MOOCs
Here you will find our Open Educational Resource (OER) on Massive Open Online Courses (commonly referred to as MOOCs). Our OER was created as an e-learning module in an effort to mirror a format commonly used in MOOCs. You will work through a series of lessons, some of which contain activities and/or videos. There is also an assessment to complete at the end of the module.
Our discussion is going to take place within this blog post. It is intentional for it to not take place within our e-learning module as that is similar to how peer-to-peer communication occurs within a MOOC.
Some possible discussion topics for you to share your thoughts on:
- How do you think MOOCs can be made more accessible for people with learning disabilities?
- MOOCs have been traditionally formatted to be accessed on a computer/ laptop. How can MOOCs be made more mobile-friendly (ie. phone or tablet use)?
- Do you think MOOCs have a future in publicly funded primary and/or secondary schools?
- Have you ever enrolled in a MOOC? If so, what was your experience like?
- What can be done to increase course completion rates of MOOCs?
- Do you think employers should formally recognize MOOC course completion certificates?
We hope you enjoy your experience this week!
Michael Erickson and Sonia Virk
Click the button below to access our OER
Hi Michael and Sonia,
I’m really sorry for my delayed participation, but I really enjoyed your OER. The platform you used was really pleasant to use.
How do you think MOOCs can be made more accessible for people with learning disabilities?
I think there are a lot of innovative tools that can be used to create a better experience for users with learning difficulties or disabilities. You mentioned some in your OER, but definitely having audio accompany the writing, the possibility of changing font/button sizes, making the MOOC accessible on a variety of devices, the ability to change the background colour, having integrated dictionaries, and there are probably so many more I am forgetting to include.
MOOCs have been traditionally formatted to be accessed on a computer/ laptop. How can MOOCs be made more mobile-friendly (ie. phone or tablet use)?
This one is challenging for me to answer because my go-to for courses is always a laptop or computer. I like being able to use the keyboard (of course, this is also possible on other mobile devices too), having a bigger screen, splitting the screen to facilitate note-taking or looking up terms. So perhaps using different assessment tools, and not long-answers (which I assume most of them do already), being able to toggle the font, and integrating a dictionary for the more challenging terms.
How do you think MOOCs can be made more accessible for people with learning disabilities?
I feel like MOOCs designers could tie up the open learning concept with special education. That would mean identifying specific learning disabilities, for instance, dyslexia is a specific learning disability that impedes reading and language comprehension. With this in mind, MOOCs designers could intentionally offer visually engaging content, in graphics, audio, video, or any other visual/audio engaging format. So I think to accommodate and serve learners with learning disabilities, MOOCs must start out with a clear goal and learning plan that specifically fitted for a certain learning disability. Being specific and intentional about the instruction design is a strong start.
Sonia and Michael, thank you for your OER! I particularly appreciated that you included a section in your project commenting on the accessibility of MOOCs for those with low or no vision. How do you think MOOCs can be made more accessible for people with learning disabilities? Instructional designers and subject matter experts can make choices with open learning to provide courses accessible for most students. The following website provides more technical information on how to make web content accessible, https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/. There are many more opportunities to develop course content that will be more inclusive and may depend on the learners’ barriers. Here is a variety of additional (not exhaustive) steps that IDs, instructors and subject matter experts can take to support students with diverse abilities depending on the barrier and course delivery: provide audio descriptions of video content, use MS Word’s built-in formatting features to create headings/lists/texts that will be recognized by those using screen readers, provide alt text for each image, provide materials in advance (slides, handouts, reading material), allow for the use of MS Word spelling and grammar features in timed assessments, allow for extended test time, with breaks if needed (most LMS provide means to change individual timed access tests), provide alternate assignments or means to demonstrate content knowledge (examples: recorded video or audio or working individually instead of group projects), and allow the use of calculators or formula sheets. UDL principles in course design may mitigate some but not all barriers. If your course needs some adjustments to increase accessibility, make it known early, as some requests take more time to implement. If you’ve received an accommodation plan for a student in your class, remember that the student’s condition is a private health matter. Connecting with students to discuss the implementation of the accommodation plan should take place outside of the course.
Hi Tamaka,
I mentioned this in previous comments but accessibility was something I have been thinking about a lot lately, especially after taking a course last term on ableism. I really appreciate you sharing the website and also giving such descriptive feedback on how MOOCs can be made accessible. There are so many ways to do so that really just require a deeper understanding of needs as well as research. I also like that you have included discussing confidentiality in this as well.
Hi Michael and Sonia, thanks for an interesting OER and an excellent example of MOOCs in the process. As I mentioned when responding to Maria, I think that making MOOCs more mobile-friendly will inherently make them more accessible for people with differing support needs. By creating a consistent platform, such as an application, the user interface could be tailored for the mobile experience rather than struggling with one for desktop devices and make it more desirable for many people who primarily access the Internet with their mobile devices. Mobile devices, especially cell phones, are inherently personal and are tailored to needs/preferences for daily use. If there was a MOOC app, built-in accessibility functions could be used, such as voiceover, text-to-speech, contrast/brightness settings, or desired language. I also think that in order to make MOOCs more mobile-friendly, the amount of information that is displayed at once will need to be condensed in order to meet display constraints and avid making learners feel overwhelmed, which may contribute to dropouts or non-completion. Thanks again for sharing!
