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The New Wave in E-learning:

Challenges and Risks

David Mole

Associate Provost (Teaching & Learning)

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology

March 2014

Trends and Convergence

High quality content and access to digital resources

Platforms that support

interaction and collaboration

Mobile & wireless ubiquity

Greater understanding of learning and learner Focus on outcomes and mastery Emphasis on active and collaborative learning

Pedagogy Technology

Blended

Learning

Flipped Courses

MOOCs

Changes in the organizational context

• Increased concern about the value proposition for UG education

– High cost

– Uncertain employment prospects

– Re-balancing to generic skills

• A more contested market

– Alternative providers – for profit, linked to corporate brands

– Lower barriers-to-entry

• Alternative technologies do not need to be as good only good enough

Online Face-to-face

Blended learning

Interactivity

Delivery Mode

Lecture theatre with no Interaction

Lectures supplemented with online recorded video

Typical classroom Teaching

No Interaction

High Interaction

& Collaboration

Low - Moderate

Interaction

f-to-f teaching with some online activities, e.g. Learning Manage- ment System (LMS)

Trends and Development in T&L

Lecture style teaching

Lectures supplemented with online recorded video

f-to-f teaching with some online activities, e.g. Learning Manage- ment System (LMS)

Online Lecture Videos e.g. OpenCourseWare

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), e.g.: Coursera & edX

Trends and Development in T&L

Online Face-to-face

Blended learning

Interactivity

Delivery Mode

Lecture theatre with no Interaction

Typical classroom Teaching

No Interaction

High Interaction

& Collaboration

Low - Moderate

Interaction

Massive Open Online Courses

Online -- large-scale participation -- open WEB access

• Open access - MOOC participants do not need to be registered in a school to "take" a MOOC

• Free, or nearly free – no charge unless a certificate is given

• Scalability – MOOCs are designed to support an indefinite number of participants

“Our goals, however, go beyond offering courses and content. We are committed to research that will allow us to understand how students learn, how technology can transform learning, and the ways teachers teach on campus and beyond.” --- edX

MOOC Platforms

• In 2006, Salman Khan, a graduate of MIT and Harvard Business School created Khan Academy as a non-profit educational organization. Khan has produced over 3,000 lectures and delivered over 240 million lessons to millions of students.

• In Fall 2011, Stanford Professors Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig offered an online course in AI with over 160,000 people signed up. It has now become the start-up Udacity.

• In April 2012, Daphne Koller and Andrew Ng launched Coursera by leveraging technology developed at Stanford. An investment of around US$20M was obtained from venture capitalists.

• In May 2012, MIT and Harvard launched edX with an initial investment of US$30M from each university. UC Berkeley joined edX in Summer 2012.

MOOCs from other Countries

• Futurelearn - UK platform launched by the UK Open University in Dec 2012. Its partners include 21 UK and 2 international universities.

• Open2Study - Australian platform launched by Open Universities Australia in March 2013. Its partners include several Australian universities and businesses.

• OpenUpEd - Pan-European MOOC initiative, with support of the European commission, was launched in April 2013. It includes partners from 11 countries: France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, UK, Russia, Turkey and Israel.

MOOCs in China In July 2013, major universities in China signed an agreement to

co-develop a MOOC platform.

Course Length Registered Active At least 1 HW

All HWs Passed

Science, Technology, Society in China by Naubahar Sharif

3 weeks 21,934 7,637 1258 670 623 (8.2%)

The Science of Gastronomy by King Chow and Lam Lung Yeung

6 weeks 84,618 53,404 13831 3892 5267 (9.9%)

A New History for A New China by Byung-Ho Lee and James Lee

4 weeks 30,344 16,903 5353 1895 1960 (11.6%)

MOOC completion rates

HKUST’s MOOC Experience

HKUST Experience of MOOCs

Course Length Registered Active At least 1 HW

All HW Passed

Science, Technology, Society in China by Naubahar Sharif

3 weeks 21,934 7,637 1258 670 623 (8.2%)

The Science of Gastronomy by King Chow and Lam Lung Yeung

6 weeks 84,618 53,404 13831 3892 5267 (9.9%)

A New History for A New China by Byung-Ho Lee and James Lee

4 weeks 30,344 16,903 5353 1895 1960 (11.6%)

Online Face-to-face Blended learning

Interactivity

Delivery Mode

Lecture theatre with no Interaction

Small class, use of PRS or Michael Sandel style lecture

Lectures supplemented with online recorded video

Typical classroom Teaching

No Interaction

High Interaction

& Collaboration

Low - Moderate

Interaction

f-to-f teaching with some online activities, e.g. Learning Manage- ment System (LMS)

Online Lecture Videos e.g. OpenCourseWare

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), e.g.: Coursera & edX

Active Learning / Flipped Classroom e.g. MIT TEAL, Stanford Medical School, Minnesota

All delivery & interactions online: e.g. MAT at USC

Desirable Models

T&L developments beyond MOOCs

SCALE-UP Student-Centered Active Learning Environment with Upside-down Pedagogies

Active Classrooms Modelled after MIT’s TEAL

Should your institution be a MOOC provider?

• MOOC development as a catalyst for positive change – MOOCs as a basis for developing blended / flipped courses

– Allowing students to take the institution’s own MOOCs and then attend credit-bearing face-to-face intensive sessions for credit

– Using data collected for learning analytics to improve the learning experience

– Using a MOOC platform as a next-generation of Learning Management System

• Major challenges in producing high quality MOOCs

Development Challenges

Faculty Engagement Student Preparation

Digital Content Production

Infrastructure Physical

(learning spaces) Electronic

(network & platforms)

• Define scope/resources/timelines/high-level learning objectives

• Work out content outline/learning interactivities/assignments, assessments

• Determine production approach: screen/lecture/studio/location recording

• Complete formalities (e.g. agreements for MOOC platforms)

• Identify copyright issues

Planning

& Design

Development

& Review

• Promotion materials (course description/promo video)

• Content materials

• Enhance visuals in teaching materials

• Clear copyrights in presentation materials (MOOC)

• Setup course site and review all elements

Production Approaches Screen Capturing

Onsite Lecture Recording

Studio Recording

Location Shooting

• Using web cam, microphone for talking head and tablet for annotation

• Software (e.g. Camtasia) for capturing screen activities.

Screen Capture

Onsite Lecture Recording • Recording of live class for editing into online materials

• Minimal preparation but requires post-production by instructor.

• Enable enhanced studio lighting, sound and green screen effect

• Less post production work involved

• Practices necessary for teaching in a studio setting.

Studio Recording

Location Shooting

• In workshop, lab, off-campus locations like museum or countryside

• For experiments, demos and student interaction

• For creating promo video (MOOC).

Visual Enhancement PowerPoint presentation

Drawings, diagrams and multimedia

Course website and graphics

• Rollout online content, activities and assignments

• Monitor and facilitate online discussions

• Monitor completion of assignments

• Review and analyze course statistics

• Publish course grade and issue certificate (MOOC)

Delivery

Should your institution be a MOOC user?

• Extension of existing practice – text books, digital materials

• Component in a blended-learning or flipped classroom model

• Packaging MOOCs as a component of a programs

• Some issues

• Buy-in of faculty and students

• Record keeping and completion of MOOC

• Design of in-class components to complement MOOC

What is to done?

• Stay ahead of the game?

– Not easy – one more priority

– Risks of falling short

• Wait and see?

– Building capacity takes time, catch-up will be difficult

– Opportunity to assert the brand is lost

• Assess capability, assess threats and benefits, review the options

• This is not going to go away!

Thank you !