MOOC pedagogy: the challenges of developing for Coursera Jeremy Knox

The University of Edinburgh @j_k_knox jeremyknox.net

Types of MOOC?

cMOOCs and xMOOCs … ?

‘connectivist’ • Udacity • Coursera • edX

What is a MOOC?

M

assive - enrolment numbers

O

pen - no mandatory qualifications

O

nline - fully

C

ourse - structured, temporal some learners are not students of universities • Tutoring & support is ‘light touch’ • Low study hours per week - modules not degree programmes • Certificates of completion rather than credit …

For profit, independent of any institution For profit, partnered with 33 institutions Non-profit, currently six partnered institutions

Edinburgh

• Reputation – early adopter of educational technology • Exploration of a new pedagogical ‘space’ to inform practice • Wish to reach as widely as we can with our courses • Sharing experiences with peer universities • Not a replacement for on-campus taught degrees, but also not in conflict or competition with them.

• A different educational space – open education

Developing for Coursera

           Choosing courses/professors Deciding on duration/study hours/degree cycle-stage/ Deciding on the ‘legals’ – agree & sign contract, setting fee levels & share, setting course lifespans, agreeing certificate text…..

Make sure the University Court approves!

Creating publicity materials for the University website Dealing with media interest Designing & testing courses Providing video/audio recording/editing facilities Organising Quality Assessment based on normal processes Providing ‘teaching assistants’ Commitment to delivering the course three times

‘E-learning and Digital Cultures’

• Teaching and the teacher • The MOOC ‘platform’ • MOOC futures

Teaching and the teacher

‘One

big

difference between a MOOC and a traditional course is that a MOOC is completely voluntary. You decide that you want to participate, you decide how to participate, then you participate. If you're not motivated, then

you're not in the MOOC.’

Downes, S. (2011). What a MOOC Does http://halfanhour.blogspot.com/2012/03/what-mooc-does-change11.html

Manifesto for Teaching Online

http://onlineteachingmanifesto.wordpress.com/

The MOOC platform

Content

Video lecture Video group discussion

Assessment

Peer Assessment ‘Robot’ grading

Communication

Multiple Choice Quiz (MCQ) Threaded discussion forum • Live webcasts or Hangouts • Twitter

‘E-learning and Digital Cultures’

• • • No video lectures Public domain content Distributed, aggregated and social

• Content • Interaction and communication • Assessment • Learning ?

MOOC Futures

• Open education or universal education?

• Two-tier education system?

MOOC Futures

• Learning analytics o What kind if data is collected?

o How is that data contextualised, interpreted, and represented back to the learner?

MOOC research

 What are the demographics of learners in different MOOCs?

 Why are they taking them?

 What do they do with the learning?

 What helps them stay the course?

 Can MOOCs like these be made economically sustainable, esp in the longer term?

 Will services spring up around them (tutoring, sales of books, credentialisation etc)? And will we be ‘happy’ with these?