Braden,
I wholeheartedly agree. I think the mobile devices like phones or tablets have had so many more technologies and capabilities for making things more accessible and user friendly. That is a great way in thinking about both making MOOCs more mobile as well as meeting accessibility needs.
Sonia and Michael, wonderful method of presenting your content this week. I was very successful in my quiz at the end, so you did an excellent job presenting information so the audience can retain it! First, I have to ask, what program did you use to design your OER? I would love to try to utilize it! You noted in your presentation that it was rare to have MOOCs completely mobile-friendly, which has been my experience when accessing MOOCs in the past. To create a more mobile-friendly course, I think it is important not to frequently have hyperlinks that link to outside the course, but instead, all content is embedded in the platform. Also, using a LMS software that is mobile-friendly should be a consideration for MOOC creators. Another discussion question was how or if we see MOOCs within K-12 schools. I certainly see this direction and have personally already provided students with opportunities within my classroom. For instance, there are platforms like Chatter High (https://chatterhigh.com/en/users/sign_in), which focuses on Career and Post Secondary Exploration, and they offer modules for students to complete for points (points are used for draws or donating to charity). My students have completed the finance, mental wellness, and Indigenous Cultures modules. Coding websites, such as code.org offer courses for students to move through and advance as they are successful in the tasks presented. As these are a form of MOOCs, they are becoming more readily available and can supplement learning within a classroom, For teachers who are not experts in certain areas, or want to provide students with an enriching learning experience, these are great options for students to work towards their learning goals within the classroom. These modules are free, and accessible, but do not offer discussion boards, or peer interaction. However, when students are completing them together in a K-12 classroom, teachers can facilitate discussions synchronously or asynchronously.
Thanks for the positive feedback! I used a web-based software called Articulate Rise 360 (part of the Articulate Storyline 360 suite) – it is awesome, but it costs about $1000 per year so it definitely doesn’t have educators in mind. It is primarily used for the creation of e-learning modules in the private or governments sectors.
I like that suggestion for having limited number of hyperlinks in a MOOC to keep it mobile-friendly. I think this also creates a more polished product in general as you can maintain a consistent theme throughout the course.
That’s really interesting! Were those MOOCs part of a curricular outcome or were they more supplementary in nature based on student desires?
Oh, that software would be so awesome for teachers to use to create personalized lessons for students. Having access to this type of software as an educator would really improve the delivery of flipped learning for students. The modules/mini-courses my students completed had curricular outcomes in mind and were supplementary to the learning objectives for the subjects.
A few years back, I wanted to get first-hand experience with online learning. I was setting up my learning management system, so I thought that if I tried ten Moocs from the primary providers, I would be able to glean the best practices from first-hand experience. I still remember the first on teaching in a 21st Century classroom. It promoted meaningful communication between teacher-students and student-students, as well as the need to provide quick, meaningful feedback, to name a few strategies. Being displaced that summer near Edmonton, I diligently crafted the first reflection on the laptop in the hotel room (mobile and open source learning, a precursor for this course). I still remember the letdown with the computer-generated response thanking me for my input. Meaningful communication with the professor was non-existent, and the required communication on the forum was of no value. The platitude of ‘Good job ‘ is of little importance whether the other student is in Vancouver, Ukraine, or wherever.
The 2nd MOOC on English Grammar from an Australian University was a snooze, so I dropped it after a couple of weeks. The 3rd MOOC is unmemorable. Not to be deterred from the dismal start, I employed a strategy of paying the nominal fee for a valueless certificate. It worked; having money on the line worked.
Only 50% of the Moocs were duds. UBC Mooc on Reconciliation Through Indigenous Education was interesting and recognized by my institute. The MOOCs on HTLM coding and C++ proved challenging, intriguing, and valuable; even though the content is open source, the MOOCs framed the learning experience.
I probably will never complete my goal of ten. However, the experience did inform my use of the LMS. I have an active presence and strong communication channels for the members. And when using an AI assessor, the human assessor still appears in the feedback.
Thanks for sharing your history with MOOCs Elizabeth. Much like Aaron mentioned below, it does seem you can gain tangible skills from MOOCs even if they don’t all provide a great learning experience.
What can be done to increase course completion rates of MOOCs? As contradictory as it may sound, I think reducing the number of participants could be a way to increase student outreach which leads to higher completion rates. I think one of the main issue is students feel they’re passive participants within the course and whether or not they participant won’t make a difference in the grand scheme of the course. Perhaps more opportunities for two way communication could work or design assignment tasks which encourages team work/collaboration. The duration of a MOOC could also be shortened as personally, I would be enticed to complete courses which were akin to a seminar (eg: 1-3 days) on a topic to learn something new.
