Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are the latest disruption to traditional educational patterns. Instead of asking students to pay for the courses Universities are giving them away free. This implies that Universities are changing business models and some critics suggest that these new business models will be the death of traditional Universities. Furthermore, educational experts are criticising MOOCs for limited pedagogy and enormous drop-out rates. Many commentators suggest that MOOCs are now passing the peak of inflated expectations on the new technologies hype cycle, and will soon be history. This talk takes a more optimistic middle path, suggesting that Universities that are agile can go with the flow of the disruption (or avalanche?) to the educational benefit of their students, both on campus and at distance. MOOCs are encouraging teachers to take a fresh look at the benefits of blended learning activities, social learning and peer support. At the same time University administrations are revising their financial models for supporting learning and curriculum development. This talk will look at some of the latest trends in the way MOOCs are starting to change educational practice. The educational landscape is being disrupted, but maybe for the better.

1. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
How are MOOCs Disrupting the
Educational Landscape?
April 2014
Hugh Davis @HughDavis
Professor of Learning Technologies
Director of Education
Director of CITE
Director of PDU
CSEDU. Barclelona 2014

2. Founded 1862,
Charter 1952
25,000 Students
Russell Group
Top 20 UK
WUN
Excellence in:
(Opto) Electronics
Computer Science
Oceanography
Engineering (esp.
Nautical and Aero)
Acoustics

3. 2012 - FutureLearn

4. FutureLearn
today

5. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
A quick tour of MOOCs
Criticisms of MOOCs
Current HE Context
Why are Universities making MOOCs? - Business
models
What can we gain from MOOCs?
Addressing the criticisms
Challenges for HE
This Talk
5

6. A Quick Tour of
MOOCs
(and a comparison with OERS and
on-line courses)
6

7. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Massive - some have 10,000s registered.
Open = free
anyone can register
Online although many have a parallel blended incarnation
Course - that runs at a given time with a given cohort
(but not necessarily accredited for anything)
-
What is a MOOC?
7
Short (often 4-8 weeks, 3 hrs /week)
No formal assessment and feedback
Rely on Social Learning

8. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
MOOC Timeline
8
Florida Institute of Technology
http://libguides.lib.fit.edu/HistoryofMOOCs

9. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
xMOOCs –
• Defined based on learning
outcomes
• Well defined journey through
learning
• Instructor led – “broadcast” mode
• Learning can be assessed and
certified
cMOOCs
• Based on educational theories of
connectivism – which hold that
knowledge resides in the network
and that learning is about making
connections. See:-
http://bit.ly/lyNmGX
Types of MOOCs
9

10. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
MIT OpenCourseware Openlearn (OU)
Courses but not MOOCs
10

11. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
What to share? The course or the content?
11

12. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Udacity the first “democratizing education”
but still for profit. Started at Stanford.
Coursera for profit
business model emerging
Easily the largest
EdX not for profit
MIT, Harvard, Berkeley
Miríada X Iberian platform
Sponsored by Banco Santander and Telefónica - 2012
Largest European platform
FutureLearn for profit – UK Centric
Wholly owned by UK OU - launched Oct 2013
MOOC Providers
12

13. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Most MOOCs consist of:
• Many short videos
• Some talking heads
• Some “worked examples”
• Some experiments etc.
• On-line papers etc.
• On-line activities
• Links to external resources
• Discussions on platform
• Off platform activity
What are MOOCs made of?
13

14. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Assessment (and feedback) will need to be
• Objective (multiple choice etc.)
• Peer review
• Self evaluation
The emphasis must be on the student as a
self-motivated learner.
No “Conversational Framework” here!
Assessment and Feedback?
14

15. Criticisms?
15

16. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Cultural Imperialism?
16

17. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Demographics of Edinburgh’s MOOCs
17
(MOOCs @ Edinburgh 2013 - Report #1)

18. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
The literature quotes figures of 7 – 13%
(See Katy Jordan’s Blog - http://moocmoocher.wordpress.com/)
An interesting observation
is the drop off with time.
Completion Rates
18
But is completion
the correct measure of
satisfaction or learning?

19. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Pedagogy
Learning Unit1 Learning Unit2 Learning Unit3 Learning Unit4 Learning Unit5 Learning Unit6 Up to 10
Learning Unitn
Weekly Learning Units: , 2- 6 hours study time
Meaningful title, clear learning goals, end-of-unit assessment
1 2 3 Each with 2 or 3 self-contained Learning Blocks
Learning Block
Video Text Discuss Quiz
Learning Blocks
Sequence of elements
(This is just one example)
19
Its not exactly
the leading edge
of online pedagogy
There is no real
interaction between
educators and learners

20. Current HE Context
20

21. “The Avalanche Report”
Barber, M. Donnelly, K & Rizvi, S. (March 2013).
An Avalanche is Coming; Higher Education and the Revolution Ahead.
Institute for Public Policy Research.
21
Time
Performance/
Income
New
Technology
The
Napster
moment
Disruptive Technologies

22. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Fees going up faster than value of degree
(in most of the developed world)
Increased demand for flexibility of study (particularly CPD)
Challenge from alternative educational providers (particularly
for MSc’s/CPD) becoming real
All these things imply a greater engagement with on-line
Changing Business model for higher education
Need for universities to globalize or specialize
MOOCs are the vanguard for on-line programmes
HE Context
22

23. End of the campus...?
Clicks not bricks?

24. Business Models
24

25. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
The Fremium Model
You get added value if you pay e.g.
• Statements of participation, or
attainment – or actual credits?
• Tutoring – the eBay model
Sponsored MOOCs
• Someone pays me to make the MOOC
I want (for their marketing purposes)
• Someone pays me to make the MOOC
they want – but I can use too.
Access to student data
How do MOOCs make money?
25
But this is all money for
the Platform Provider.
Why do Universities
and Academics do this?

26. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Southampton is running
Web Science and Oceanography
based MOOCs as its first offerings..
Enhancing our Reputation and Brand
26

27. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
New Markets (1)
27
Informal
Learning
YouTube,
iTunesU
Non Formal
Learning
MOOCs
OERs
Formal
Learning
Modules
Formal
Learning
Whole
Programmes
Pulling Students through from the Informal to the Formal

28. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
“When employers accept on-line
certification then things will really
change”
There can be many other options
than “boarding school” degrees
New markets (2)
28
HE for non-traditional students,
students from developing countries
and CPD

29. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Provide a public service
29
http://iberry.com/cms/OER.htm
Democratising Education

30. What can we gain
from MOOCs?
30

31. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
MOOCs in campus based learning
31
External non-paying MOOCers
MOOC
Paying Students
The Embedded MOOC

32. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Berkley Scratch Course- shows F2F and MOOC version of course
32
http://inst.eecs.berkeley.edu/~cs10/fa12/

33. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
The flipped MOOC / flipped classroom
End of the lecture?
33
From http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/flipping-the-classroom/

34. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
MOOCs are the vanguard of online degrees
Lots of $$$$ looking for brands willing to go online
Their belief is that there are are new markets waiting for online
opportunities
• Cheaper Course fees
• No boarding fees or travel
• Any time, and place
• Flexible (CPD)
• International markets
lacking provision
Online Degrees
34

35. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Venture Capitalists
Publishers
Education-business start-ups
Online Programmes in partnership (for profit)
35

36. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Articulated Degrees
36
F2F
Module
MOOC
at
Stanford
OU
Module
MOOC
at Soton
Capstone
Project
Degree Programme

37. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Fully accredited programmes offered as MOOCs
37

38. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Marketing people are happy to get email lists
But much more than that….
The massive cohorts give us new opportunities for experimenting in and
understanding learning and assessment
• Adaptive feedback
• Adaptive learning paths
• Adaptive Content
• Gameification
• Peer Review
• Self Review
Big Data
38
Mike Wheatley http://siliconangle.com

39. Addressing the
Criticisms
39

40. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
Criticisms
Pedagogically Simplistic
No support and feedback
Poor Completion rates
No accreditation
This is going to kill Universities
Observation
Really? Worse than the lecture?
-and innovations in social learning
There could be: You’d have to pay
Retention is not the aim – satisfaction
is. We are not dealing with paying
students.
There could be. You would have to pay
for it.
Only those that are not agile and
responsive to new business models
– but expect some unbundling
40
Addressing the Criticisms

41. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
There are three major cohorts in the learners
• Lifelong learners 25-65 years old (almost always with
at least 1 degree)
• People looking to acquire skills (CPD)
• International learners with poor access to HE
(a much smaller 4th cohort is those investigating
university learning)
Who is doing MOOCs?
41

42. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
Patterns of engagement
42
Auditing: Just interested.
Not looking for credit.
Completing: Looking for
credit – either passive
or actively engaged
with discussions etc.
Sampling: Looking for
interesting material

43. Concluding
43

44. MOOCs = more choice &
flexibility
We are developing our
capacity to develop high
quality on-line courses

45. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
• Changing Beliefs – online works!
• Curriculum Design
• Working with the right academic staff time.
Who pays them?
• Growing teams of Learning Designers and
Multimedia Production
• Legal Matters
• Speed and Agility
• Budget
• Marketing
Challenges for Institutional Strategy
45

46. End of the campus...?
Clicks
AND
Bricks
Just as people still throng to
music concerts for the unique
experiences they entail, the rich
and dense ecosystems of
communities of learning that are
embedded in place-based
universities will remain precious,
cherished and revered.
Galager & Garrett, 2013

47. CENTRE FOR INNOVATION
IN TECHNOLOGIES & EDUCATION
@HughDavis
CSEDU 2014
MOOCs are a good marketing device
MOOCs have the potential to democratize education
But they are also useful
Providing high quality content for re-use /embedded MOOCs
Changing teaching practice
Providing big data about how learners learn
Building capacity for on-line
MOOCS are the vanguard of the online disruption. Watch this space!
Conclusions
47

48. 48
Thank you
Any Questions?
Hugh Davis
@HughDavis
http://users.ecs.soton.ac.uk/hcd
hcd@soton.ac.uk