MOOCs in the High School Classroom How They Work to Connect Learners

What is a MOOC?  MASSIVE –Uses the Internet to connect with others on a global scale  OPEN –No charge for students  ONLINE – Learning together in digital modes  COURSE – Covers a single topic

MOOC Types: cMOOC & xMOOC

A brief history of MOOCs 2004: George Siemens & Stephen Downes develop theory of Connectivism, “the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks (Downes, 2012, p.9).2004: George Siemens & Stephen Downes develop theory of Connectivism, “the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks (Downes, 2012, p.9). 2008: First MOOC presented at University of Manitoba with ~ 2200 learners2008: First MOOC presented at University of Manitoba with ~ 2200 learners 2010: Dave Cormier videos about MOOCs added to YouTube (Cormier, 2010)2010: Dave Cormier videos about MOOCs added to YouTube (Cormier, 2010) 2011: MOOC for college prep skills helps freshmen prepare for college requirements (Cormier, 2011)2011: MOOC for college prep skills helps freshmen prepare for college requirements (Cormier, 2011) 2012:2012: –Harvard’s first MOOC has 370,000 registered students (Pappano, 2012) –2012: Coursera launches from Stanford; offers first xMOOCs (Chen, 2012) –New York Times calls 2012 “The Year of the MOOC” Pappano, 2012) 2013: cMOOCs and xMOOCs too numerous to count accurately2013: cMOOCs and xMOOCs too numerous to count accurately

MOOC Adoption S-Curve Represents growth in MOOCs from 1 in 2008 to over 3000 in 2013, including xMOOCs First MOOC – Sept : Over 3,000 MOOCs 2010: ~ 500 MOOCs

Downes’ MOOC Model Four essential elements for a successful MOOC: Autonomy: students decide how much to participateAutonomy: students decide how much to participate Diversity: students come from all backgrounds, different countries, different experiencesDiversity: students come from all backgrounds, different countries, different experiences Openness: MOOCs should be free or of such low cost that nearly anyone can participateOpenness: MOOCs should be free or of such low cost that nearly anyone can participate Interactivity: Chats, social networking, video meetings, collaborationInteractivity: Chats, social networking, video meetings, collaboration

MOOCs and Pedagogy This graphic represents the correlation between online learning tools used in MOOCs and Bloom’s Taxonomy (Morrison, 2012).

Pros and Cons of MOOCS Advantages Free unless college credit is offeredFree unless college credit is offered Learning is informal and at student’s own paceLearning is informal and at student’s own pace Computer and internet access are only resources neededComputer and internet access are only resources needed Students can share work, critique others and receive feedbackStudents can share work, critique others and receive feedback Great instructors without high tuition of host schoolGreat instructors without high tuition of host school Disadvantages xMOOCs involve costs, sometimes significantxMOOCs involve costs, sometimes significant No real-world engagement (face time)No real-world engagement (face time) Technical difficultiesTechnical difficulties Academic dishonesty possibleAcademic dishonesty possible Students must learn to be responsible for their own learningStudents must learn to be responsible for their own learning

Research on MOOCs

How MOOCs would work in high school classrooms College MOOCHigh School MOOC

Cost of Using MOOCs Content and learning opportunities available on Internet without costContent and learning opportunities available on Internet without cost School’s existing Course Management System (CMS) can be adapted to MOOC process needsSchool’s existing Course Management System (CMS) can be adapted to MOOC process needs Existing computer lab can be used for students working on MOOC modulesExisting computer lab can be used for students working on MOOC modules Part-time IT specialist may be needed to troubleshoot network issues or workstation malfunctionsPart-time IT specialist may be needed to troubleshoot network issues or workstation malfunctions Goodnight High School has sufficient resources to offer MOOCs for class content free or at very low costGoodnight High School has sufficient resources to offer MOOCs for class content free or at very low cost

Administrators as Change Agents 1.Principal & vice principal present MOOC model to classroom teachers a.Demonstrate ways to use MOOCs as part of instructional activities b.Create cohort with teachers who embrace MOOC ideals 2.Establish teacher learning group to develop content 3.Discuss problems of MOOC model with teachers who have concerns about MOOC success 4.Encourage early adopters to discuss pros of MOOCs with doubters a.“Laggards” likely to be older teachers and those unfamiliar with social networking, use of internet for research.

Administrators as Change Agents (continued) 5.Administrators will work with the original cohort to put MOOC modules into existing course content a.Teachers suggest topics that they believe will translate well into a MOOC activity b.Administrators will ensure that classrooms are equipped with appropriate technology resources (workstations, dedicated network drive, software as required) 6.At mid-year, a second in-service will review MOOC successes and challenges a.Ask enthusiastic early adopters to present their experiences to the faculty b.Encourage MOOC adoption by more reluctant faculty members 7.By end of first year, allow teachers to incorporate MOOC modules into classes as part of normal lesson planning process

Why Goodnight High Should Adopt MOOCs Innovative learning method already in use by Harvard, Stanford, and other university high schools and high- performing school districts (Locke, 2013)Innovative learning method already in use by Harvard, Stanford, and other university high schools and high- performing school districts (Locke, 2013) Prepares students for real-world experiences using technology and networkingPrepares students for real-world experiences using technology and networking Expands course contentExpands course content Encourages learning through exploration and collaborationEncourages learning through exploration and collaboration Opens the world’s knowledge resources to GHS studentsOpens the world’s knowledge resources to GHS students

QUESTIONS?

References