Embedding MOOCs in University courses: experiences and lessons learned
1
Introduction In this project, we explore the experiences of embedding MOOCs in a graduate course on distance education at the University of Iceland - School of Education (UISE) in 2014 and 2016. The course was online but with campus sessions. A major purpose of the project was to expose students to the opportunities involved before graduation so they could be more aware of what might be available for them in their future professional development (PD). Research questions: • How do students experience MOOCs and regard it as part of their tertiary education? • What are their attitudes, how do they evaluate MOOCs and their participation (usefulness, pros & cons) • Are there effects of trying out a MOOC in retrospect/in the “longer run”? Results Students’ reactions mostly positive, experience described e.g. as: fun, interesting, a new way of learning. However, some mentioned that the courses they took were: too easy for comfort, included “parrot learning”, that the learner environment lacked a personal contact and non-comparable to f2f courses. Workload during the project varied and may have been too little for some students (based on no. of ECTS) 81% felt that taking a MOOC had benefitted them in various ways: Directly in their work for review or learning something new; to experience that form of learning; ideas for future practice; some had already started using what they learnt, in their immediate practice. 85% thought it likely they would sign up for MOOC courses in the future. More than half of the 2014 group (54%) and 42% of the 2016 had signed up for at least one other MOOC (in English). For many it was important to get university credits for such courses. Many interested in Icelandic MOOCs as students (70%), teachers (54%) or designers (36%). Advantages and disadvantages of MOOCs summary of graduate students’ answers Discussion and conclusions On the whole it worked well to embed MOOCs into a university course with opportunities for f2f meetings and requirement for group work in relation to the MOOC participaton. Study circles appear to be a very useful pedagogical method for groups of adult students taking a MOOC together (Norberg, Händel and Ödling, 2015). There were indications that the experience opened doors and/or gave graduate students ideas in relation to their future or immediate teaching practice and professional development. More attention is needed, for example to work load in relation to credits for a project of this kind and the kind of MOOC involved. Language is an issue and development of open online courses should be considered at the national or local level open to particular language groups that can include more relevant content and contexts for the participants involved. Method Participants and data gathering Graduate students at UISE in course on DE: 2014: 17 (14F, 3M, age range 29-58) 2016: 23 (12F, 11M, age range 25-63) tried a MOOC of their own choice for 6 weeks, most for the first time (2,5 ECTS) All wrote group reports Three students from the 2016 course surveyed the participants (2,5 ECTS) 13 students 2014 (10 F, 3 M, 77%) 13 students 2016 (6 F, 8 M, 57%) 2014 cohort via phone interviews 2016 cohort online on their own Courses 2014: 5 courses 2016: 17 courses Online surveys 2014 20 questions: experience and usefulness, advantages and disadvantages (6), workload, time spent (4), experience of later MOOCs, interest for participating in or designing other MOOCs (7), other (3) 2015 34 questions:similar to the above but more information about the courses involved (provider, pedagogy, technologies) EMBEDDING MOOCS IN UNIVERSITY COURSES: EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED Courses Group Participants K-12 Blended & Online Learning 1(2), 2(5) og 3(6) 13 Digital Citizenship 1 1 1 1 1 1 Introduction to Finance Coursera: University og Michigan 4 1 Providers Coursera: University Syst. of Georgia & Kennesaw State University Wordpress o.fl. University of Alaska, Ohler How Viruses Cause Disease Coursera: Columbia University Gamification Coursera: University of Pennsylvania Courses Group Participants A 1 A 1 A 1 A 1 B 1 B 1 B 1 B 1 C 1 C (4), D (2) og F (1) 7 D 1 E 1 E 1 E 1 F 1 F 1 F 1 Programming for everybody (getting started with Python) Coursera - University of Michigan - School of Information Diploma in sustainable development Alison Providers Positive psychology Coursera - University of North Carolina How things work: an introduction to physics Coursera - University of Virginia Sustainable urban development edX - AMS Institute, University of Delft, Wageningen (MIT) Teaching with Moodle Moodle.org Blended learning: Personalization education for students Coursera - New Teacher Center, Silicon Schools Fund, Clayton LearnToMod for educators Coursera - UCSD Public relations PR Academy On-Ramp to AP* French language and culture edX - Weston High School Creative leadership for effective leaders Open Learning Machine learning for data science and analytics edX - Columbia University The Science of Happiness edX - Berkeley University of California Film production: Behind the scenes of feature filmaking FutureLearn - Creative Skillset, The Production guild Terrorism and counterterrorism Coursera - University of Leiden Learning how to learn Coursera - UCSD Games in education: Gamification Open Learning It was very handy that I could listen to the lectures on my smartphone wherever, whenever... I am of the opinion that it is vital for all teachers in those subjects to get to know the way this course was set up. In my job I have seen how videos have helped students to understand calculations and models. This, on addition, provides techers with the opportunity to stop running around students that are not paying attention or did not show up for the previous class... The American K-12 education system was not mentioned specifically, however, it became evident that the course was first and formost designed for active teachers in that primary school system. Every single example given in the lectures were out of that environment and the same applied to close to every reading material. Authors Sólveig Jakobsdóttir ([email protected]) Grímur Bjarnasson, Kristinn H. Gunnarsson Dóra Dögg Makdissi Kristófersdóttir University of Iceland – School of Education, Iceland Pros J Cons L Flexibility Access Short lectures No cost Quality lectures User friendly Meets needs Impersonal Teacher oriented Repetitive learning methods Assessment: meaningless praise random, not systematic USA context Not always up-to-date
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Transcript of Embedding MOOCs in University courses: experiences and lessons learned
Introduction
In this project, we explore the experiences of embedding MOOCs in a graduate course on distance education at the University of Iceland - School of Education (UISE) in 2014 and 2016. The course was online but with campus sessions. A major purpose of the project was to expose students to the opportunities involved before graduation so they could be more aware of what might be available for them in their future professional development (PD). Research questions:• How do students experience MOOCs and regard it as part of their tertiary education? • What are their attitudes, how do they evaluate MOOCs and their participation (usefulness,
pros & cons)• Are there effects of trying out a MOOC in retrospect/in the “longer run”?
