This workshop was held as part of the HEA Enhancement Event 'Technology enhanced learning: What can we learn from MOOCs?'. The presentation forms part of a blog post about this workshop which can be accessed via: http://bit.ly/1AbOtCA For further details of the enhancement event, please see: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events-conferences/event10203

1.
Do learners really learn when they’re one
of thousands?
22 January 2015
Dr Alison Le Cornu, SFHEA, FSEDA
Dr Julie Wintrup, FHEA
Julie and Alison will present the main findings from the two HEA reports on MOOCs that
are being launched at this Enhancement Event. Those with an interest in MOOCs ­
either considering developing one at their institution, or wanting to have the opportunity
to engage with research in order to enhance existing or forthcoming MOOCs ­ are
invited to participate with a view to exploring the research findings in relation to their
practice. Are MOOCs significant different from other online modules? Does the
disciplinary context make a difference? Come and find out!
UKPSF references: A1, A2, A4, A5, K2, K3, K4, K5, V2, V3
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2.
Schedule
Time Activity
11.45 -
12.00
Welcome
Using Google Docs
12.00 -
12.15
HEA work with MOOCs
12.15 -
12.30
Engaged learning in MOOCs: a study using the UK
Engagement Survey
12.30 -
12.50
Liberating learning: experiences of MOOCs: Julie and
Alison discuss, followed by questions and answers
12.50 -
13.05
Group work: Online courses: A comparison of free vs fee
13.05 -
13.15
Plenary: Big questions
Wifi access:
Wi-Fi code: RIBAVenue
Password: venues66
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Table of Contents
Schedule
Aims
Objectives
Using Google Docs…
Have you worked through part or all of a MOOC?
HEA MOOC reports
Engaged learning in MOOCs: a study using the UK Engagement Survey
Group work
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Liberating learning: experiences of MOOCs
Research
Four quadrants approach to guiding and supporting forms of engaged learning
(Wintrup et al., 2015)
Conclusions
Space for questions and comments while Julie and Alison are discussing the report
Group work
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Big questions
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4.
Aims
This workshop will introduce issues relating to teaching and learning in a MOOC
(FutureLearn) context. It will consider ways in which students enrolled on MOOCs might
engage with their learning and offer an opportunity to reflect on the extent to which this is
influenced by the large numbers of MOOC learners studying at the same time. MOOC
pedagogies will be explored in relation to the platform on which they’re offered.
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
● identify and evaluate different techniques that MOOC designers have used to
encourage learner engagement
● suggest ways in which a MOOC platform may or may not impact on the pedagogies
which are used
● apply this thinking to future MOOC designs of their own and to online learning more
generally
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5.
Using Google Docs…
http://bit.ly/1A7wU0x
Everyone who is actively sharing this document should be able to contribute to it. With large
numbers, it can be a little difficult to identify which is your own cursor! Let’s get some practice.
Please respond to the question below by writing your name in one of the two columns. As you
do so, try to make a mental note of your cursor’s identity.
Have you worked through part or all of a MOOC?
YES NO
● ●
You will find it useful to follow some basic principles of effective practice when using a Google
Doc:
● Make sure you position your cursor at the beginning of a line before typing
● Take care not to delete ­ either accidentally or deliberately(!) ­ someone else’s
contribution to the Doc.
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6.
“
HEA MOOC reports
University of Edinburgh: Sian Bayne and Jen Ross
The pedagogy of the Massive Open Online Course: the UK view
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7.
University of Southampton: Julie Wintrup, Kelly Wakefield and Hugh Davis
● Engaged learning in MOOCs: a study using the UK Engagement Survey
● UK Engagement Survey 2014
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8.
University of Southampton: Julie Wintrup, Kelly Wakefield, Hugh Davis and Debra Morris
● Liberating learning: experiences of MOOCs
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9.
Engaged learning in MOOCs: a study using the UK Engagement
Survey
This morning’s keynote speech from Hugh Davis highlighted the key messages from the first
of those two reports.
