Download - The MOOC is a Phenomenon: Expert Thoughts on the Future of Higher Education in MOOC Terms
The MOOC is a Phenomenon! Expert Thoughts on the Future of Higher Education
in MOOC TermsOLC 2014 International ConferenceOctober 29, 2014 2:15PM – Asia 3
Rolin Moe, Ed.D. (Pepperdine University)Twitter: @RMoeJo
http://rolinmoe.org
What is a MOOC?
Life of MOOC• George Siemens sees education in
digital age as a sphere of networks• Develops theory of connectivism,
involving human and automated networks
• Offers test-drive class on theory in manner of the theory (open to anyone). Nearly 2.5K enrollees. Students dub it a MOOC
• Somewhat similar classes emerge; similar results
• Most enrolled have a Bachelor’s and some graduate coursework
• Excitement within EdTech community about potential for model
• Growth continues despite co-option of term MOOC
• Sal Khan produces tutorial videos for niece; leads to Khan Academy (and TED)
• Sebastian Thrun (Google, Stanford) sees TED talk, inspired.
• Offers his “Intro to AI” course free online; other Stanford profs do same
• 160K enrollees; bedlam• Start-ups crated (Coursera, Udacity,
edX), courses offered, rhetoric spilled, governments listen, administrators hired & fired. Media dubs it a MOOC.
• Most enrolled have a Bachelor’s and some graduate coursework
• 741 (and counting) presentations like this entitled “MOOCs: What do we know?”
7 8 Things You Should Know About MOOCs (per
Educause)• Learning Model • Connected Age• Lifelong Learning• Game-changer• Scalability• Learning Analytics• Disruptive• Delivering Education to Consumers
MOOC as a Disruptive Technology (per Christensen &
Horn)• Low-cost (& low-quality?) option• Servicing new population• Adoption by existing population• Existing provider too slow (or unable) to adapt• A change in the marketplace and the culture
Why Disruptive Technology Argument
(& MOOC = Model) is Troublesome• Education is not a commodity in same manner as
a photocopier, a .mp3, or even trade journalism. Many argue it is not a commodity at all.
• The MOOC model has been orchestrated by existing high-end providers.
• Education is a social structure (Weber) and a foundational aspect of the public sphere (Habermas); would someone argue a disruptive innovation in religion?
Shifting the MOOC Lens
MOOC as Model (Educause)
MOOC as Phenomenon(Veletsianos & Moe, 2015)
• Connected Age• Lifelong Learning• Game-changer• Scalability• Learning Analytics• Disruptive• Delivering Education
to Consumers
• Cost of Higher Education• Higher Ed shifting to Job
Skills• Quantitative Research • Free Enterprise• Technological
Solutionism (Morozov)• Educational Research
Lacks Impact• Cognitive Theory
The Evolution & Impact of MOOCs
• George Siemens• Anya Kamanetz• Clay Shirky• Audrey Watters• Kevin Werbach• Cathy Sandeen• Peter Norvig• Fatimah Wirth• Todd EdebohlsAnd more
Methodology: Delphi StudyResearch Questions1) Where do experts
agree on the impact of MOOCs on Higher Education?
2) Where do experts agree on the impact of MOOCs on policy/culture/society?
The PromptsDiscussion was built around 12 quotations, pulled from existing MOOC literature and paraphrased. Each quotation tackled a different aspect/criticism of the MOOC, viewing it from either a model-based lens or a sociocultural phenomenological lens. Discussion lasted up to three rounds, depending on whether a prompt had reached a consensus majority of agreement or disagreement.
#videolecture, #personalization, #data, #autodidact, #publicgood, #democratization, #expertise, #professors, #disruptive, #imperialism, #tierbased, #labor
Quantitative ResultsFour of 12 prompts reached consensus.1) Learning analytics will help
solve education’s struggles (agree)
2) MOOCs are a tool to democratize education (disagree)
3) There are no experts in online education (disagree)
4) MOOCs provide an avenue for tier-based education services (agree)
Qualitative ResultsEvident themes included:• The rise (rebirth?) of
cognitive learning theory• A discord in the
application of educational terms and vocabulary
• MOOC = Online Learning (in the mainstream)
• Economics are at forefront of MOOC debate
Blah blah blah tenured humanities professor sanctimony. Explain to me how you occupy the moral high ground when your students graduate $30000 in debt and have no marketable skills.
MOOCs reflect changes in education. In themselves, they are not "disruptive' (what a terrible word - it needs to be taken out back and shot and never used again by educators).
What Does This Mean?• Higher Ed solutions to have
economic implications at forefront.
• Growing discord between MOOC developers, education scholars, and practitioners in regards to theory and pedagogy (cognitive style vs modern theory).
• Continued debate of the purpose of higher education; increased focus on skills and competencies due to lack of voices advocating for the system.
• Many “Future of Education” debates driven by non-edu voices, where terms and vocabulary are not negotiable (business, computer science).
Discussion