8 Weeks of "MOOCdom"

Week 8

My final "MOOCdom" report

March 14, 2014

This is the week in which I reflect on this MOOC journey, and sum up all of my feelings in a way that resonates with the only two people who are likely to read this blog--my mom, and my Professor.

To my mom:  This MOOC consistently emailed me and let me know how important I was to it on a weekly basis.  This MOOC never once judged me--in part, because I didn't pay the $49 in order to receive a certification and be held more accountable for my learning.  But if I had, I am sure the assessments would have been fair and this MOOC would have never compared me to my brother...

This MOOC discussed reasoning, and being able to utilize reason to argue--which is far different from looking for any reason to argue.  This MOOC never once asked me, "Whatever happened to that thick head of hair you had as a child?"  In fact, this MOOC was more concerned with what was in my head than what is on my head.  

To my Professor:  Thank you for the opportunity to monitor a MOOC for eight weeks.  I had mixed feeling going into it, and I still have mixed feelings coming out of it.  But the ingredients making up the mixed feelings going in, changed from the mix of the feelings I have now. 

Pre-MOOC-Mix:  I wondered how a MOOC of many thousands of students could possibly give students the individualized attention that is so needed as a fundamental component of successful course design.  The answer seems to lie in the students themselves and their ability and desire to discuss and learn from each other in the many forums that exist within this MOOC.

Post-MOOC-Mix:  Knowing now that there are quality educational programs available at a very nominal fee (for certification), and/or free, I wonder if society will grant MOOCs a similar level of credibility as the traditional university model has.  My rational self understands that improving, and providing a quality education to as many people who desire it, is noble and a benefit to society.  But the less rational, selfish nature in me (the one that wants to eat chocolate cake for breakfast, and cut in line at the grocery store when I am in a hurry) wants to stop paying my student loans!

#647e

Week Seven

March 8, 2014

No sooner did the virtual ink dry on my last blog post than did a new email from my chosen MOOC find it's way into my inbox.  On March 6, 2014 I received an email from Coursera indicating that my chosen MOOC, Think Again:  How to Reason and Argue, is part of a three-course over-arching course, entitled,  Specialization in Reasoning, Data and Writing.  If one were so inclined, one could pay for, study, and pass all three courses within the over-arching course, and receive a Specialization certificate, after one completed a Capstone project synthesizing the learning for all three courses.  

The "Capstone" concept looks and sounds an awful lot like the same "Capstone" that is used in traditional college institutional learning programs.  Now, if I have a specialty certificate that included a capstone project from a Duke University sponsored course, how much crediblity will society, particulalry employers, grant to such a document?  As time goes on, and as more and more gatekeepers become similarly "specialized," it is likely that the credibility of such a document will increase. But the quality and rigor of the course must be such that those who have taken the course, recall it as highly challenging, relevant, and effective.    

 

 #647e  

Week Six

March 2, 2014

Now I am waxing philosophical about the future of education as an enterprise that requires substantial resources to fund the research that is needed to progress.  In the conventional model, institutions of learning receive their funding from tuition, government, philanthropy, endowments, and business.  But in the MOOC model, one of the O's stands for "Open."  A general understanding of the "Open" component in the acronym, is that the information is provided free of charge. Free information can be profitable.  Obviously Google provides a lot of information "free of charge" and makes a pretty good profit doing so. But they are providing access to a repository of information that is mostly gleaned from other sources.  Those sources need to eat too.

Coursera is not disimilar from Google, in that, it too gleans much of it's information, or course offerings, from other sources, or institutions.  Coursera is likely able to utilize the information it mines from the students enrolled in the MOOCs it offers for commercial purposes--a little Googlesque.  Those monies alone will probably be enough to make a very handsome profit.  That is wonderful!  But, at some point, if I am, well, let's say, Duke University, and I am the one furthering the research of the respective course offerings that are being offered on Coursera, am I going to be able to continue to facilitate and expand upon all of that research that has made my institution great, if it is being provided for free?

For Duke University, or any MOOC contributing university to see promising dividends returned on their investment, the willingness and ability for the many thousands of students enrolled in MOOCs to pay a reasonable fee (at the moment for my MOOC it is $49) for some level of certification will be key to their survival and progression. That is assuming, the deal I make with the content distributor is equittable.  But, for students to pay a fee, most will have to see the incentive in doing so. That is to say, society, particularly employers, will have to afford that certification credibility. Now here comes the zinger--if society grants the certification, or a series of certifications, a similar level of credibility as an actual college degree, what will happen to traditional enrollment in those institutions?  Is it not part of the prestige of a quality university education, the willingness and ability of students to spend considerable time and resources attaining that education through the traditional means? 

In this example, I have elected to monitor a MOOC course through Coursera that is affiliated with Duke University.  Most professionals likely regard Duke University with quality, tradition, and credibility.  If I were to interview for a job, and I had four certificates from four relevant Duke courses that I took via Coursera, the Duke name on that certificate would likely have value.  As the value of those certificates increase in the eyes of society, the value of the Duke brand might necessarily decrease, as the credibility of the traditional institution loses value in the eyes of the consumer.  Perhaps the writing is already on the wall for Duke and the many other institutions that are embracing the MOOC concept.  Perhaps they have reconciled with the paradigm shift, and would like to be early adopters, so that way, in thirty years, their value in this new tradition, is as strong as it currently is in the old tradition.  

