Post on 28-Dec-2015
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MOOCS: HYPE OR HOPE?
Conflicting narratives in higher education policyMaureen W. McClure, University of Pittsburgh
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Conflicting Narratives
MOOC narratives run in divergent directions based on different foundational understandings of their purposes. (Innovation is increasingly global)
Peer Learning (cMOOCs) - Simultaneous, Knowledge Creation
Expert Teaching ( xMOOCs) – “Generational,” Knowledge Sharing
Noblesse Oblige
Democratic Empowerment
Self-Organized Learning
Institutional Sustainability
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INTERRUPED COMMUNICATIONS
This Graphic Arts Biennial exhibit in Tivoli Park shows lines of poetry in English, Slovenian and sign
language. The blurred image shows the confusion that arises across translations.
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MOOCS UNHINGED
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GARTNER HYPE CYCLE
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ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS PERSIST
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LURKERS AREN’T ALL THE SAME
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INSTITUTIONAL
SUSTAINABILITY IN
UNCERTAIN ECONOMIC
AND POLITICAL TIMES
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MOOCs For Institutional Sustainability Peer Learning and Expert Teaching in HE need different balances of institutional support, but both require recurrent funding.
MOOCs are not monolithic. They are shaped by their assigned positions within institutions. Economic positions are also political choices.
Cost Centers
Profit Centers
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Political Production: Profit /Cost CentersWe see ourselves as Profit Centers (Production)• HEIs as Growth Driver• Direct contributions• Investment + return• More likely to be funded
Others see us as Cost Centers (Consumption)• HEIs as Service Delivery• Indirect contributions• Accountability + compliance• More likely to be cut
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SUSTAINABILITY
EXTEND BOUNDARIE
S
PARTNER
WITH ALLIES
ENHANCE
QUALITY
BIG DATA RESEARCH
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MOOCs as Innovation and Marketing Centers
“Marketing and innovation produce results: all the rest are costs.” (Drucker)
HEIs are innovation centers. They create ideas. They are also marketing centers because they directly connect innovation to learners.
MOOCs may better link HEI innovation and learning …but be careful…a dangerous game…it opens the game to new players
INNOVATION
MARKETING
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Follow Up With The Maturing of the MOOC: Literature
review of Massive Open Online Courses and other Forms of Online and Distance Learning’ - UK Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
Revisit SPOC niches (Small Private Online Courses)
Links to both political and economic development policy issues (e.g. skills gap, jobs war, generational quality)
Wikipedia, Google Trends
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SO WHAT IS MISSING?
MOOCS FOR GENERATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
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Innovate
Market
Local
Global
Generational Succession
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QUESTIONS FOR YOU
What are you hearing about MOOCs? Costs to be controlled
or Investments in the future?
What is missing from the conversations about MOOCs
that you are hearing?