cscw2015 p2pu

Open Education in the Wild: The Dynamics of Course Production in the Peer 2 Peer University

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

June Ahn Sarah Webster Brian Butler

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

The Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU) is an online, open education platform where any user can create a course, contribute content, or join an existing course as a learner.

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

“Finding and joining a community that ignites a student’s passion can set the stage for the student to acquire both deep knowledge about a subject (“learning about”) and the ability to participate in the practice of a field through productive inquiry and peer-based learning (“learning to be”).”

“The web offers innumerable opportunities for students to find and join niche communities...”

John Seely Brown & Richard Adler

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

More like open movements, peer production platforms, open source communities Less like Formal school systems or MOOCs

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Teaching  &  Learning  

School  Ins2tu2ons  

Professional  Training  of  Staff  

Laws  &  Policies  

School Systems & maybe MOOCs

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Teaching  &  Learning  

School  of…  

Training  for…  

Open,  Par2patory,  Policies  

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Key Distinctions •  Coerced vs. Voluntary •  Professionally Gated vs. Participatory •  Fundamental Shift in Roles – Traditional: Learner as Consumer/Participant

•  P2PU – The Work of Producing Education is part of

Teaching and Learning Itself

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

“… the open model of P2PU rests on the critical assumption that members can successfully coordinate and produce a sufficient supply of courses and motivate others to join in.”

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

“… this practical issue is also an interesting theoretical question of how to design and facilitate the computer supported cooperative work to orchestrate the necessary support for new systems of education delivery.”

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Research Questions 1.  How do P2PU course organizers engage with

the P2PU platform?

2.  What factors are correlated with the successful launching of courses in P2PU?

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Hypothesis 1  

More Experience è J  

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Hypothesis 2  

Instructional Design Training è J  

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Hypothesis 3  

Working with Others è J  

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Data Sources & Analysis •  Log data from P2PU database – March 2011 to September 2013

•  Data Transformations to create variables of interest

•  Descriptive Analysis •  Logistic Regression

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Findings

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Findings 12% of courses were ever launched publicly on P2PU

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Findings

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Findings

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Findings Most Impactful •  Prior Participation in

Courses •  Collaborating with other

Organizers

* No Correlation for the Design Course

“Course creation has always been very easy and at the forefront [of the interface]. I think this resulted in lots of people creating a course simply to see what it is like.”

Dirk Uys P2PU Developer

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Interviews with 11 course organizers •  Course development took 2-4

weeks •  Required multiple iterations &

collaborative tools •  81% of organizers collaborated with

others

Vanessa Gennarelli P2PU Learning Scientist

Implications CSCW

•  Peer Production •  Creative Collaboration •  Welcoming Newcomers •  Promotive Interactions •  Participant Motivation •  Online Community –

Policies, Moderation, Roles etc.

Open Education •  Open Education

Resources •  Redefining Learning as

“being” •  Cooperative “work” as

learning •  Interactions to promote

peer to peer learning

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Thank You

Human Computer Interaction Laboratory CASCI

Award #1257347 Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

@ahnjune juneahn@umd.edu

Co-Authors Sarah Webster Brian Butler

Our Friends at Dirk Uys, Vanessa Gennarelli, Philipp Schmidt and everyone