Online Learning, MOOCs and the Future of Higher EducationDave Szatmary, Vice Provost University of Washington

Online Learning

• The primary use of Internet technologies for teaching

• A variety of possible technologies– Print, video, PowerPoint, audio, simulations, Second

Life

• Instructor-led

• Content and assessment combined

• Interactive

Online Graduate Degrees (15)at the University of Washington

College of Built Environments (2) • Master of Infrastructure Planning and

Management• Master of Science in Construction

Management

College of Arts and Sciences (5)• Master of Science in Computational

Linguistics• Master of Science in Computational

Finance and Risk Management• Master of Geographic Information

Systems• Master of Science in Applied

Mathematics• Master of Supply Chain Transportation

& Logistics (requires 1 week in Seattle at start of program)

College of Engineering (6) • Master of Sustainable Transportation• Master of Aerospace Engineering in

Composite Materials and Structures• Master of Science in Civil Engineering:

Construction Engineering• Master of Science in Aeronautics and

Astronautics• Master of Aerospace Engineering• Master of Science in Mechanical

Engineering

Information School (1)• Master of Library and Information

Science

School of Nursing (1)• Master of Science: Clinical Informatics

and Patient-Centered Technologies

Online Certificate Programs (40) at the University of Washington

• Android Application Development• Applied Biostatistics• Advanced Applied Biostatistics• Biotechnology Project Management• C++ Programming• Cloud Computing• Computational Finance• Construction Management• Data Science• Database Management• Decision-Making for Climate Change• E-Learning Design and Development • Embedded and Real-Time Systems

Programming• Facility Management• Financial Risk Management• Food, Nutrition & Health• Gerontology • Green Stormwater Infrastructure Design

Principles • Health Economics and Outcomes Research• Heavy Construction Project Management

• Information Security & Risk Management• Infrastructure Construction• iOS and Mac Application Development• Localization: Customizing Software for the

World• Medical Devices and Commercialization • Microsoft Dynamics CRM• Natural Language Technology• .NET Development• .NET Advanced Web Development• Oracle Database Administration• Paralegal Studies • Professional Open Source Web Development• Project Management • Radiation: Sources, Detection, Imaging & Safety• SQL Server Specialist• Statistical Analysis with R Programming• Sustainable Transportation: Environmental

Issues & Impacts• Sustainable Transportation Planning & Livable

Communities• Virtual Worlds• Web Technology Solutions

UW Group Start Pilot Course Enrollments Summary

15 OpenUW Free CoursesStarted in 2001

• The American Civil War

• The American Revolution

• BENEFIT (Fluency with Information Technology)

• Dance

• Energy, Diet and Weight

• Gulliver's Travels

• Hamlet

• Heroic Fantasy: Tolkien

• HTML Basics

• History of Jazz: New Orleans

• Political Economy

• Project Management

• Shakespeare's Comedies

• Study of Personality

• World War II

Growth in Online Learning

• In fall 2002, 1.6 million college students took at least one online class

• This represented 9.6% of all college students

• In fall 2011, 6.7 million college students took at least one online class

• This represented 32% of all college students

• Among Chief Academic Officers in 2012, 69% indicated that online learning will be critical long-term

Impact of Online Learning:Access

• Allows greater access to the resources of higher education for a broad-based population

• Importance of the dissemination of broadband access with interactive discussion boards, video, etc.

– By 2006, 68% of American homes had access to broadband

Impact of Online Learning:Unbundling of Education

Unbundles the educational experience

– Content Development • Team nature of development (content expert, instructional

designer, technologists such as video editors and videographers, IT professionals, etc.)

