A MOOL in a MOOCLIBRARIANS IN MASSIVE OPEN ONLINE COURSES

Let’s talk about MOOCs:• Massive Open Online Courses

• Hot topic in global education

• Controversial topic for proprietary/copyrighted resources

• Source of debate for educators around the world

What’s so hot? What’s so controversial?• Faculty have wished for ways to participate in open education efforts

• Brings opportunity for contact with (and education from) stellar institutions, long as you have an Internet connection

• Distance learning on a global, tuition-less scale – is this a good thing? Or a devaluation of a college education?

• CAN YOU REALLY LEARN IN A MOOC?

• WHO’S LOOKING AFTER THE QUALITY OF MOOCs? (Do we care?)

3 Quick Polls

How many of you have participated in a MOOC as a student(I don’t care if you finished – only if you tried taking one)

How many of you have completed a MOOC?

How many of you are here because you are a librarianwho wants to become part of a MOOC at their institution?

THE SURVEY

• Goals:

– Faculty statuses

– Faculty relationships with their libraries/librarians

– MOOC Learning outcomes & IL goals

– Librarians involvement in their MOOCs

– Incentives for MOOCs, and impacts of incentives

– Primary: Faculty vision for librarians &/in MOOCs

METHODS

• MS Access database of Coursera courses, as of 5/15/2013

• Qualtrics survey, open 5/15/13 – 7/1/13

• Several interviews:

• John Shank• Trey Martindale • Tim Bowen

Access Database Findings• The language of MOOCs – literally what language they’d be

taught in

• The hosts of MOOCs – higher ed and beyond

• The geography of MOOCs – US and beyond, and partnerships

• The disciplines of MOOCs – single- or multi-disciplinary

• Gender of MOOC faculty – a reflection of academia at large?

• The workload of MOOCs

• The recent addition of “Signature Track” MOOCs on Coursera and the pricing (as of 5/15/13, $39-$79)

Qualtrics Survey Results

• Vast majority of MOOC faculty: TENURED

• Unclear understanding of what librarians might do for/in a MOOC

• Clearer understandings of how librarians are involved on their campus – may lead to simplest first avenues to participation…

• Resource Creation• Experts / Supporters in Course Content, Design, &

Delivery• Librarian as Copyright and Access Knowledge Hubs

Resource Creation• Repurposing of existing instructional materials• Customized videos for use in MOOCs

Course Content: Design & Delivery• Use of embedded librarians at home institution• Use of librarians from home institution in MOOCs

Copyright & Access• Librarians are already known as strong resources for this topic• As open access, Signature Track courses, and institutionally-run/-

hosted MOOCs grow: so will MOOC copyright discussions & permissions

Additional Feedback

• Use of embedded librarians at home institution• Use of librarians from home institution in MOOCs

• Question 33 – regarding Coursera-provided librarians– Having a librarian play a role in your course (and its content, and

successfulness, etc.) involves TRUST

• Question 35 – additional thoughts and feedback– Let faculty think and write openly about possibilities– Relevant quotes from faculty at US and international institutions– Important to use librarian skills as librarians understand them;

also critical to further hone librarian skills as faculty understand them

• We need to work with and market STRENGTHS from both perspectives

Additional Feedback

FUTURE RESEARCHOpportunities for

IDEA 1:Predictability / Openness to librarian involvement in MOOCsbased on MOOC faculty use of home institution’s librarians

IDEA 2:As MOOCs for Humanities subjects increases, will librarianinvolvement in these MOOCs also increase?

IDEA 3:Impact of expansion of CCC’s pilot with Stanford: Will thesepartnerships grow? How will students respond? How will MOOCfaculty respond? Will students & faculty aim to circumvent fees? How will this impact open education?

IDEA 4:MOOC investments – platform-level and institution-level

IDEA 5:Ways to strengthen engagement, accountability, ethics, and technology implementations in the MOOC learning environment.

IDEA 6:Ways that librarians can use MOOCs to better their services.

FINAL REMARKS and Q&A

Now it’s time for…

Thank you for attending – Keep in touch!

Laureen P. Cantwelllcntwell@memphis.edu

www.millenniallibrarian.weebly.comConnect on

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