A MOOL in a MOOCLIBRARIANS IN MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES
Let’s talk about MOOCs:• Massive Open Online Courses
• Hot topic in global education
• Controversial topic for proprietary/copyrighted resources
• Source of debate for educators around the world
What’s so hot? What’s so controversial?• Faculty have wished for ways to participate in open education efforts
• Brings opportunity for contact with (and education from) stellar institutions, long as you have an Internet connection
• Distance learning on a global, tuition-less scale – is this a good thing? Or a devaluation of a college education?
• CAN YOU REALLY LEARN IN A MOOC?
• WHO’S LOOKING AFTER THE QUALITY OF MOOCs? (Do we care?)
3 Quick Polls
How many of you have participated in a MOOC as a student(I don’t care if you finished – only if you tried taking one)
How many of you have completed a MOOC?
How many of you are here because you are a librarianwho wants to become part of a MOOC at their institution?
THE SURVEY
• Goals:
– Faculty statuses
– Faculty relationships with their libraries/librarians
– MOOC Learning outcomes & IL goals
– Librarians involvement in their MOOCs
– Incentives for MOOCs, and impacts of incentives
– Primary: Faculty vision for librarians &/in MOOCs
METHODS
• MS Access database of Coursera courses, as of 5/15/2013
• Qualtrics survey, open 5/15/13 – 7/1/13
• Several interviews:
• John Shank• Trey Martindale • Tim Bowen
Access Database Findings• The language of MOOCs – literally what language they’d be
taught in
• The hosts of MOOCs – higher ed and beyond
• The geography of MOOCs – US and beyond, and partnerships
• The disciplines of MOOCs – single- or multi-disciplinary
• Gender of MOOC faculty – a reflection of academia at large?
• The workload of MOOCs
• The recent addition of “Signature Track” MOOCs on Coursera and the pricing (as of 5/15/13, $39-$79)
Qualtrics Survey Results
• Vast majority of MOOC faculty: TENURED
• Unclear understanding of what librarians might do for/in a MOOC
• Clearer understandings of how librarians are involved on their campus – may lead to simplest first avenues to participation…
• Resource Creation• Experts / Supporters in Course Content, Design, &
Delivery• Librarian as Copyright and Access Knowledge Hubs
Resource Creation• Repurposing of existing instructional materials• Customized videos for use in MOOCs
Course Content: Design & Delivery• Use of embedded librarians at home institution• Use of librarians from home institution in MOOCs
Copyright & Access• Librarians are already known as strong resources for this topic• As open access, Signature Track courses, and institutionally-run/-
hosted MOOCs grow: so will MOOC copyright discussions & permissions
Additional Feedback
• Use of embedded librarians at home institution• Use of librarians from home institution in MOOCs
• Question 33 – regarding Coursera-provided librarians– Having a librarian play a role in your course (and its content, and
successfulness, etc.) involves TRUST
• Question 35 – additional thoughts and feedback– Let faculty think and write openly about possibilities– Relevant quotes from faculty at US and international institutions– Important to use librarian skills as librarians understand them;
also critical to further hone librarian skills as faculty understand them
• We need to work with and market STRENGTHS from both perspectives
Additional Feedback
FUTURE RESEARCHOpportunities for
IDEA 1:Predictability / Openness to librarian involvement in MOOCsbased on MOOC faculty use of home institution’s librarians
IDEA 2:As MOOCs for Humanities subjects increases, will librarianinvolvement in these MOOCs also increase?
IDEA 3:Impact of expansion of CCC’s pilot with Stanford: Will thesepartnerships grow? How will students respond? How will MOOCfaculty respond? Will students & faculty aim to circumvent fees? How will this impact open education?
IDEA 4:MOOC investments – platform-level and institution-level
IDEA 5:Ways to strengthen engagement, accountability, ethics, and technology implementations in the MOOC learning environment.
IDEA 6:Ways that librarians can use MOOCs to better their services.
FINAL REMARKS and Q&A
Now it’s time for…
Thank you for attending – Keep in touch!
Laureen P. [email protected]
www.millenniallibrarian.weebly.comConnect on
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