Hi John – I like your idea about shortening the course duration. Given the wide range of available courses, this might encourage students to complete bite-sized courses (microlearning). However, I wonder if the course would still be defined as a MOOC if the number of participants were reduced or capped? This does raise a good point about how acceptance rates may affect graduation rate. For example, getting into a highly competitive university program may make students feel a sense of achievement – like it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity? Whereas signing up for a free MOOC may have the opposite effect.
Depends on the interpretation but I think MOOCs can still retain their essence even if enrolment numbers are reduced, I would put more emphasis on delivery of content and accessibility (though the term might be changed to “Mini/Micro Open Online Course” if too few students apply). Exactly, I think competition within the program is an overlooked aspect which pushes students to work harder as the journey to apply and get accepted is extremely demanding, MOOCs on the other hand might still hold the mentality of “easy come, easy go” which provides a more valid excuse to passively participate due to a lack of consequences. Then again, if the requirements for MOOCs were increased, that would defeat their purpose of providing more accessible education and question how they differentiate from traditional degrees. Lots of dilemmas to solve indeed…
Hi John!
Reducing size of the MOOC may also entice more people to sign up as there would be limited spots. Therefore, if there was a waitlist or something similar, it may encourage students to stick in it in order to maintain their spot. It would be interesting if MOOCs mimicked the way the MET institute shortens their lesson into a 2.5 week timeframe. This may encourage more students to stay enrolled as its quick and rewarding.
Hi Megan! Your point on waitlists actually reminded of UBC’s Interactive Skills Workshops for grad students where a 3 day seminar is held to allow educators to demonstrate and exchange teaching practices. I think most classes are kept to small numbers and most of the time, application numbers far exceed the spaces available for the workshop (sort of like the Summer Institute courses I guess). Perhaps limited spots creates a sense of scarcity and FOMO which drives people to sign up and participate. I agree that it would interesting to see if MOOCs could be shortened though it probably depends on the course and how much content the instructor wants to cover/or student expectations. If the MOOC ends up being too ambitious and crams 10 weeks worth of content into 2-3 weeks, that would cause another set of issues for participants.
I really like this idea Megan. I think you can really keep MOOCs at a large scale while still limiting the enrollment to increase interest and potentially lower drop-out rates.
John, great thought when you identified how participants feel as though their participation is passive when there is an increased amount of students within a MOOC. I for one have felt this way in the past. When students interact with familiar peers, it creates a community feeling which in my opinion and experience, contributes to engagement. I also came across this 2014 article (https://ncte.org/statement/why-class-size-matters/) published by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), which identifies that smaller classes mean heightened success, improved academic performance and increased engagement. Even though their studies are not focused on MOOCs, I believe reducing smaller class sizes could offer similar benefits.
Hi Agnes, That’s a good point and agree that MOOCs lack a sense of community. Even though the MET program is mainly online orientated, there’s a sense of familiarity between classmates as the Department provides lots of opportunities to connect such as through orientations, events, social media pages (thanks Eduardo haha). That’s a great article, thanks for recommending it. Even as adult learners, I think the we still find value in communicating with our teachers/instructors and having a sense that they know where we stand performance wise is a reassuring feeling whereas in contrast, it’s harder to expect MOOC instructors to do the same thing.
Hi Michael and Sonia, great work on the OER, really liked the design and quiz at the end (along with the percentage complete indicator). ____________________________________Have you ever enrolled in a MOOC? If so, what was your experience like? I remember signing up for a Data Science MOOC that was organized by UBC’s continuing education program where I “attempted” to learn about the basics of Coding with Python. As my background is not in computer science or IT, this was a completely new subject for me to explore. While I don’t remember the exact number of people who signed up, it was definitely over 100. The first few lessons were decent but once things started to get technical, I started to feel kind of lost and couldn’t understand the weekly assignments (anyone used Jupyter Notebooks before?). Perhaps it was the course structure which made it difficult to learn but from personal experience, I think fundamental courses (especially for technical subjects) might not be the most suitable for MOOCs as the role of an instructor/teacher is important to help students gain an understanding of the basics. MOOCs would be good for courses which the student already has knowledge about (eg: I know basic French but want to improve, an intermediate French MOOC would be great). In the end, I lost motivation to continue and gave up half way. While I did gain “some” knowledge about Python, it wasn’t as effective as I had hoped and not a good way to learn a new subject area. On a positive note, the experience hasn’t soured my perception on MOOCs (I’m open to signing up for another one providing the syllabus looks attractive) as I think they have a role to play in the future of education. It’s the issue of course design and implementation which needs to be taken into account in my opinion.
Hi John,
Thank you for engaging in our presentation. I like the point that you brought up about MOOCs and professors/educators. This is something we definitely wanted to address in our cons list as well because the large class size completely hinders or completely closes off any communication with those running the course so your best bet is to maybe interact with peers to gain clarity on any issues which is not always helpful or informative.
