1.
The Digital Learning Revolution:
Exploring the Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality
Professor Mark Brown - PhD
Director, National Institute for Digital Learning
Phoenix, Arizona
30th March, 2016

2.
Outline…
1. Broken Promises
2. Troublesome Paradoxes
3. Competing Modernization Drivers
The Digital Learning Revolution:
Exploring the Gap Between Rhetoric and Reality

3.
Key message…
The Rhetoric Reality Gap

4.
Alexandre Dumas
“All generalizations are
dangerous, even this one”
Key question…

5.
•
•
•
•
•
What are some of
the major new developments
shaping the future of higher education?
1. Broken promises…

6.
“With the coming of the New Media, the need for
print on paper will rapidly diminish. The day will
soon arrive when the world’s literature will be
available from The Automatic Library at the
mere pressing of a button”
(Uzanne, 1994).
1. Broken promises…

7.
“With the coming of the New Media, the need for
print on paper will rapidly diminish. The day will
soon arrive when the world’s literature will be
available from The Automatic Library at the
mere pressing of a button”
(Uzanne, 1894).
1. Broken promises…

8.
“Books will soon be obsolete in public schools.
Scholars will be instructed through the eye. It is
possible to teach every branch of human
knowledge with the motion picture”.
1. Broken promises…
(Thomas Edison, 1912)

9.
“The central and dominant aim of education by
radio is to bring the world to the classroom, to
make universally available the services of the finest
teachers, the inspiration of the greatest leaders...
and unfolding world events which through the radio
may come as a vibrant and challenging textbook
of the air.”
Benjamin Darrow 1932
Director of Ohio School of the Air
1. Broken promises…

10.
“We will undoubtedly have lectures of every
conceivable kind presented to us right in our
homes, when practical television arrives,
possibly a year or two off.”
Short Wave Craft, 1935
1. Broken promises…

11.
Project Plato – 1960s
1. Broken promises…

12.
Cuban, L. (1986). Teachers and machines: The classroom use of technology
since 1920. New York: Teachers’ College Press.
Technology
Expectation Cycle
(1986)
1. Broken promises…
High Expectations
Subsided Enthusiasm
Growing
Support

13.
Gartner Hype Cycle
“Technology-enhanced learning involves an
ongoing cycle of hype, hope and
disappointment” (Gouseti, 2010).
1. Broken promises…
MOOCs
(THE, 2014)

14.
1. Broken promises…
“Resilience requires
adaptation and evolution to new
environmental conditions, but retains core identity”
(Weller & Anderson, 2013, p.55).

15.
1. Broken promises…
“In 50 years… there will
be only 10 institutions in
the world delivering
higher education and
Udacity has a shot at
being one of them”
(cited in Leckart, 2013, P.28)
In a March 2012 Wired cover story, Sebastian
Thrun predicted:

16.
1. Broken promises…
“According to the hype cycle model, MOOCs
should now be exiting the ‘trough of
disillusionment’ and entering a period of
‘enlightenment’ as second-generation products
and services come onto the market (Linacre,
2014, P.4)
United States

17.
1. Broken promises…
Allen, E., & Seaman, J., with Poulin, R., & Taylor Straut, T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online
education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
59%
11%

18.
1. Broken promises…
Horrigan, J. (2016). Lifelong learning and technology. Pew Research Center. Available from
http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/03/22/lifelong-learning-and-technology/

19.
1. Broken promises…
Students’ experiences
with MOOCs
https://library.educause.edu/resources/2015/8/2015-student-and-faculty-technology-research-studies

20.
“We tend to overestimate the effect of a
technology in the short run and
underestimate the effect in the long
run.”
Amara’s Law
1. Broken promises…

21.
1. Broken promises…

22.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

23.
“Despite huge advancements in
technology over the last 50 years, the
wealth gap between developed and
developing countries has more than
doubled” (John Pilger, 2002).
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

24.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
World Bank Group. (2016). Digital dividends: World development report. Washington: A World Bank Group
Flagship Report.

25.
Global Attitudes Project, Pew Research, 2011
http://www.pewglobal.org/2011/11/17/the-american-western-european-values-gap/
The American-Western European Values Gap
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

26.
Paradox 1
The international demand for higher
education is growing exponentially
but relatively few universities are
exploring the potential of new
models of online learning for
students living outside the United
States.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

27.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Education at a Glance…

28.
Allen, E., & Seaman, J., with Poulin, R., & Taylor Straut, T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online
education in the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
2%

29.
(Heinlein, 2015)
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
71% outside

30.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Jansen, D., & Schuwer, R. (2015). Institutional MOOC
strategies in Europe Status report based on a mapping survey
conducted in October - December 2014. EADTU – HOME
project.
EU
EU
MOOC Drivers

31.
Jansen, D., & Schuwer, R. (2015). Institutional MOOC strategies in Europe Status report based on a mapping survey conducted
in October - December 2014. EADTU – HOME project. Available from
http://eadtu.eu/documents/Publications/OEenM/Institutional_MOOC_strategies_in_Europe.pdf
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Disagree
Disagree
Agree

32.
“It will not be possible to satisfy the rising
demand for Higher Education, especially
in developing countries, by relying on
traditional approaches.”
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
(Sir John Daniel, 2013)
Past President,
Commonwealth of Learning;
Previous Vice-Chancellor,
UK Open University

33.
Blended, Online and Distance
(BOLD) education is booming but
the level of concern is increasing
throughout the world.
Paradox 2
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

