the messy realities of moocs
DESCRIPTION
Invited panel at the American Library Association conference, January 2014TRANSCRIPT
![Page 1: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
Dr. George Veletsianos Canada Research Chair in Innovative Learning & Technology
Associate Professor School of Education and Technology
Royal Roads University
The messy realities of MOOCs
American Library Association January 26, 2014
![Page 2: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
MOOCs are a phenomenon
• The MOOC phenomenon is a symptom. – Economic pressures – Political pressures – Privatization pressures – Educators’ failures to create their own solutions
for educational problems – Belief that technology provides the solutions
needed – Lack of impact of “educational technology”
scholarship
![Page 3: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
What happens “on the ground” with open learning/participation?
• No single narrative can describe what happens in open learning environments
![Page 4: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
What happens “on the ground” with open learning/participation?
• Learners report benefiting from open course participation (Hilton, Graham, Rich, & Wiley, 2010)
• Learners face a number of obstacles (Mackness et al, 2011)
• Learners motivations vary (e.g., exploring topics earning credential)
• We lack an evidence-based understanding of experiences with all open forms of learning/scholarship
![Page 5: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
What is it like to participate in open online learning?
Veletsianos, G. (2013). Learner Experiences with MOOCs and Open Online Learning. Hybrid Pedagogy. Retrieved on Sept 29, 2013 from http://learnerexperiences.hybridpedagogy.com.
![Page 6: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
Results
• Learners – questioned institutional/instructor commitment, – identified a need for improved instructional design, – praised responsive MOOC instructors, – criticized instructors who were not visible, – valued course flexibility and denounced course rigidity, – appreciated the opportunities for open learning.
• The realities of open online learning are different from the hopes of open online learning.
![Page 7: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
Some key considerations
• MOOCs vary considerably – In length – In learning design – In learner participation/roles, learner support – In innovative practices
• Key questions to ask – Why offer a MOOC? – How is our offering building on existing
research/theory/understanding? – What do we want the learner experience to
look like?
![Page 8: The messy realities of MOOCs](https://reader035.vdocuments.net/reader035/viewer/2022080210/5549a051b4c9050c708b4e53/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
Thank you!
www.veletsianos.com
www.veletsianos.com/publications
@veletsianos on Twitter