OER and Alternative Certification Models: Bridging Boundaries Between Formal and Informal Learning

Open Education Conference October 16-18, 2012Vancouver, BC

10.16.12

Cynthia Jimes, Lisa McLaughlin

ISKME 2012:

In working with OER teacher champions, ISKME has been looking at how OER supports alternative learning pathways for students. This work, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, is meant to help foster new strategies for how existing open education resources can inform credit-earning pathways.

Contributors to this project include: •Lisa Petrides•Cynthia Jimes•Lisa McLaughlin•Clare Middleton-Detzner•Rudy Rubio•Amee Evans Godwin

About This Project

The Education ContextSetting the stage for alternative models

The rising costs of education

Decreases in funding that reduce the number of classes available for students

The need to better align workforce needs with the needs of students

The demands of a service-based knowledge economy

A demand from employers for a stronger focus on core competencies

An increasing number of students for whom college becomes less affordable each year

An increasing number of students demanding flexible class times to meet their varied learning needs and life contexts

New technologies and web-based community spaces shifting the ways in which students and teachers access and interact with, and even create, new information and data

An environment in which learning becomes more community-based, with no traditional start and end points

Emerging modes of assessment as a means of recognizing informal learning and competency-based learning

The Education Context, cont.Setting the stage for alternative models – what the literature says

A Working DefinitionWhat we mean by OER and alternative certification models

Support student learning through the use of OER or freely available content

Offer courses or content bundled into topic or knowledge areas

Guide learners as they build their knowledge through, for example, feedback mechanisms and increasingly challenging content

Reward learners for mastery of content

Have been publically launched and are currently available for learners

The Questions We Asked

What OER and open access-based pathway models exist and how do they work?

How can these new pathway models best be categorized and understood?

How are these models distinct from formal education pathways? What gaps do they fill? What gaps remain?

What are the possible implications of these new models for teaching and learning?

If these new models really took off, what would it mean for education as we know it?

Approach

Review of the literature to capture recent thinking on the factors driving the emergence of new learning pathways, and how they differ from traditional, formal education pathways (see list of references)

Examination of OER and open access-based alternative pathway models to assess how they support and recognize learning through technology, content, pedagogical approach, and other factors

Development of an analytical framework for assessing and categorizing the models that helps to answer our key study questions

Mapping the Models: Big PictureAn early framework

Coursera, Venture Lab

o P2PU

Codecademy Khan Academyo Saylor

o Open University UK

o U of the People

ALISONSelf-guided or Peer-Led Learning

Instructor Led

BadgesCertificates of Completion

Recognition of Achievement

Degrees/Credit

o Use OER Use freely available content

Note: This framework is a work in progress, and is not intended as a comprehensive map of alternative pathway models. It includes 14 models from our analysis, selected as representatives for our study’s working definition of alternative pathway models.

o Open High Schoolo OLI Carnegie Mellon

Learning Model

Udacity, edX

Sophia

Recognition of AchievementOverview of where the models fall

For the models reviewed, three types of recognition emerged: 1) degrees or credit, 2) certificates, and 3) badges

On the whole, the type of recognition offered is related to the model’s level of affiliation with a formal institution.

Specifically, degrees are offered by models that are under the umbrella of formal institutions, certificates are offered by models that have partnerships with formal institutions, and badges are offered by grassroots models with limited or no ties to formal institutions

Recognition of AchievementA move toward accredited learning pathways

Although only four of the models offer accredited courses (OHSU, OU UK, Sophia, OLI), several other models are moving toward accreditation (U of the People, Saylor, P2PU, Codecademy)

For two of models that currently offer accredited courses, learners are charged for enrolling in the credit-granting courses (Sophia, OLI); For one of the models, learners may be charged for receiving credit based on where they live, income, qualifications, course offered, etc. (OU UK)

For those that are moving toward accreditation, new solutions are beginning to emerge, including Codecademy’s recent partnership with NYU to offer a programming course that may be later incorporated into NYU’s accredited curriculum

Learning ModelAn emphasis on ‘learner-driven’ learning and content

Examples:Khan Academy: Learners navigate their own learning path by working through topics within a ‘knowledge map’

Venture Lab, P2PU: Assignments and projects are completed in groups

P2PU, U of the People, Coursera: Learners provide feedback on their peers’ assignments

P2PU: Learner assignments are openly licensed and shared back with the P2PU community, for others to use and reuse

The majority of the models reviewed rely more upon self-guided or peer-based activities to support student learning, with no or limited interaction with instructors

Most of the models that do rely more heavily on instructors to guide learning, also incorporate peer-based learning activities

A few models also support learners as content creators and curriculum developers

Learning ModelUse of learner data to gauge and personalize learning

Several models are collecting data about the ways learners are moving through and using content, and how they are performing

These data are made accessible to instructors and learners, and are fed back into the overall learning model to support the personalization of learning, through, e.g., changes to content and to how learning is supported

Examples:OHSU and Khan Academy: Collect learner data on time spent on resources and topics, and on areas of weakness/proficiency. Data are shared with educators and learners to support learning

OLI: Collects student performance data through quizzes and assessments. Data are shared with educators to tailor classroom time and content, and are used to provide feedback to students on areas of weakness

edX: Collects learner data about number of attempts at answering questions and resources used to solve them. Data are used to improve the development of course offerings

Learning ModelA trend toward competencies and soft skills

Examples:Udacity: Offers courses in mathematics, computer science, and technology to help learners transition into the tech field

ALISON: Focuses on preparing learners for specific professions (nursing, childcare), and aims to help employers connect with learners who have demonstrated content mastery

Codecademy: Has partnered with NYU to offer programming courses that help to build students’ skills in “flexible thinking”, alongside coding

Several models offer courses that are aligned to the needs of specific fields and support learners in gaining core competencies needed to succeed in the workforce

Two models plan to support learners in connecting with potential employers upon completion of their curriculum

A few models are emphasizing the development of ‘soft skills’

What This All MeansKey implications that we see

New, alternative pathway models are helping to bridge boundaries between formal and informal learning—through new modes of recognizing and supporting informal learning, and through partnerships with formal institutions

As alternative models continue to gain legitimacy, they will likely play an increasing role in supporting (and even putting pressure on) formal institutions as they seek efficient, innovative solutions to meet needs of their stakeholders in the face of constrained budgets

Alternative pathway models will need to remain flexible enough to respond to students and employers in terms of curriculum that emphasizes competencies, and that is recognized by employers

The emphasis on personalized learning will be enhanced through learner data

Discussion

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Cynthia Jimescynthia@iskme.org

Lisa McLaughlinlisa@iskme.org

Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in EducationHalf Moon Bay, California