34.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
http://www.studyportals.com

35.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
2015 - 35 million learners
2014 - 18 million learners
http://www.onlinecoursereport.com/state-of-the-mooc-2016-a-year-of-massive-landscape-change-for-massive-open-online-courses/

36.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Worldwide
75%
English
Language

37.
Jansen, D., & Schuwer, R. (2015). Institutional MOOC strategies in Europe Status report based on a mapping survey conducted
in October - December 2014. EADTU – HOME project. Available from
http://eadtu.eu/documents/Publications/OEenM/Institutional_MOOC_strategies_in_Europe.pdf
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

38.
Allen, E., & Seaman, J., with Poulin, R., & Taylor Straut, T. (2016). Online report card: Tracking online education in
the United States. Babson Survey Research Group and Quahog Research Group.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

39.
Allan, I., & Seaman, J. (2015). Grade level: Tackling online education in the United States. Babson Survey
Research Group and Quahog Research Group, LLC.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

40.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
UK Open University
Woodley, A., & Simpson, O. (2014). Student dropout: The elephant in the room (pp. 459-483). In O. Zawacki-Richter &
T. Anderson (Eds.). Online distance education: Towards a research agenda. Athabasca: AU Press.

41.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
http://www.icde.org

42.
While the benefits of higher
education have been quantified we
know very little about the societal
and economic returns on investment
for the subset of off-campus online
learners.
Paradox 3
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…

43.
Ireland
NZ
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Education at a Glance…
United States

44.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Stiles, J., Hout, M., & Brady, H. (2012). California’s economic payoff: Investing in college and completion. Available from
https://alumni.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Californias_Economic_Payoff_Executive_Summary.pdf

45.
“There is also almost no understanding of
the private and social benefits of distance
and online education in comparison with
those of face-to-face education” (Rumble, 2014,
p.208).
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Rumble, G. (2014). The costs and economics of online distance education (pp. 197-216). In O. Zawacki-Richter
& T. Anderson (Eds.). Online distance education: Towards a research agenda. Athabasca: AU Press.

46.
6. “National funding frameworks should create
incentives… for higher education
institutions to open up education, to
develop more flexible modes of delivery
and to diversify their student population.”
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Recommendations

47.
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Callender, C. (2015). Putting part-time students at the heart of the system? In N. Hillman (ed.). It’s the finance, stupid: The
decline of part-time higher education and what to do about it. Oxford: UK: Higher Education Policy Institute. Available from
http://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/part-time_web.pdf

48.
2.7%
2. Troublesome Paradoxes…
Higher Education Authority. (2014). Higher education system performance. First report 2014-2016. Available from
http://www.hea.ie/sites/default/files/final_volume_i_system_report_with_cover_letter_.pdf

49.
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…
http://www.changingpedagogicallandscapes.eu/publications/
Published
December 2015

50.
“…We risk being left
behind as other parts of
the world act more nimbly
in garnering the benefits of
technology” (p.6).
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…
http://ec.europa.eu/education/library/reports/modernisation-universities_en.pdf

51.
http://www.ubiquitypress.com
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…
Professor Martin Weller

52.
“It is theory that
decides what we
can observe…”
Albert Einstein
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

53.
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

54.
• Open learning
• Digital learning
• Anytime, anywhere learning
Knowledge Society
MAJOR COMPETING LENSES
E-learning •
Online learning •
Technology-enhanced learning •
Knowledge Economy
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

55.
“Frankly, all the computers and software and
Internet connections in the world won’t do
much good if young people don’t understand
that access to new technology means…
access to the new economy”
(President Bill Clinton; cited in Cuban, 2001, p.18).
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

56.
“Preparing America’s students with the
skills they need to get good jobs and
compete with other countries relies
increasingly on interactive, personalized
learning experiences driven by new
technology” (ConnectED Initiative, 2013).
https://m.whitehouse.gov/issues/education/k-12/connected
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

57.
Different interest groups and stakeholders borrow the
same ‘language of persuasion’ to legitimize their own agenda
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

58.
Reconceptualizing
• Open learning
• Digital learning
• Anytime, anywhere learning
Deschooling
ReschoolingReproducing
• MOOCs
• Learning for all
• Global curriculum
• Education in change
• Just society
• Lifelong learning
• Pillars of learning
• Sustainable development
• Mass education
• Quality standards
• Education as commodity
• Increased market competition
• Democratic
• Digital badges
• Opening access
• Unbundling learning
E-learning •
Online learning •
Technology-enhanced learning •
Knowledge Society
Knowledge Economy
MAJOR COMPETING LENSES
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

59.
Emphasis on education in change
needs to shift to the language
of education for change.
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

60.
What type of
education system do
we want the use of
new technologies
to serve?
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

61.
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…

62.
3. Competing Modernization Drivers…
http://www.portlandpresspublishing.com/content/wenner-gren-international-series-volume-88

63.
In summary…
• State of the actual
• More questions than answers
• Importance of clear moral compass
Conclusion

64.
“Online
learning
should be in
the service of
big ideas,
not as a big idea
in itself” (adapted from Barnett, 2011).
Conclusion

65.
Go raibh
maith
agaibh!

66.
“A prudent question is one-half of wisdom”
Francis Bacon
http://www.slideshare.net/mbrownz

67.
Professor Mark Brown
Director, National Institute for Digital Learning
www.dcu.ie/nidlmark.brown@dcu.ie
@mbrownz www.slideshare.net/mbrownz