– Content Delivery (Wikipedia, MOOCs)

– Assessment (Competency-based learning)

– Infrastructure (Learning Management System (LMS) rather than classrooms)

– Different audiences: Traditional & Nontraditional

Impact of Online Learning:Learning Analytics

• Mass of data collected through web-based learning

• Allows instructors and administrators to better revise and deliver education

• Impact of learning analytics:– Enhanced retention

– Better graduation rates

– Better and more tested course materials

Impact of Online Learning:Partnerships

Online learning allows universities to collaborate more fully on programs.• ASG example: Joint online certificate in Decision Making for

Climate Change with University of Washington, UC-Irvine, Northwestern and University of British Columbia

• Arizona State University and Pearson collaboration – Allows a very quick entry into online learning

• Joint marketing agreements – Wisconsin and Washington (ASG)

• Reverse Transfer agreements: Rio Salado, Seattle Community Colleges and the University of Washington

Cost of Online Education

• Online and onsite courses cost approximately the same.

MOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses

• Free classes on peer-to-peer platform • No instructor to answer questions• Format: video interspersed with quizzes and

midterm/final exams• Assessment: Autograded or peer assessed

Major MOOCs

• Coursera• edX• Udacity

MOOC Benefits

• Increased access to new massive audiences

• Increased brand awareness of the UW in general and of the UW as a leading online innovator

• Increased recognition of top faculty

• Focus on top high-quality institutions and their faculty

MOOC Challenges

• Assessment weak link – many answers to exam questions posted online

• FERPA issues

• State authorization

MOOCs by the Numbers

• Coursera had 3.4 million registrants in one year

• 55% never complete one lesson (1.88M)

• 32% of the remainder complete one lesson (490K)

• 32% of the remainder complete two lessons (490K)

• 32% of the remainder complete half the lessons (490K)

• 3% to 5% complete the class (102K)

MOOC Student Profile

• 70% have a baccalaureate degree

• 70% international students

• Most are professional students seeking enhanced skills

• Older, nontraditional students

Coursera

• For-profit company, developed by two Stanford professors

• 62 academic partners

• 200+ courses with 3 million users

• Proprietary platform featuring video interspersed with short quizzes with no instructor but peer-to-peer engagement in the classes

• UW a partner since July 2012 (one of the first 16)

• UW offered 8 classes in winter with 207,000 registrants

edX

• Nonprofit company, headed by Harvard and MIT

• 24 partners

• Less than 40 classes

• Open-source platform with no instructor but peer-to-peer engagement in the classes

• UW signed with edX in May 2013

• Features a research mission and improvement of classes on campus

New MOOC Developments:Credentials

• Coursera generally provides a letter of accomplishment from Coursera and the course developer

• Coursera Signature Track: For $50, the student receives a credential branded by Coursera and the institution. Six institutions have done so.

• Credit: ACE offers credit for some MOOC classes for $110 per class

• Some California schools (e.g. San Jose State) have agreed to offer credit for MOOCs

New MOOC Developments:Enhanced MOOC

• University of Washington first offered enhanced MOOC classes with

– Additional content

– More and varied assessment

– Instructor-led

– Fee-based

New MOOC Developments:Partners

• Both edX and Coursera have expanded partners beyond elite educational institutions

– State systems

– Education professional development (New Teacher Center, Match Teacher Center)

– Specialty schools (e.g. Berklee College of Music)

MOOC Business

• Cost to generate a MOOC: $25K to $100K

• MOOC funding sources: – Grants

– Business (e.g. Boeing at the University of Washington)

• Neither MOOC has generated significant revenue for itself or its partners

• UW experiment of enhanced classes has had a minimal return

MOOC Monetization:Other Options

• Match students and companies

• Make deals with vendors (e.g. book publishers)

• Sell enterprise platform and its content to companies and universities

• Use the platform as a Learning Management System (LMS) for a school

• Tutoring services

• Sponsorships

• Transcript service

Future of MOOCs

• Free web content will be here to stay

• The challenge of large-scale, meaningful assessment

• University-led MOOCs

Final Assessment

• Bricks and mortar classes will not disappear for traditional students

• The use of technology and its added cost to an onsite class will create further funding challenge for higher education

• Online will continue to grow with student demand and interest among adult, nontraditional students

• Major institutions must deal with online learning to be considered innovative

• MOOCs will morph