MOOCs

1. MOOCs Scott Forbes Faculty Commons

2. What is a Massive Open Online Course? • a very recent variant of online education- form of distance education • a category of online course • participants are distributed • course materials dispersed • represent a departure from traditional form of internet-based distance learning • participation in a MOOC is free (usually)

3. Massive Open Online Courses • Origins • theory • Organization • benefits • challenges • variety and number of courses • examples • Should MacEwan get onboard?

4. Origins • theory of connectivism

5. Connectivism • knowledgeexists in the world rather than in the head of an individual • Connectivism proposes a perspective similar to the Activity theory of Vygotsky – knowledge exists within systems accessed through people participating in activities • similarity with the Social Learning Theory of Bandura that proposes that people learn through contact

6. Principles of Connectivism • Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions. • Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources. • Learning may reside in non-human appliances. • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known • Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning. • Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill. • Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities. • Decision-making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality. While there is a right answer now, it may be wrong tomorrow due to alterations in the information climate affecting the decision.

7. Origins • Theory of connectivism • Term coined in 2008 by David Cormier, University of Prince Edward Island • Open online course led by George Siemens, Athabasca University • Stephen Downes, The National Research Council • “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge” • repeated in 2009 and in 2011

8. George and Stephen

9. A True MOOC • Aggregation • Starting point for content production • Content is NOT prepared ahead of time • Remixing – associating materials created with each other and elsewhere • Re-purpose aggregated and remixed materials to suit goals of each participant • Feeding forward – sharing re-purposed ideas and content with others

10. MOOC Pedagogy • Learning and knowledge rest in a diversity of opinions • Learning is a process of connecting specialised information sources • Learning may reside in non-human appliances • Capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known • Nurturing and maintaining connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill • Currency is the intent of all connectivist learning activities • Decision making is itself a learning process. Choosing what to learn and the meaning of incoming information is seen through the lens of a shifting reality.

11. Organization • Delivery • Online only using open web resources • Courses (generally) do not have specific requirements (i.e. Open) • Do provide rough timelines in the form of weekly topics • Structure typically minimal • Weekly presentations on current topic • Discussion questions • Suggested resources

12. Organization • Curriculum and structure emerge from participants • Posting, reflecting, sharing resource using variety of social media • May charge a fee/tuition if participant seeks accreditation • Can demonstrate mastery of course material • Most MOOCs do not provide credit but may provide certificate of completion

13. Benefits • Learning occurs in an informal setting • Only an internet connection needed to participate • MOOCs are free • Participants do not have to be enrolled at hosting institution • Course flexibility – students attend on their schedule • Direct immersion and engagement with topic • Digital skill development

14. Challenges • Need for basic digital literacy • Can be confusing to students used to strict, syllabus directed, lecture course • Students need to be self-directed learners • Lack of in person, real world socializing • Possibility of little interaction with instructor • Academic dishonesty with online exams • Potential for technical difficulties • Assessing learning – thousands of students..

16. Courses • Change.MOOC • Creativity and Multicultural Communication • Academic Room • Coursera • edX • Udacity • Saylor Foundation • Straighterline • and one you may be interested in signing up for: CFHE12

17. Curtis J. Bonk, Ph.D. Curt is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology in the School of Education at Indiana University. (Instructional Ideas and Technology Tools for Online Success) (link to Course Sites) Hello everyone. As we enter our last week of the course, we wanted to remind everyone about our fifth and last live session on Wednesday, May 30th at 4:00 p.m. EDT (-5 GMT) (Time Zone Converter) and provide some updates. We have quite a line-up planned for this last session (see below) so we hope that you can make it. Of course, if you cannot we completely understand, but encourage you to watch the recording that will be posted shortly after. Live Session Link: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=7&password=M.468705C45F34E62201409A9F088969 Week 5: Live Session Agenda: Time (approx.) Topic/Focus Presenter 3:45 PM Pre-Session Entertainment Justin Whiting & Donggil Song 3:50 PM Pre-Session Polling Dr. Bonk 4:00 PM Book Giveaway Dr. Bonk and TAs 4:05 PM Participant Showcase Dr. Bonk and TAs 4:30 PM Open Q&A on Course Content Dr. Bonk, TAs, & CourseSites 4:55 PM Book Giveaway Dr. Bonk and TAs 5:00 PM Break w/ Entertainment Justin Whiting & Donggil Song 5:10 PM What is CourseSites? Jarl Jonas 5:25 PM Open Q&A on CourseSites Dr. Bonk, TAs, & CourseSites 5:45 PM Course Wrap-up Reminders Jarl Jonas 5:55 PM Final Book Drawing & Song Dr. Bonk, Justin Whiting & Donggil Song Week 1-4 Summary To help stimulate some thought and questions, please review the discussion/blog/wiki summary from Weeks 1-4 below prior to attending. We are working on a comprehensive document which will include all weekly themes and resources shared in the course/chat which we will make available next week. * Weeks 1-4 Common Themes Bonk Open Course Badge As we announced at the beginning of the course, participants are able to obtain a badge for participating after completing the stated requirements. To learn how to obtain your badge and/or store it within the Mozilla Open Badge Backpack visit our YouTube tutorial at: http://youtu.be/NAcFRjF7XJc. Do not forget the requirements in the Orientation as well! Course Evaluation Thank you to all of those who have taken the time to provide valuable feedback as we've progressed. We'd like to hear from as many of you as possible and would like to ask that you complete the course evaluation now available in Week 5. The survey should take you just a few minutes to complete and will help us further shape future open course opportunities. This is Not Goodbye While the course will 'officially' conclude this week, please remember that the course will remain open indefinitely for you to review resources and continue conversations with those you've connected. Additionally, be on the lookout for further learning opportunities. We plan to provide further learning opportunities in our open course series to help us all further our educational impact.

18. Should MacEwan University offer a MOOC? • Expand access to knowledge? • Public good • Brand our institution in an area of excellence • Market ourselves overseas • Develop international reputation • Promote exceptional faculty

19. Last words…. Dr. Terry Anderson, Canadian Research Chair http://change.mooc.ca/ (Play from 29:40 – 35:54