That’s a good point Sonia, for me personally I would be a bit hesitant to contact other peers if I’m not familiar or had barely any interaction with them, it feels awkward. For comparison, say like MET courses, most of our classmates have ample opportunities to interact with each other and collaborate which helps with developing connections that are harder to establish in MOOCs.
Hi Michael and Sonia – great job on a very well designed resource on MOOCs! As others have mentioned, I think some of the big drivers for MOOC enrolment are career transitioning and personal interest. Although employers may not view MOOC certificates the same way as credentials from formal education systems, I think it really depends on the course subject. For example, a certificate in various hard skills (like a programming language) can be tested or demonstrated on the job. For example, I took a Udacity course to learn how to use a program called Postman because I needed it in my job. Previously, I had just been looking up Postman Youtube video tutorials whenever I was stuck, but figured it would be more efficient long term if I just took a course. The MOOC I took offered the comprehensiveness that might not be available on Youtube, and the flexible/low-cost/specialized content that wouldn’t likely be offered by a formal institution – MOOCs are an ideal middle ground between DIY and formal institutionalized learning. From a business perspective, it also seems like an effective low-cost revenue generator for universities (the content just more or less needs to be digitized and uploaded). In regards to mobile learning, perhaps MOOCs can consider having an audiobook/podcasting feature so that course content can be consumed “on the go.”
Aaron,
Thank you for engaging in our presentation. I really liked how you made the connection between MOOCs and DIY Learning because I also see a connection there especially when it has come time for me to decide to enroll in a MOOC. I have really only done so because the subject area was of interest to me and it was accessible and like you said, provided more professional and credited information than a YouTube tutorial.
Thanks for the feedback Aaron. Out of personal curiosity (if you read some of my other comments below you’ll see that I am looking to learn certain programs for a potential career shift of my own), did you find a tangible benefit from taking your MOOC? Would you recommend it?
Yes, I would recommend Udacity (based on that one course I took). I would also say I gained more practical skills from that course than I probably have from most formal ed courses I’ve taken.
That, to me, is what MOOCs should be for, so thanks for the tip. Truthfully, I thought I would be gaining more practical skills from this program, so perhaps MOOCs are an avenue I need to explore once I am done this.
From an educator standpoint, MOOCs could be utilized for teachers to complete Additional Qualifications (AQ) or specialize in an education section (i.e., Math, Science, Language, etc). Many current AQs are taken remotely with all the content present and students must complete certain tasks by a certain date. Some of the attributes of AQs resembles MOOCs. As teachers are often teaching throughout the year and may come across a field of study that they would like to learn more about to assist their students, in this sense, MOOCs being recognized as an AQ would benefit teachers in obtaining additional learning and understanding in different areas that can help better support students.
MOOCs could have a future in other publicly funded programs as it would be helpful to access courses that are not offered directly in elementary or secondary schools. This would allow students to get to know their own interest or build on their interest to further help them decide on a career choice or field choice for post-secondary. Many students struggle with deciding their route for post-secondary as they may have minimal exposures to different fields. MOOCs can give students access to fields or courses that are not offered within their school.
As MOOCs are not recognized as education, it does not serve a purpose for students’ careers. Rather, MOOCs seem to be more interest based, for students to feed their curiousity or learn more about the field and themselves. However, if MOOCs were recognized alike publicly funded or other paid education certifications, this may increase the completion rate of MOOCs. It will also be beneficial to employers if employees choose to enhance their knowledge in different parts of their field or other fields, as it may translate to the current field the employee is in. It can also develop more understanding and build knowledge which can lend its way to the employee’s performance.
I like your idea of using MOOCs to allow teachers to learn different specialties. I have thought about switching my teaching area – and even though administrators will say we are teachers and therefore can teach anything when they give us a course to fill a timetable – I feel as though I’d have no chance of securing a phys ed or elementary teaching position being a physics major. Being able to learn these skills through a MOOC would allow me to have more confidence in applying for other positions and, in general, allow teachers to develop a more diverse set of teaching skills. Great idea!
Hi Michael:
Yes! For teachers, after they graduate, it seems like that’s it. But with the option of MOOC to specialize and allowing you to work at your own pace, really supports teachers’ schedule and puts learning at the forefront and understanding of teachers’ differing circumstances.
Hi Rika – to add onto your post, I had another thought that might explain the dropout rates of MOOCs. I think it could be a symptom of the “massive” availability and its low cost; it’s like eating at a buffet, people are overwhelmed by the options and flexibility that they never stick with one thing and finish it. I didn’t find data on this, but I would imagine the dropout rate would have a negative relationship with the MOOC’s tuition fee. Alternatively, in my personal experience, I didn’t finish my course because I felt like I learned enough (I was learning how to use a computer program for my job), and I stopped when I felt I had gained adequate proficiency. My goal wasn’t to gain a certificate (that was more or less meaningless), and any additional learning could be done on my actual job, rather than hypothetical assignments.
