Canary in a Coalmine: The Future of Higher Ed?
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The document discusses the future of higher education and online learning. It examines two case studies: a traditional online degree from Syracuse University and a massive open online course (MOOC) from the University of Pennsylvania on Coursera. While technology has advanced, the commitment to open learning remains. MOOCs reach far more students but have minimal faculty involvement. Lectures remain important for structure. Discussions are not truly collaborative. Less educational technology may be best. The future may include credit for MOOCs and less traditional classroom lectures.
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Canary in a Coalmine: The Future of Higher Ed?
- 1. The Future of Higher Ed? #ne2 A Canary in the Coal Mine of Online Learning Lori Packer HighEdWeb New England March 18, 2013 Monday, March 18, 13
- 2. Online learning isnt new Walter Lewin, Electricity and Magnetism http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-electricity-and- magnetism-spring-2002/ License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA Monday, March 18, 13
- 3. Online learning isnt new Walter Lewin, Electricity and Magnetism http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-electricity-and- magnetism-spring-2002/ License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA Monday, March 18, 13
- 4. Online learning isnt new Walter Lewin MIT Physics professor His courses have been on MIT CableTV for almost 20 years. Broadcast on PBS stations in the 1990s. Walter Lewin, Electricity and Magnetism http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/physics/8-02-electricity-and- magnetism-spring-2002/ License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA Monday, March 18, 13
- 5. Technology has changed. Business models have changed. Expectations have changed. Commitment to open learning and teaching is the same. #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 6. Case Study #1: Traditional Online degree in Library and Information Sciences from Syracuse Universitys iSchool #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 7. Case Study #2: MOOC Gamification course offered by University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School through Coursera Taught by Kevin Werbach (@kwerb) #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 8. What is a MOOC, you ask? Massively Open Online Course Free, open to anyone who signs up, all online (no classroom component) Udacity (Stanford), edX (MIT and Harvard, Berkeley), Coursera (now up to 62 partner schools in 16 countries) #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 9. What is Coursera, you ask? Consortium founded by Penn, Michigan, Princeton Major expansions in September 2012 (17 new schools added) and February 2013 (29 new schools added) For-profit, venture capital funded 313 courses, 2.8 million students Costs universities ~$30,000 to produce a Coursea MOOC Monday, March 18, 13
- 10. Students Monday, March 18, 13
- 11. Case Study #1: Traditional Students apply to the graduate program, are accepted or rejected 20-30 students per class Mix of students who need the MLS credential and students changing, expanding careers #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 12. Case Study #2: MOOC 80,000 students enrolled 43,000 have watched 1st lecture video 12,800 submitted 1st written assignment 10,700 submitted 2nd written assignment 8,280 completed course & earned certificate #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 13. Case Study #2: MOOC Students were STILL signing up with only one week left in the course -- Why? For future access to video lectures, maybe? #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 14. Faculty Monday, March 18, 13
- 15. Personal Takeaway #1 Faculty are HUGELY important to the online learning experience ... ... maybe even more so than in an in-person classroom experience. #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 16. Case Study #1: Traditional Create syllabi Prepare lectures (usually) Moderate discussions forums (usually) Devise assignments Grade assignments #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 17. Case Study #2: MOOC Prepare lectures Devise assignments ... and thats pretty much it. Grading = online quizzes, peer grading #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 18. More on Peer Grading Must complete 3 written assignments Must evaluate essays from 3 students BUT ... why would a student in this class know more than me on this topic? #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 19. Lectures Monday, March 18, 13
- 20. Case Study #1: Traditional Monday, March 18, 13
- 21. Case Study #1: Traditional Monday, March 18, 13
- 22. Case Study #2: MOOC Monday, March 18, 13
- 23. Case Study #2: MOOC Monday, March 18, 13
- 24. Personal Takeaway #2 The lecture isnt going away. The lecture -- as a format, as content -- is what binds the students together in an online class, more so than discussions. Its what we have in #ne2 common. It provides structure. Monday, March 18, 13
- 26. Personal Takeaway #3 Discussions are not discussions. Discuss. #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 27. Case Study #1: Traditional Discussions are treated as homework Effectiveness depends on the role taken by the professor Blackboard makes following discussion threads difficult #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 28. Case Study #1: Traditional Other collaboration tools in Blackboard: Blogs Wikis Messaging File sharing However, real collaboration took place on Google Docs, Facebook Monday, March 18, 13
- 29. Monday, March 18, 13
- 30. Case Study #2: MOOC Discussion forums actually didnt play a role in the class for me at all Real discussions were on Twitter, mostly with friends outside the class Discussion platform in Coursera more user-friendly #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 31. Technology Monday, March 18, 13
- 32. Personal Takeaway #4 Less is more with educational technology. I dont need a Swiss-army-knife kitchen-sink LMS. Make it easy to use, easy to collaborate. #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 33. Case Study #1: Traditional Blackboard is not awesome. http://goddessofclarity.com/ 2011/07/18/blackboard-is- not-awesome/ #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 34. Case Study #2: MOOC #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 35. The Future of Higher Ed? Monday, March 18, 13
- 36. The world is simply moving too fast. -- University of Virginia Board of Visitors Rector Helen Dragas #ne2 http://www.cavalierdaily.com/article/2012/06/sullivan- resignation-spotlights-long-running-debate-about-online- education/ Monday, March 18, 13
- 37. Rarely is the question asked, Is our children learning? http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/hack-higher-education/dropping-out-moocs-it-really-okay Monday, March 18, 13
- 38. MIT and Harvard will use the jointly operated edX platform to research how students learn and how technologies can facilitate effective teaching both on-campus and online. The edX platform will enable the study of which teaching methods and tools are most successful. #ne2 http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2012/mit-harvard-edx- announcement-050212.html Monday, March 18, 13
- 39. Credentialling Coursera courses approved for college credit by ACE http://www.informationweek.com/education/online-learning/coursera-courses- approved-for-college-cr/240148119 Legislation would require all CA systems schools to accept ACE courses http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/03/13/california-bill- encourage-mooc-credit-public-colleges ≒Signature Track offers potential for for-credit courses for a fee http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/coursera-announces-details-for-selling- certificates-and-verifying-identities/41519 Monday, March 18, 13
- 40. Credentialling Colorado States Global Campus offers transfer credits for Udacitys Intro to Computer Science course http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/07/education/colorado-state-to- offer-credits-for-online-class.html EdX offers students option to take proctored exams http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2012/09/07/site-based- testing-deals-strengthen-case-granting-credit-mooc-students #ne2 Monday, March 18, 13
- 41. Adding value: Education or Prestige? Think about how impressed youd be if your cousin got into Harvard. Then think about how impressed youd be if your cousin told you she was going to enroll in Harvards free online course. Then subtract those two. The difference is the value of a Harvard education. --University of Rochester #ne2 professor Ben Hayden http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-decision-tree/ 201205/how-harvard-and-mit-can-give-away-their-only- product-free Monday, March 18, 13
- 42. In five to 10 years, people are going to look back and wonder why universities ever crammed 500 students into an auditorium to listen to a lecture for an hour and a half. -- Coursera co-founder Daphne Koller #ne2 http://www.npr.org/2012/09/30/162053927/online-education- grows-up-and-for-now-its-free Monday, March 18, 13
- 43. Questions? @LoriPA Im all ears. < do canaries have ears? > Monday, March 18, 13