The MOOC is a Phenomenon! Expert Thoughts on the Future of Higher Education

in MOOC TermsOLC 2014 International ConferenceOctober 29, 2014 2:15PM – Asia 3

Rolin Moe, Ed.D. (Pepperdine University)Twitter: @RMoeJo

http://rolinmoe.org

What is a MOOC?

Life of MOOC• George Siemens sees education in

digital age as a sphere of networks• Develops theory of connectivism,

involving human and automated networks

• Offers test-drive class on theory in manner of the theory (open to anyone). Nearly 2.5K enrollees. Students dub it a MOOC

• Somewhat similar classes emerge; similar results

• Most enrolled have a Bachelor’s and some graduate coursework

• Excitement within EdTech community about potential for model

• Growth continues despite co-option of term MOOC

• Sal Khan produces tutorial videos for niece; leads to Khan Academy (and TED)

• Sebastian Thrun (Google, Stanford) sees TED talk, inspired.

• Offers his “Intro to AI” course free online; other Stanford profs do same

• 160K enrollees; bedlam• Start-ups crated (Coursera, Udacity,

edX), courses offered, rhetoric spilled, governments listen, administrators hired & fired. Media dubs it a MOOC.

• Most enrolled have a Bachelor’s and some graduate coursework

• 741 (and counting) presentations like this entitled “MOOCs: What do we know?”

7 8 Things You Should Know About MOOCs (per

Educause)• Learning Model • Connected Age• Lifelong Learning• Game-changer• Scalability• Learning Analytics• Disruptive• Delivering Education to Consumers

MOOC as a Disruptive Technology (per Christensen &

Horn)• Low-cost (& low-quality?) option• Servicing new population• Adoption by existing population• Existing provider too slow (or unable) to adapt• A change in the marketplace and the culture

Why Disruptive Technology Argument

(& MOOC = Model) is Troublesome• Education is not a commodity in same manner as

a photocopier, a .mp3, or even trade journalism. Many argue it is not a commodity at all.

• The MOOC model has been orchestrated by existing high-end providers.

• Education is a social structure (Weber) and a foundational aspect of the public sphere (Habermas); would someone argue a disruptive innovation in religion?

Shifting the MOOC Lens

MOOC as Model (Educause)

MOOC as Phenomenon(Veletsianos & Moe, 2015)

• Connected Age• Lifelong Learning• Game-changer• Scalability• Learning Analytics• Disruptive• Delivering Education

to Consumers

• Cost of Higher Education• Higher Ed shifting to Job

Skills• Quantitative Research • Free Enterprise• Technological

Solutionism (Morozov)• Educational Research

Lacks Impact• Cognitive Theory

The Evolution & Impact of MOOCs

• George Siemens• Anya Kamanetz• Clay Shirky• Audrey Watters• Kevin Werbach• Cathy Sandeen• Peter Norvig• Fatimah Wirth• Todd EdebohlsAnd more

Methodology: Delphi StudyResearch Questions1) Where do experts

agree on the impact of MOOCs on Higher Education?

2) Where do experts agree on the impact of MOOCs on policy/culture/society?

The PromptsDiscussion was built around 12 quotations, pulled from existing MOOC literature and paraphrased. Each quotation tackled a different aspect/criticism of the MOOC, viewing it from either a model-based lens or a sociocultural phenomenological lens. Discussion lasted up to three rounds, depending on whether a prompt had reached a consensus majority of agreement or disagreement.

#videolecture, #personalization, #data, #autodidact, #publicgood, #democratization, #expertise, #professors, #disruptive, #imperialism, #tierbased, #labor

Quantitative ResultsFour of 12 prompts reached consensus.1) Learning analytics will help

solve education’s struggles (agree)

2) MOOCs are a tool to democratize education (disagree)

3) There are no experts in online education (disagree)

4) MOOCs provide an avenue for tier-based education services (agree)

Qualitative ResultsEvident themes included:• The rise (rebirth?) of

cognitive learning theory• A discord in the

application of educational terms and vocabulary

• MOOC = Online Learning (in the mainstream)

• Economics are at forefront of MOOC debate

Blah blah blah tenured humanities professor sanctimony. Explain to me how you occupy the moral high ground when your students graduate $30000 in debt and have no marketable skills.

MOOCs reflect changes in education. In themselves, they are not "disruptive' (what a terrible word - it needs to be taken out back and shot and never used again by educators).

What Does This Mean?• Higher Ed solutions to have

economic implications at forefront.

• Growing discord between MOOC developers, education scholars, and practitioners in regards to theory and pedagogy (cognitive style vs modern theory).

• Continued debate of the purpose of higher education; increased focus on skills and competencies due to lack of voices advocating for the system.

• Many “Future of Education” debates driven by non-edu voices, where terms and vocabulary are not negotiable (business, computer science).

Discussion