Hi Aaron:
I appreciated your comment “I learned enough” because in some courses I’ve taken, I have found content repeating itself and also in agreement to your comment about the cost, the only reason why I pushed through was because I paid a large sum and it came with the benefit of appearing on my professional documents.
Hi Rika, I agree with Aaron and Michael. Perhaps extrinsic incentive is another reason retention rates are low. Unless your school board mandates or makes MOOC training mandatory, chances are participants will need some kind of attractive outcome (eg: a degree or official recognition) to stay on board. Perhaps more awareness could be made to highlight the value of MOOCs or upgrade them to globally recognized certificates for career development. The low entry barrier is another factor as people probably value programs which they can easily participate in compared to competitive ones.
Hi John! You’re absolutely right. Some value internally or externally would increase the chances.
For example, The extrinsic value of MOOC as an AQ would be that it appears on your teaching certificate which influences the grades or subjects you teach or specialize in, as well as the pay band you’re on. The intrinsic would be that I feel I am lacking in a field, thus, need to pick up some knowledge and learning from it.
I enrolled in a MOOC, and we had five years to complete it. It was ‘How to teach math’ with Jo Boaler after reading her book Mathematical Mindsets. I was signed up for the certification course. I finished it after being on two maternity leaves because I did not work on it like I thought I would. What might have re-engaged me is an email that would go out saying, ‘Hey we miss you, can we help in some way to re-engage?’ One of the things that would increase my course completion is if it was recognized as professional development. When we take a MOOC, often it’s treated as a ‘throw-away’ kind of course, and exciting but not relevant. If it was counted towards professional development, and you could work on the MOOC during those pro-d days we have, and it was recognized, then there would be much more uptake. MOOCs have a place in schools, but there needs to be incentive and accountability for students just like they need to face in any other online course. It’s proven that students do more when they feel connected with others and teachers, but it’s also been noted that generic emails can also make students feel valued if they feel personal. Many remarkable points were brought up: the need for increased accountability, accessibility, awareness, and appreciation for MOOCs and what they can offer in terms of professional development.
Hi Jennifer,
I really liked your points about keeping students engaged and maybe offering a credit towards professional development. I also relate to your note on students feeling the need to be connected. One of the drawbacks of MOOCs is that they can be very isolating with that many people enrolled in one course. I personally like when there are smaller discussion forums which I have seen in one of the MOOCs I attended.
OMG Jennifer, 5 years to complete a MOOC, that’s intense! That’s the duration of high school in Quebec hahaha! I agree with you that if the recognition was greater, such as professional development recognized by the employer, it would be more motivating. But 5 years! How to feel invested? How to maintain motivation and not drop out? I am aware that this flexibility allows very busy people, such as a mother of two young children, to participate in this course, but I wonder if the excessive spread over time is not also a major problem. Do you think someone who completes this course in 1 year and another person in 5 years have the same benefits? Maybe… We are all different and I don’t want to judge everyone’s reality. We certainly participate to a MOOC for different reasons, but I think it’s a long time 5 years for 1 single course.
I completely agree with you re: the lack of recognition of a course completion certificate being a barrier to course completion rates. I am currently looking to transition my career from classroom teacher to an instructional designer in the private sector. Most job postings require employees in this field to be proficient with certain computer software. So, in theory, it would make sense for someone like myself with no experience to enroll in a MOOC to learn about these programs, however, I have learned that employers do not recognize MOOCs as viable experience with the programs. So what incentive is there to complete a MOOC? There seems to be a disconnect between the professional world and the education world here.
Hi Jennifer:
I too was just mentioning how it would be great if Additional Qualifications for teachers could be offered in MOOCs. As teachers have hectic schedules but sometimes need a refresher on different subjects or may need new ideas, having MOOCs that focus on these subjects with new and updated information where the schedule does not stress out the teacher would be a great way to help the teacher professionally develop. The information learned could immediately lend its way into the classroom. Its similar to how I utilize what I am learning through MET in the classroom. Except that it is much more intense and stressful in juggling the two.
Rika,
I completely agree. I have taken some web based seminars that teacher bloggers have offered over the summer where over 1,000 people were enrolled. I think MOOCs for educational professionals can be very helpful and can also potentially provide certification or recognition by their employers.
Hi Jennifer, 5 years to complete a MOOC sounds intense, a high level of discipline is definitely needed to stay on track! My immediate thought would be, if I invest 5 years of time and effort into studying, I would expect some form of official recognition at the very least (eg: a degree). Or perhaps there are better options to gain proficiency in the same subject but with less time investment required (maybe I could earn a Bachelors and Masters of Mathematics in less than 5 years) which dampens the level of attractiveness of MOOCs in this situation. As a supplementary course MOOCs are fantastic but if it’s something which requires more than a year of participation, I might be hesitant to commit
Hi John, 5 years of MOOC does require a huge amount of commitment and perseverance. I am envisioning the future of MOOCs could be either credit/degree-based or even bypass the degree phrase. Just consider, what if MOOCs could offer you a competitive degree from a prestigious institution but could require the same amount of time and effort in earning a degree now? If you were to take one bold step further, what does the future of MOOCs look to you? Will it be likely that we don’t need a piece of degree to prove our competence?
