Considering some new tools for teachingAll-day MIT retreat – January 8, 2013

Agenda:“The Crisis in Higher Education”Fishbowl discussionPresenting some tools

LunchTrying out a tool or twoHow was that?Next steps

The Crisis in Higher Educationby Nicholas Carr

MIT Technology Reviewv1.12.10.24

In “crisis” there is opportunity!

Some selected swings of education’s crisis pendulum …

• Home study and correspondence courses– 1920s – ‘30s

• T.V. and distance learning– 1950s and ‘60s

• MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)– as we speak

Selected on-line institutionsName Founded Enrollees

Coursera 2012 1.5 millionUdacity 2012 739,000edX 2012 155,000W.G.U. 1997 35,000U. of Phoenix 1976 364,000Open University 1969 264,000

ITunesU

What makes MOOCs different?

What are some potential problems?

Long Range Planning Process

• Know your subject area;

• Select your learning targets;

• Develop your assessments;

• Develop your instructional activities;

• Evaluate the quality and equity of the process.

Backward Curriculum DesignWiggins & McTighe

Need a graphic here that is symbolic of the computer’s limitations in facilitating opportunities for authentic engagement

What are some potential problems?

What are some potential problems?

What are some opportunities?example #1

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/bending-light

I will make and link to a screencast of some simple process such as adding a YouTube link in a Wiki page.

What are some opportunities?example #2

What are some opportunities?example #3

Still need suitable graphics here

What do we make of all this?

Opportunities in the MIT program?

“Whether massive open courses live up to their hype or not, they will force college administrators and professors to reconsider many of their assumptions about the form and meaning of teaching. For better or worse, the Netʼs disruptive forces have arrived at the gates of academia.” - Nicholas Carr

A few tools

• Canvas• Collaborate• Screencasts• Narration in Power Point and QuickTime

In the afternoon we will have time to work on trying out a tool or two in the context of one of your MIT sessions.

We will conclude with a discussion and consideration of next steps.