Will charging $49, or whatever the market bears for certificates, multiplied by thousands of enrolled students to a given MOOC, allow for enough incentives within the educational system to expand and progress in the various fields of study that universities offer?  Will it be enough to cover the loss of traditional sources of income within an educational institution as society begins to embrace and honor the credibility of the MOOC certificates?  Based upon what this student is seeing, Coursera and it's contributing institutions seem to be betting huge that it will.    

Week Five

February 24, 2014

Admittedly, with a full schedule of  my credited courses through the University of Hawaii at Manoa, I have had little time to sit for every lecture, and read all the corresponding materials.  However, I did take a couple of the quizzes this week to "test" the usability of the design.  I was very impressed with my ability to fail miserably without crying--well, at least not more than two tears.  In terms of the design of the quizzes, the interface was simple, multiple choice, and seemed appropriate for the materials to which I have been perusing at a vigorous pace, minus a vigorous retention.  

The quizzes allow for multiple attempts, though I am not sure, at this point, whether or not those paying for the certification in the course ($49) are subject to stricter guidelines. I really, really want to take this MOOC at a time when my schedule permits me to truly immerse myself in the course.  I truly desire the certification and the topic is so appropriate for my interests.  It has been tempting to get deeper into this MOOC, but the responsible managing of time as a working student requires me to limit my indulgence.    

My Third and Forth Week in a MOOC

February 17, 2014

Ok, so I wasn't able to get back to this blog last week to highlight my assessments of the MOOC I chose to monitor.  But, suffice to say, I am still as impressed as I was at the beginning.  A couple of things stood out for me in the last two weeks.  I really, really appreciate the email reminders that are sent out each week from the course highlighting what was covered, what will be covered, and the expectations for the following week. This simple, yet effective method of communicating keeps students on track.  The next thing I really appreciated was the quality of dialogue, and the seriousness to which students enrolled in this MOOC are presenting their perspectives, within the discussion posting area. This dynamic tends to dispel any notion I may have previously had that the lack of cost and oversight in a MOOC just lent the discussion areas to an intellectual dating site.    

#647e

My Second Week in a MOOC (massive open online course)

January 30, 2014 (I started a tad late, so I am catching up)

The Professor for this course has an amazing cadence in his presentations.  It is slow, deliberate, and not quite patronizing.  The pace is likely the result of not being able to stop and communicate individually with students who may require more explanation.  Some might perceive him to sound a bit PBS children's television, but the slow and deliberate pace of the lecture is not indicative of the level of content.  The content is quite substantive.  

There are plenty of opportunities for collaboration in this MOOC.  There are numerous sub-topics within the discussion threads, ranging from technical issues with the learning environment, to stimulating discussions about the content.  There are many study groups that one can join with people from all around the world.  How exciting is that!?  Due to the many thousands of different posts that I have sort of "ball-parked" by perusing the discussion threads, I am estimating a class size of at least 5,000.  I have yet to find a place that has the exact figure, though it may yet avail itself through this exercise.  In which case, I shall include the number at that time. 

I took a quiz and was happily surprised at the ease to which the process went.  That is not to say the quiz was a breeze, but it was very clearly designed from the early parts of the ID process, alongside course objectives, lectures, and reading materials.  The question remains, whether or not the multitude of communication methods among students makes up for the lack of individualized attention one might receive in a traditional, non-traditional online learning environment? (New acronym TNTOLE.  Rolls off the tongue like sand paper).  However, based upon my experience working with, and learning from my fellow students within my current Master's cohort, I am certain that the student's are gaining a very rich and diverse education from each other.

    

My First Week in a MOOC (massive open online course)

January 28, 2014

I have seen the future, and the future is the MOOC!  Yes, by taking a visit to my first MOOC, I am happy to report, that I am going to tear up my college loan documents and demand a refund!  I swear to all things bald and holy ("I said, BALD and holy dear, that doesn't require confession"), that if these MOOC's start gaining the kind of credibility that a University degree has, I am going to swear to every deity, regardless of hair!  

This week, in Emerging Technologies, #647e , about a $1600 course--give or take--students were asked to monitor a MOOC for about 8 weeks.  Because my day job requires some level of arguing, and I happen to love reading Socratic dialogue, I thought I would enjoy monitoring a course entitled, Think Again: How to Reason and Argue, currently available through Coursera, at the following link: 

 https://class.coursera.org/thinkagain-003/

This course is presented by some amazing Professors at Duke University.  Anyone can attend these courses! Yes, I said Duke University!  Anyway, my initial impressions of the site are stratospheric in terms of design.  There is a ton of content, but the usability is just plain silly, it is so easy to maneuver through.  The videos are in bite size chunks using simple terms.  Finding the next lesson, quiz, or resource is not a treasure hunt, as many more expensive online course offerings can often be. Hint (to myself and any other educational designers): Students would probably like to spend more time on learning the content of the lesson, than trying to figure out where the heck the content is, and when items are due!  Unless your course is entitled, Hunting for Content and Expectations in Learning Modules: To Heck With Modern Pedagogy.  

Key Points for the Week

• I am still reconciling with the paradigm shift...or I the fact that I have paid a substantial sum to attend courses that didn't have this level of content and ease of use.
• The simplicity of design is a kick in my ePants
• The Professors speak the jargon of us peasants

Gregism:  Sometimes the simplest songs resonate longer

#647e  #MOOC #Think Again: How to Reason and Argue