC

A curated conversation of 50 words from contributors