Are MOOCs the answer? What
is the question? Yvonne Belanger MOOCs in STEM: Exploring new educational technologies June 5 – 6, 2014 San Jose State University

Overview • The Foundation’s Postsecondary
Success Strategy • How did we (collectively) get here? The forces shaping higher education • Questions about MOOCs – ours and yours

POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS An Overview of
Our Education Strategy

THE CHANGING FACE OF HIGHER
EDUCATION © 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 6 “Nontraditional” college students are the new normal.

A COMPLETION CRISIS © 2013
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 8 College graduation rates are even worse for low-income students. Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics

EDUCATION EQUALS EMPLOYMENT © 2013
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 9 There is a relationship between college education and social mobility. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey

The Rising Cost of Not
Going to College

COLLEGE TUITION IS STEADILY RISING
© 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 11 Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

DEBT WITHOUT DEGREE © 2013
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 12 Students are burdened with more college debt but often not graduating. Source: Project on Student Debt

Higher education isn’t the only
thing changing… The internet in real time http://pennystocks.la/internet-in-real-time/

Emerging technologies are shaping higher
education… Trends over the next 2 years… • Integration of Online, Hybrid, and Collaborative Learning • Growing Ubiquity of Social Media Trends over the next 3-5 years… • The Shift from Students as Consumers to Students as Creators • The Rise of Data-Driven Learning and Assessment NMC, 2014 Horizon Report

Strong forces are changing the
higher education landscape Rising tuition Rising student debt Declining public investment Demographic shifts Changing faculty Globalization Emerging technologies Big data Cloud Computing Networked video Something new we haven’t seen yet…

A Perfect Storm for Higher
Ed?

Flying into the storm

Led by your curiousity… How
can I make my course more engaging without sacrificing rigor? Can we build digital tools that leverage cognitive science principles and enhance retention? Can we use learning analytics to create a more efficient learning path for students? Can MOOCs support interdisciplinary cross- campus programs of study? Could MOOCs help us reimagine STEM educator recruitment, training and professional development? Can MOOCs improve face to face and remote laboratory learning?Does flipping the class using MOOCs increase student satisfaction? What types of online learning experiences are most effective at increasing learning motivation? How can MOOCs engage learners with little or no college experience in STEM?

Inspired by MOOCs to explore
and experiment… How can we leverage technologies and content from MOOCs to improve instruction for students whose habits have been shaped by the networked digital age? What are the key indicators of student success in different delivery formats (online, hybrid and face to face)? Can MOOCs be leveraged to close achievement gaps for women and URMs in STEM introductory courses? Do MOOCs offer opportunities to promote and increase flexibility in instructor-student interaction? What does it take to flip a class using a MOOC? Does flipping the class with MOOCs increase student satisfaction? What happens when you convert a not-for-credit MOOC into a for credit course? Can MOOCs help us build learning communities of current and future STEM faculty to spread evidence-based high impact teaching practices?

We’ve been curious also… MOOC
Research Initiative Reports available Monday at moocresearch.com/reports Ithaka S+R study of MOOCs in Maryland

What is a MOOC?

How can we raise the
level of the conversation and engage faculty?

Can MOOCs help diverse population
of undergraduate learners?

HOW WILL UNIVERSITIES TRANSFORM TO
LEVERAGE A NETWORKED DIGITAL VIDEO WORLD? Image credit: Boston Globe, May 18, 2014 Image credit: Temple University

N How will faculty roles
evolve in the digital age? Mohammed Noor (left) and Roger Barr (right), faculty at Duke University

Can new technologies broaden access
to lifelong learning opportunities? Zeke Emmanuel, University of Pennsylvania

How will
industry use
MOOCs?

Is a balanced view emerging?
Irrational exuberance Fear and loathing http://cbcse.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/MOOCs_Expectations_and_Reality.pdf

Can faculty-driven innovation chart a
path through the perfect storm? Image credit: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/05/14/faculty-group-continues-anti-mooc-offensive

FOLLOW US www.GatesFoundation.org @Dan_Greenstein BillandMelindaGatesFoundation
www.ImpatientOptimists.org @ybelanger @GatesEd © 2013 Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | 32