Jennifer, I liked the ideas that you suggested to increase motivation to continue in your course. Our professional development days are regularly planned by our school division. However, there is a budget allocated if we want to request a day for professional development, including substitute time. Completing a course, because it often lends itself to taking more than a day to complete, would be harder to request, and difficult to receive paid time to pursue the course. With the increased popularity of MOOCs, I wonder if this may change how the professional development budget is considered and accessed? It would be wonderful to be given paid time to complete a MOOC, especially if it is something that will improve our teaching practice, and contribute to student learning gains.
Hello Michael and Sonia. Thanks for creating your OER on MOOCs! I thought it was a great idea to create it in such a way that resembles a MOOC learning experience, and I love navigating through the articulate platform. I have learned about MOOCs in different MET courses (524, 512, and 520) and think it is a learning pathway that has lots of benefits and potential, many of which you discuss on the OER. I understand that, in the beginning, there was a lot of enthusiasm around MOOCs and some said it was going to transform education displacing traditional systems. Usually these predictions don’t consider issues that are important to address and come up with ways of resolving in order for MOOCs to achieve their full potential. To the issues you have mentioned on the OER, such as low completion rates, I would ad that MOOCs tend to adopt a behaviourist pedagogy and might not be appropriate for the development of some skills that require a learning approach that is more active. Also, MOOCs may have limited potential for use in international development outside English-speaking populations at present. Most importantly, most of the people who use MOOCs are not the targeted audience initially envisioned, meaning those in socioeconomic disadvantages and MOOC users do not necessarily represent a diverse population in terms of gender, age, education, income, geography, and other demographic variables. Studies have shown that most of the individuals who complete MOOCs are those in advantaged socioeconomic positions. I think that it’s important that leaders and designers who are behind MOOCs create strategies to alleviate these problems and reach the overall goal of MOOCs which is to provide accessible and meaningful learning experiences. I am positive about the future as I see that there is a growing awareness of how MOOCs could be improved and efforts to do so.
Hello Eduardo,
Thank you for engaging in our presentation. You bring up so many wonderful points in your response. I especially liked reading your thoughts on many MOOCs being solely offered in English. This is something I had not considered or thought about but you are absolutely right that this limits so many people. I had come across the same research that shows that most people who complete MOOCs do come from higher socioeconomic backgrounds which, as you said, does raise the issue of accessibility and MOOCs and are they really that accessible for all if those completing them are people who could also afford attending higher level learning institutions.
Thanks for participating Eduardo and I am glad you enjoyed the layout – I love the programs within the Articulate suite (I just wish it wasn’t $1000/yr….). In my research on how many MOOC courses were available a decade ago compared to now, I came across some data with a * saying that the data did not include China. A cursory glance at why this was led me to discover that China has their own platform for MOOCs (which is not surprising considering they have their own platforms for many things). However, the numbers of enrollments is massive apparently but I could not find any data about the type of MOOCs, course completion rates, etc. I would be really curious to know the differences between China’s and the western world’s MOOCs but I doubt that data will be easy to decipher from a Google search in the English language.
After reading the responses, I was inspired to browse whether HKU has any MOOC courses available (I wasn’t aware of any when I studied there). Surprisingly enough, HKU’s approach (https://tl.hku.hk/hkuonline/) towards MOOCs is quite attractive as (i) they don’t require long time investment, most of them are 4 weeks) (ii) built around self-paced video lectures, online discussion groups and assessment exercises which makes things less boring and (iii) they’re free. Even though they don’t offer any completion benefits or formal recognition, I would still be interested in signing up for one since the range of topics are quite broad and most importantly, they’re detailed courses focusing on a particular niche/topic instead of overview/intro to abc course.
Thanks for sharing, Michael and John. I think HKU’s approach is quite interesting because having a 4-week MOOC could reduce the low completion rates issues. Also, adding interactivity with peers is important for engagement. Adding some form of credentialing or digital badge could improve, and these are relatively easy to include. What I shared about MOOCs being mostly in English is still a reality, but I imagine this is slowly changing as other countries begin to realize the potential. I remember seeing an announcement at the university I worked at in Peru before coming to Vancouver that MOOCs were going to be offered, although I think these were going to be offered in English!