Results
Students’ reactions mostly positive, experience described e.g. as: fun, interesting, a new way of learning. However, some mentioned that the courses they took were: too easy for comfort, included “parrot learning”, that the learner environment lacked a personal contact and non-comparable to f2f courses. Workload during the project varied and may have been too little for some students (based on no. of ECTS)81% felt that taking a MOOC had benefitted them in various ways:Directly in their work for review or learning something new; to experience that form of learning; ideas for future practice; some had already started using what they learnt, in their immediate practice.85% thought it likely they would sign up for MOOC courses in the future. More than half of the 2014 group (54%) and 42% of the 2016 had signed up for at least one other MOOC (in English). For many it was important to get university credits for such courses.Many interested in Icelandic MOOCs as students (70%), teachers (54%) or designers (36%).
Advantages and disadvantages of MOOCs summary of graduate students’ answers
Discussion and conclusions
On the whole it worked well to embed MOOCs into a university course with opportunities for f2f meetings and requirement for group work in relation to the MOOC participaton. Study circles appear to be a very useful pedagogical method for groups of adult students taking a MOOC together (Norberg, Händel and Ödling, 2015). There were indications that the experience opened doors and/or gave graduate students ideas in relation to their future or immediate teaching practice and professional development. More attention is needed, for example to work load in relation to credits for a project of this kind and the kind of MOOC involved.Language is an issue and development of open online courses should be considered at the national or local level open to particular language groups that can include more relevant content and contexts for the participants involved.
Method
Participants and data gatheringGraduate students at UISE in course on DE:
2014: 17 (14F, 3M, age range 29-58) 2016: 23 (12F, 11M, age range 25-63) tried a MOOC of their own choice for 6
weeks, most for the first time (2,5 ECTS)All wrote group reports
Three students from the 2016 course surveyed the participants (2,5 ECTS)13 students 2014 (10 F, 3 M, 77%)13 students 2016 (6 F, 8 M, 57%)2014 cohort via phone interviews2016 cohort online on their own
Courses2014: 5 courses
2016: 17 courses
Online surveys2014
20 questions: experience and usefulness, advantages and disadvantages (6),
workload, time spent (4), experience of later MOOCs, interest for participating in or
designing other MOOCs (7), other (3)
201534 questions:similar to the above but more
information about the courses involved (provider, pedagogy, technologies)
EMBEDDING MOOCS IN UNIVERSITY COURSES: EXPERIENCES AND LESSONS LEARNED
Courses Group Participants
K-12 Blended & Online Learning1(2),2(5)og
3(6)13
Digital Citizenship 1 1
1 1
1 1
Introduction to Finance Coursera:UniversityogMichigan 4 1
Providers
Coursera:UniversitySyst.ofGeorgia&KennesawStateUniversityWordpresso.fl.UniversityofAlaska,Ohler
How Viruses Cause Disease Coursera:ColumbiaUniversity
Gamification Coursera:UniversityofPennsylvania
Courses Group Participants
A 1
A 1
A 1
A 1
B 1
B 1
B 1
B 1
C 1
C(4),D(2)ogF(1)
7
D 1
E 1
E 1
E 1
F 1
F 1
F 1
Programming for everybody (getting started with Python)
Coursera-UniversityofMichigan-SchoolofInformation
Diploma in sustainable development Alison
Providers
Positive psychology Coursera-UniversityofNorthCarolina
How things work: an introduction to physics Coursera-UniversityofVirginia
Sustainable urban development edX-AMSInstitute,UniversityofDelft,Wageningen(MIT)
Teaching with Moodle Moodle.org
Blended learning: Personalization education for students
Coursera-NewTeacherCenter,SiliconSchoolsFund,Clayton
LearnToMod for educators Coursera-UCSD
Public relations PRAcademy
On-Ramp to AP* French language and culture edX-WestonHighSchool
Creative leadership for effective leaders OpenLearning
Machine learning for data science and analytics edX-ColumbiaUniversity
The Science of Happiness edX-BerkeleyUniversityofCalifornia
Film production: Behind the scenes of feature filmaking
FutureLearn-CreativeSkillset,TheProductionguild
Terrorism and counterterrorism Coursera-UniversityofLeiden
Learning how to learn Coursera-UCSD
Games in education: Gamification OpenLearning
It was very handy that I could listen to the lectures on my smartphone wherever, whenever...
I am of the opinion that it is vital for all teachers in those subjects to get to know the way this course was set up. In my job I have seen how videos have helped students to understand calculations and models. This, on addition, provides techers with the opportunity to stop running around students that are not paying attention or did not show up for the previous class...
The American K-12 education system was not mentioned specifically, however, it became evident that the course was first and formost designed for active teachers in that primary school system. Every single example given in the lectures were out of that environment and the same applied to close to every reading material.
Authors Sólveig Jakobsdóttir ([email protected])Grímur Bjarnasson, Kristinn H. Gunnarsson Dóra Dögg Makdissi Kristófersdóttir
University of Iceland – School of Education, Iceland
ProsJ ConsLFlexibilityAccess
Short lecturesNocost
QualitylecturesUserfriendlyMeetsneeds
ImpersonalTeacheroriented
RepetitivelearningmethodsAssessment: meaningless praise
random,notsystematicUSAcontext
Notalwaysup-to-date
