Open lecture at RMIT Melbourne, 1st October 2018

1. Mike Sharples
Institute of Educational Technology
The Open University
Digital innovation and
futures for Higher
Education
@sharplm

2. Universities are changing

3. Learning for the future
“Our sectors should… promote all graduates with the wherewithal and
confidence to be digital entrepreneurs” (JISC report, Technology for employability)
http://careers2030.cst.org/jobs/

4. 129 million students
in 2010.
China: 18%
Learning in a changing world
Share of 25-34 year-olds with a tertiary degree (OECD & G20)
https://www.oecd.org/edu/50495363.pdf
204 million students
in 2020.
China: 29%

5. Costs of higher education
$37,172
$30,800
$22,000
$20,000
$20,000
$2,400
$0 $5,000 $10,000 $15,000 $20,000 $25,000 $30,000 $35,000 $40,000
United States
UK
Australia
Canada
Sweden
Germany
Average student loan debt per student ($US)
https://www.cnbc.com/2017/10/13/cost-of-college-tuition-around-the-world.html
“The demand for education will continue to rise; we cannot afford to
scale up at the current per student cost, in any sector, in any country.”
(Diana Laurillard, Professor of Learning with Digital Technologies, University College
London)

6. “A pattern is emerging,
throughout all sectors,
of a major shift towards
online models of
delivery tending to
disrupt traditional
incumbents, and
traditional ways of
doing business”
Digital innovation
Foreword to Universities UK report, May 2013

7. Now more than ever we
need open and global
education, with people
from many perspectives
and backgrounds
engaging in
conversations for
learning
Open and global education

8. Can digital innovation in higher
education:
- provide education for a changing
world
- at lower cost
- and high quality
- that is open and global
Digital innovation in higher
education
?

9. Education for a changing world
2000-07 2008-11 2012-13 2014-16 2017-18
Adapted from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timeline_of_MOOC_and_open_education_
development_with_organisational_efforts_in_the_areas.png
Face-to-face teaching
Open and distance education
Open
Educational
Resources
Open
University &
distance
universities
OpenLearn
Birth of
MOOCs
Udacity
Coursera
EdX
FutureLearn
Khan
Academy
Flipped
classroom
Blended
learning
Online
program
management
Micro-
credentials
Nano-
degrees
Corporate
training
Blended
courses
& degrees
Hybrid open
& distance
courses
MOOCs
Learning analytics

10. Free-to-access short
courses
Over 9,400 courses
From over 800 universities
81 million learners
Top 4 platforms:
Coursera, edX, XuetangX,
FutureLearn
Massive Open Online Courses
(MOOCs)

11. Formed by the Open University in
2013
Wholly owned by the OU
8 million registered learners
400 free courses
138 partner institutions, including
RMIT
70% of learners from outside the
UK
Some courses not in English
FutureLearn
www.futurelearn.com

12. Are MOOCs disrupting
higher education?

13. No!
But they may be
supporting learning
for the future
‘lifelong career
learners’ taking
courses to enhance
their careers
Are MOOCs disrupting
higher education?

14. A journey from MOOCs to Masters
Free courses
Certificates
Degrees
Micro-credentials
Millions of
learners
Tens of
thousands
Thousands
Hundreds
$
Recruitment

15. Online programmes and
degrees
Students are recruited from the MOOC platform
Study a program of linked courses, then take an exam
marked by a tutor
Build into a degree progamme
+ = MASTERS
180 credits
Program
15 credits
Program
15 Credits
+ + +Program
15 Credits
Program
15 Credits
Program
Program
15 Credits
+ + = CERTIFICATE
60 credits
+Program
15 Credits
Program
15 Credits
Program
15 credits
Program
15 Credits
+ + ++ = DIPLOMA
120 credits
Program
15 Credits
Program
15 Credits
MOOC
6 weeks
MOOC
MOOC MOOC
Revision
Exam
15 Credits

16. 2000-07 2008-11 2012-13 2014-16 2017-18
Adapted from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timeline_of_MOOC_and_open_education_
development_with_organisational_efforts_in_the_areas.png
Face-to-face teaching
Open and distance education
Open
Educational
Resources
Open
University &
distance
universities
OpenLearn
Birth of
MOOCs
Udacity
Coursera
EdX
FutureLearn
Khan
Academy
Flipped
classroom
Blended
learning
Online
program
management
Micro-
credentials
Nano-
degrees
Corporate
training
Blended
courses
& degrees
Hybrid open
& distance
courses
MOOCs
Education for a changing world
Learning analytics

17. Futures for higher education
Online program
management
Companies that
support universities
to set up online
courses
Blended
courses
Courses with
flexible study on
campus or online
Hybrid courses Courses offered
partly online and
partly on campus
Image: https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-
learning/article/2018/06/04/shakeout-coming-online-program-
management-companies

18. • US Department of Education 2009
meta-study of comparisons of online and
face to face teaching in higher education
• On average, students in online learning
conditions performed better than those
receiving face-to-face instruction
• Bigger effect in studies that blended
online and face-to-face
• Blended conditions often included
additional learning time and instructional
elements not received by students in
control conditions
High quality?
B. Means et al. (2009). Evaluation of Evidence-Based Practices in Online Learning: A Meta-
Analysis and Review of Online Learning Studies. US Department of Education

19. Learning at scale
How to maintain quality in large courses that blend online and
campus learning
Open University, 1970
Khan Academy, 2007
Coursera 2012

20. Learning as conversation
2
How can I
understand
what you are
thinking?
How can I
understand
what you are
thinking?
Let’s try to
reach
agreement
http://clipart-library.com/images/Biarp5X4T.jpg
All human learning involves
conversation
We converse with ourselves
to reflect on experience
We converse with teachers
to understand their expert
knowledge
We converse with other
learners to try and reach
shared understanding
The more who take part, the
richer the conversations

22. Each learner
experiences ancient
Rome
Learner explores an
interactive digital
model of the city
Educators ask
questions to prompt
exploration
Learners discuss their
personal experiences

25. What next?

26. 2000-07 2008-11 2012-13 2014-16 2017-2020
Adapted from:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Timeline_of_MOOC_and_open_education_
development_with_organisational_efforts_in_the_areas.png
Face-to-face teaching
Open and distance education
Open
Educational
Resources
Open
University &
distance
universities
OpenLearn
Birth of
MOOCs
Udacity
Coursera
EdX
FutureLearn
Khan
Academy
Flipped
classroom
Blended
learning
Online
program
management
Micro-
credentials
Nano-
degrees
Corporate
training
Blended
courses
& degrees
Hybrid open
& distance
courses
MOOCs
Education for a changing world
Learning analytics Blockchain
Unbundled HE

27. Unbundled higher education
Andrew Sears – City Vision University
https://www.slideshare.net/techmission/what-disruptive-
innovation-means-for-deac-schools
Unbundled higher educationTraditional university

28. 28
MOOC
App
MOOC
App
MOOC MOOC EXAM
Program
Program
Program
Online tutor
MOOC
MOOC
Program
Program
Program
Preparing for higher education
Blended university course
University B
University A
MOOC
Professional support
Module
Professional development
Module
Personalised learning paths
Dissertation

29. We need new technology to support each
person’s journey through a lifetime of
networked and conversational learning

30. Global conversations
“it’s almost as if the
basic course is in 2D
but the postings lift it
to 3D and really make
it come alive”
Comment posted by Karen Carmichael
Timson, Learner on Ecosystems
course
”In a troubled world where borders seem to be closing, we need
more learners engaging with peers around the world.” —
Beverley Oliver, DVCE, Deakin University