Thanks for the OER Michael and Sonia! I think MOOCs can be made more accessible with learning disabilities by having more accessibility options. Small things add up such as subtitles, narration, UI interface changes and more. I’m not sure if MOOCs have a future in publicly funded primary and/or secondary schools. I feel there would have to be more programmed-in check-ins to see if students are on task and on track. I enrolled in a MOOC before about psychological first aid and it felt like I was reading a textbook with quizzes inside. It wasn’t particularly compelling but I could see it being useful for those that are intrinsically motivated. I think course completion rates of MOOCs can increase with incentives such as certificate completion. Completion could help with certain prospects in the future if marketed well. I think for jobs that are more theory-based, MOOCs should be more formally recognized, but with practical workplace related MOOCs, I think there would still have to be some kind of assessment to check if the candidate can do everything correctly.
Thank you Jackson,
I am glad you are thinking about accessibility because this was one of my main interests especially since taking the Ableism course last term. I agree that making MOOCs more accessible really only involves some very small changes but I think that sometimes these things don’t happen because we are not always thinking about making things accessible as that is not always the “norm”.
Thanks for participating Jackson! I see MOOCs in public education as kind of a hybrid between online learning as it currently stands and MOOCs as they currently stand. If a MOOC was offered through public education there would have to be a certified teacher associated with it (imagine paying a teacher their same salary to deal with 200 physics students at once instead of 30 – I know our conservative Alberta government would love that!). Allowing that teacher to use mainly pre-programmed check-ins (like agents in D2L if you are familiar with that) and reaching out personally in extenuating circumstances is something that I really believe could work.
I completely agree with you re: the lack of recognition of a course completion certificate being a barrier to course completion rates. I am currently looking to transition my career from classroom teacher to an instructional designer in the private sector. Most job postings require employees in this field to be proficient with certain computer software. So, in theory, it would make sense for someone like myself with no experience to enroll in a MOOC to learn about these programs, however, I have learned that employers do not recognize MOOCs as viable experience with the programs. So what incentive is there to complete a MOOC? There seems to be a disconnect between the professional world and the education world here.
Well done, Sonia and Michael! I really enjoyed the layout and progression of your OER, it was easy to follow and retain information.
Do you think MOOCs have a future in publicly funded primary and/or secondary schools? This is a really interesting potential opportunity for students and teachers. I think students could really benefit from learning through a different instructor and seeing other students from different schools, however, like mentioned in the OER, there would be little to no interactions between students. I believe they would have a future if there was a better chance for interaction between different schools participating in the MOOC.
What can be done to increase course completion rates of MOOCs? Unfortunately, I think the only way that would ensure people would stay enrolled would be a higher cost. I know when I pay for something, I feel much more accountable for attending/participating because I want to ‘get my moneys worth’. However, this would probably decrease the participation in MOOCs as one pro is the idea that a lot of these are free which increases enrolment. Another potential way would be to increase the interaction, this would encourage people to be more involved and pay more attention to the course as they would feel more accountable.
Thanks again for a lovely OER. I have been thoroughly enjoying these weeks.
Megan,
Thank you for checking out our presentation, we really did try to make it simple and similar to a MOOC. I completely agree with you on accountability and I think there needs to be some way where MOOCs can create motivation while still keeping cost at a minimum.
Thanks for participating Megan! I did not think about the benefits of having students from different schools taking the course but, now that you mention it, it leads to to ponder one. Currently, I know that not all students in Alberta receive the same educational experience, for a physics 20 class for example, depending on the school they attend. For example, an inner city versus suburban high school have access to different qualities of lab equipment (I am seeing this first hand as I moved from a suburban high school to an inner city one this past school year). Another example of this is that small, rural high schools sometimes do not have teachers with an actual physics background teaching physics courses where that would happen much less frequently in urban settings. Are MOOCs a way to provide a more equitable education experience for students across a province considering students from urban and rural, inner and suburban high schools would be receiving the same educational experience?
Hi Michael. You bring up a solid point! I work at a school that has loads of equipment for a range of subjects, however, a school not so far away, has very limited equipment. I feel like even though the students are technically learning the same material, they aren’t getting the same opportunities, especially when we are comparing public school education to itself. I think students and teachers participating in MOOCs at the same time would be a great way to showcase what other schools are learning and *how* they are learning it. It would be awesome if these MOOCs could have breakout rooms which could facilitate cross student interaction and teacher interaction too. This way, both students and teachers could learn from each others experiences.