Group work
On your tables, have a quick discussion about Hugh’s talk. Do you have any questions or
comments to make? Write them in the space below. We will have a short plenary in 5
minutes’ time.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
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Group 6
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Liberating learning: experiences of MOOCs
Julie Wintrup and Alison Le Cornu discuss the second of Southampton’s MOOC reports.
Research
The study reported here sought in-depth accounts of learning on a MOOC from ten
people who completed one of the University of Southampton’s first two such
courses during 2014. Its goal is to better understand their motivations for studying
in this way and the learning opportunities and problems they encountered.
Methods
Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with ten people who completed
one of Southampton’s MOOCs during 2014. Of 229 who volunteered for interviews,
purposive sampling led to the recruitment of ten people currently resident in the
UK, from different occupational backgrounds, aged from under 25 years to over 66
years (age-related questions were in bands). In terms of their educational
backgrounds, interviewees spanned all levels from secondary school qualifications
to doctoral and professional academic awards. All had volunteered during week
six of their particular MOOC, and several had completed other MOOCs across the
same time period. They can be seen as unusual in this regard, given that the
majority of people who begin MOOCs do not complete them.
Findings
The four themes constructed from learner interviews are:
1. Flexible, fascinating and free
2. Feeling part of something
3. Ways of learning
4. A bit of proof?
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12.
Four quadrants approach to guiding and supporting forms of
engaged learning
(Wintrup et al., 2015)
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Conclusions
Educators’ experiences reveal how large numbers of online learners provide a new
and unique view of the learning process; it enables them to better understand
thresholds and learners’ various ways of passing through them. The social aspects
of a MOOC are closely linked to learning, even for those only ‘observing’ others’
contributions and debates. The silent majority seems to benefit from, even depend
upon, a much more active minority. However the comment that MOOCs are a known
to be a kind of ‘Facebook for intellectuals’ sounds a warning bell for those interested
in inclusivity, widening access and attracting more diversity groups into education
more generally.
There is agreement that financial outlay – whether for additional resources,
certificates, exams, or for online education more generally – is unwelcome and seen
to fly in the face of the spirit of the MOOC. Interviewees’ comments serve as a
reminder that although many MOOC learners are older and well educated, they are
not insensitive to cost and may well be unable to afford alternatives. The comment of
a provider of traditional online courses that cost hundreds of pounds each – ‘you get
what you pay for’ (The University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education,
2014) ­ would seem to miss the point made by our interviewees, who are enjoying
MOOCs specifically because they are cost free.
MOOCs appear then not to be a poorer quality version of similar online courses, in
the view of our completer­interviewees, but as something new, exciting and
completely unique in their educational experiences. Somewhat paradoxically, at least
if widening access and sustainability are higher education’s goals, it is the very
cost­free, assessment­free, unconditional, massive and accessible features of
MOOCs that emerge as central to their success. This brings with it new
opportunities, and new responsibilities for advice and guidance that promotes
engaged forms of learning.
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14.
Space for questions and comments while Julie and Alison are discussing the
report
Group work
Click on the link to Oxford University’s Continuing Education webpage and read the brief
declaration: ‘Online courses: A comparison of free vs fee’.
What do you think? In your groups, make comments in the space below.
There will be a brief plenary following this activity and then we will discuss some of the Big
Questions listed on the next page. If you have any Big Questions to add, please do so.
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
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Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
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Group 7
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Big questions
1. What does student engagement look like in (FutureLearn) MOOCs?
a. Does it differ from other MOOC platforms?
2. Can we say with certainty what the difference large numbers make to student
engagement and student learning make, in comparison to cohorts of (say) a maximum
of 200?
a. Is the difference a beneficial one? To whom?
3. How do MOOC pedagogies and more common, smaller VLE­based pedagogies
compare?
4. Participants reported academic credit being unimportant to them ­ is this something you
would have anticipated or is there a place for credit bearing MOOCs? What are the
issues for offering credit?
5. Are the presentations and discussions you have participated in today likely to impact
your own practice?
a. What?
b. How?
17.