TaPRA interim event

Performer training and Digital futures: a MOOC moot

Capitol TheatreMMU

24th April 2013

Jonathan Pitches

Professor of Theatre and Performance

University of Leeds

Summary of presentation• Context of this paper

– Why now?– AHRC fellowship proposal– Digitalis and digital training approaches I have been taking– Future Learn developments

• Overview and Definition of MOOCs– Key Players– Connectivist (cMOOCs) vs more traditional online learning

(xMOOCs) EdEx?• Outline a speculative, first draft approach to a mini MOOC• Wider Issues and concerns raised

Why now?• Developments nationally which bring the

debate about MOOCs close to home• NMC Horizon Report 2013 identifies MOOCs as

‘most important’ trend to have wide-scale adoption in HE within the next year

• ‘Openness’ in education is particularly hot topic currently – Open access publishing, OERs, use of iTunes U as well as MOOCs

• Performer Training criticism and research is beginning to address the impact of a digital age

Mark EvansMovement Training for the Modern Actor

‘How will a world informed by the contemporary discourses…of a virtual, digital and screen-based era itself shape theatre and the training of actors?.... …What role will the corporeal and embodied actor have in this new order?’

(2009: 179)

C21st Performer

Training

Training publications

Incubation and Artist

Development

Institutional Training:

Secondary Ed/HE

On line and digital

training

Life long training

Youth theatre movement

Questions raised in Chapter 6

• How will the online democratization of learning (for instance through iTunes U, UDACITY and Coursera), impact on embodied practices?

• What models of ‘fast and dirty’ DIY training on the internet are relevant and potentially influential for performer trainers?

• How can criticality, depth and rigour be maintained in a future era of digital delivery and diversification?

Digitalis• Developing good practice models of digital

reflection in 5 Arts disciplines• Led to new approach to C20th and C21st

Performer Training module (Level 2)– Embedding video evidence of embodied learning

in a seminar presentation– Treating a training exercise as a cultural object to

be analysed and interrogated for its historical and political significance

– http://prezi.com/r1hd_a242tss/untitled-prezi/

What is a MOOC?• MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses• Huge increase in popularity since they first

emerged in 2008• Free and easily accessible online • Offer large numbers of students the

opportunity to study high quality courses with prestigious universities

• Highly scalable - [hundreds of] thousands of students can take part in any one course

Adapted from http://futurelearn.com/moocs-explained/

What is a MOOC?• Not often leading to formal qualifications• There are no entry requirements • Students can take part in the courses

regardless of where they live in the world or their financial circumstances

Adapted from http://futurelearn.com/moocs-explained/

MOOC ‘History’

Some MOOC Platforms• [ Open Learn (2000) – OU]

• Coursera (2011) –Stanford, UMich, Pennsylvania• Edx (2012) – Harvard and MIT• Udacity (2012) - Stanford• FutureLearn (2013) – Open University-led

Continuum of MOOC approaches

Connectivist(George Siemens and Stephen Downes, Hybrid Pedagogy)

cMOOC xMOOC

Atomist(Edx, Udacity, Coursera)

Networked collaborativelearning

Linear compartmentallearning

Open Closed

Wider issues/concerns

• Lack of tutor input and assessment challenges

• Inappropriate support for embodied learning

• Preparation? Injury?• Dumbing down deep training• No space for developed

discussion• Conservative pedagogical

choices may dominate (xMOOC)

• Open access to research-led teaching

• Thousands of examples of online embodied learning already

• ‘Shallow’ training has its advantages?

• Asynchronous chat archives exemplary discussions

• cMooc methodologies must remain part of the approach.