Thank you Sonia and Michael! I discovered MOOCs and I appreciated the organization of your OER in the form of a course. The videos were relevant and the information well presented. It’s simple and complete. I will continue the reflection here with the following two questions: What can be done to increase course completion rates of MOOCs? 7.5% isn’t just low retention, it’s almost nothing! I think it depends on the number of people registered at the start. 7.5% of 16,000 is not the same as 7.5% of 200. I understand that some people may use only part of the course for their personal interests, but can we really speak of a course? When I design a course for my students, there is a beginning, a middle, an end, everything is logical and planned. Yes, I leave room for differentiation, for student freedom, but I have one or more learning objectives that are essential and that require a minimum of investment. I’m not talking about passing an exam here, as I’m not in favor of endless assessment, but I strongly believe that the learning process can’t just be “a la carte”. I also think that the human being likes the carrot at the end of the stick. If this course offered some form of reward, even symbolic, such as a system of digital badges or points giving access to something, there would be more people who would complete the entire course. I’m sure that MOOCs that can give real credits (with a payment) have a higher retention rate, but the advantage of being free disappears. I love to learn, but why a MOOC more than a Youtube video or a Teacher’s Blog? I understand the difference, but I wonder what would push me to really invest my time in a MOOC. A crazy cool subject for sure… For the second question, to keep in mind the mobile aspect of this course, how can MOOCs be made more mobile-friendly (ie. phone or tablet use)? Here, I also believe that the difference is huge between the smartphone and the tablet. The tablet is still more friendly to accomplish certain educational tasks, thanks to the larger screen surface offering a better visual. For the phone, I believe that collaboration and communication is facilitated, but I would still have difficulty taking a complete course on my iPhone. I am thinking, for example, of the use of the keyboard. I imagine that voice dictation is a way to make participation in a MOOC more user-friendly. Also, I think a MOOC to learn a language is perhaps more adaptable to the phone than a creative writing course. But we have Apps for learning language. 😉 In any case, you made me want to explore MOOCs that exist and find which one could be useful in my role as an educator. Thanks!
Thank you Sebastien for checking out our presentation and engaging the discussion. I really agree with your comments surrounding MOOC retention. I have taken a MOOC before and I paid extra to have the certificate of completion (it was not something that was required) and it helped me to stay engaged in the course because I knew it was something that would benefit me but then it does take away the free aspect of it all. I think one cool selling feature of MOOCs is that you can have well known scholars and professors teaching the courses which may draw people in. For example, the UBC MOOC I took with Dr. Jan Hare on Reconciliation through Indigenous Education was something I really wanted to take but what particularly drew me in was taking another class with Dr. Hare as I had taken a class with her during my BEd at UBC.
Thanks for the feedback Sebastien, I’m glad you had a positive experience with our OER! I agree, course completion rates are way too low (and probably much lower than what was expected when MOOCs were first created). I think the majority of people taking them – considering they are free – are just “trying them out”. There definitely needs to be some actual recognition of the courses that are completed and I like your idea of the badge system. Imagine if edX, for example, gave you digitally certified badges for completing MOOCs that you could add to your resume. For me, as I attempt to transition to the private sector, this would be much more compelling to enroll in and complete a MOOC.
Thank you Maria for engaging in our presentation and also for your thoughtful answers to the discussion questions. I really like your idea regarding how to make MOOCs more accessible in a mobile platform such as a phone.
Thank you Micheal and Sonia for creating this interesting OER and helping us reflect on MOOCs. I think MOOCs will gain more popularity in the next few years, the pros that you mentioned in your OER describe a definite win regarding education and learning in our modern digital life and the cons are manageable with some adjustments as you mentioned. 2- MOOCs have been traditionally formatted to be accessed on a computer/ laptop. How can MOOCs be made more mobile-friendly (ie. phone or tablet use)? To answer this question, I believe that we need to close the gap between education and UX design. This is one of the major challenges that we currently face regarding mobile education. Perhaps training instructional designers and educators on the basics of UXD to design courses on mobile rather than on computers. 5- What can be done to increase course completion rates of MOOCs? It is possible that MOOCs would merge other engaging forms of learning like micro-learning methods, which are mobile-friendly. 6- Do you think employers should formally recognize MOOC course completion certificates? I strongly believe that education shouldn’t be recognized upon receiving a “fancy” certificate, however, that is how the world works now, but soon enough this can all change with the rise of MOOCs and self-learning opportunities. Employers and companies should focus instead on acceptance testing (e.g., job knowledge tests, cognitive ability tests, skills assessment tests, physical ability tests,…).
Maria, I really think your idea of closing the gap between UX design and education will be impactful. Educators often do have to create and deliver lessons for their students using technology, yet often numerous instructors are not trained in UX design. I think including this component as part of pre-service teaching degrees would be impactful.
Hi Maria, I really like your idea around linking MOOCs and microlearning. I have found that the sheer scale of MOOCs can seem daunting and feel like you have to slog through a textbook’s worth of information in order to say that you have accomplished learning. By making them bite-sized, large amounts of content could be more palatable for learners and encourage enrolment/perseverance with learning something new. Microlearning also translates well to mobile devices, possibly even within an app to streamline the user experience, where UX could be consistent across devices and allow for further differentiation on the user’s mobile device settings.
Hi Maria, it’s interesting that you brought up UX design for MOOCs. I don’t think instruction designers need to be experts in UX design. It would be ideal if a MOOC platform could have someone with rich instruction design experience meanwhile with sophisticated UX design expertise. In the professional context, I sense that MOOC platforms would hire two separate persons to showcase their expertise, other than one person doing it all but offering mediocre results. Because UX design and instruction design are both critical factors for the learning experience, I argue to keep these experts collaborate with one another, but bring out their best expertise to make an change in the MOOCs world.