This document summarizes research on how MOOCs have been portrayed in the traditional newspaper media in Ireland. The research found that the majority of reporting was descriptive rather than interpretative, and took a positive stance. Most coverage came from elite institutions and focused on themes like increasing access, reducing costs, and supporting student readiness. However, the "real story behind the story" may be about political and funding issues in Irish higher education, including a restrictive funding model and lack of support for flexible learners. The conclusion is that MOOCs have become inherently political and are fundamentally about debates around the future of education.

1. Mark Brown,
Eamon Costello, Enda Donlon
Mairead Nic Giollamhichil & Colette Kirwan
Hold the Front Page:
The Story of MOOCs in the Irish Media
Rome, Italy
30th November 2015

2. Outline…
1. Current research
2. Country specific research
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
Hold the Front Page:
The Story of MOOCs in the Irish Media

3. Key message…
The story
about MOOCs is
not really about MOOCs

4. 1. Current research

5. 1. Current research

6. 1. Current research

7. 1. Current research

8. 2. Country specific research

9. • Paucity of country specific information
• Need to understand MOOC discourses
at local level
• How have MOOCs been portrayed in
the traditional newspaper media in
Ireland?
Gap in the literature…
2. Country specific research

10. • Who is telling the MOOC story and why?
• How are they telling the MOOC story?
• What are we being told about MOOCs?
• What is missing from the MOOC story?
• Whose voice is not being heard?
2. Country specific research
Deeper questions…

11. Total of 74 publications – by 1st July 2015
2. Country specific research
Discourse
Analysis

12. 2. Country specific research

13. 1st February 2011 – First story but no mention of the term MOOC
2. Country specific research
MIT Open
Courseware

14. 15th May 2012 – 1st mention of MOOC
2. Country specific research
Free Online
Courses

15. 10th January 2013 – 2nd mention of MOOC
2. Country specific research
FutureLearn
Launch

16. 11th February 2013 – 3rd mention of MOOC
2. Country specific research
Call
For Vision

17. 70%
30%
Type of Reporting
Descriptive
Interpretative
2. Country specific research

18. 4%
19%
77%
Stance Adopted
Negative
Neutral
Positive
2. Country specific research

19. Elite
73%
Non Elite
21%
NA
6%
Institutional Status
2. Country specific research

20. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30
Fear of Missing Out
Institutional Branding
Increase Student Recruitment
Extend Access
Reduce Costs
Generate Revenue
Unbundling of Services
Innovation
Curriculum Renewal
Industry Training
Supporting Student Readiness
Promote Research
Not Stated
Major Drivers
2. Country specific research

21. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

22. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

23. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

24. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

25. “As Chandra told the heads of the Universities and IOTs
in Dublin this week, we are talking about building an
entire economy based on Irish education. These are
wise words from a man whose company's exports are
worth more to the Indian economy than their total oil
imports.”
3. What is the story behind the story?

26. “The subject of this meeting is
studying at university through
online learning, including massive
open online courses, MOOCs”
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

27. Executive Summary
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
March 2015

28. “Ireland ranks lower than the
OECD average on the international
benchmark of flexible provision”
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
(National Forum for the Enhancment of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 2015, p.16)

29. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

30. 2.7%
Restrictive Funding Model
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story

31. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
Who Should Pay
For Higher Education?

32. 3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
http://www.nmc.org/
Funding to Support
Flexible Learners

33. “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).
3. The ‘real’ story behind the story
Interesting
Paradox!

34. Conclusion

35. Conclusion
• Inherently political
• Not on an independent trajectory
• Fundamentally about the future of education
MOOCS…

36. Conclusion
“MOOCs
should be in
the service of
big ideas,
not as a big
idea in itself”(Brown & Costello, 2015;
adapted from Barnett, 2011).
One final point…

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