MOOC pedagogy: the challenges of developing for Coursera

Jeremy KnoxThe University of Edinburgh@j_k_knoxjeremyknox.net

Types of MOOC?

cMOOCs and xMOOCs …?

‘connectivist’ • Udacity• Coursera• edX

What is a MOOC?

Massive - enrolment numbersOpen - no mandatory qualificationsOnline - fullyCourse - structured, temporal

•Tutoring & support is ‘light touch’•Low study hours per week - modules not degree programmes•Certificates of completion rather than credit…

some learners are not students of universities

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

http://onlineteachingmanifesto.wordpress.com/

Manifesto for Teaching Online

The MOOC platform

Content Assessment Communication

Video lecture Multiple Choice Quiz (MCQ) Threaded discussion forum

Video group discussion Peer Assessment

‘Robot’ grading

• 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?