MOOCs as a Canary

A Critical Look at the rise of Educational TechnologyRolin Moe, EdDAssistant ProfessorDirector of Educational Technology & MediaSeattle Pacific University

@rmoejoSlides - http://bit.ly/1XigHDA

Assumptions

Dominant Paradigm of MOOCs*US-centered*Capitalism*Colonialism

Historical*Western Civilization*Age of Enlightenment*US Public Policy

Education*Societal Superstructure*Historic Public Good*Movement to Private Good

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 by Alan Levine – CC BY 2.0

Education is a Promise

Technology is a Promise

Communication, and learning as a social process, will be the key elements in the conceptual development of third generation models of distance learning. – Soren Nipper, 1989

The Evolution & Impact of MOOCSResearch Questions:

1) Where do experts agree on the impact of MOOCs on the higher education system?

2) Where do experts agree on the impact of MOOCs on discourse within culture/society regarding education?

• George Siemens• Anya Kamanetz• Clay Shirky• Audrey Watters• Kevin Werbach• Cathy Sandeen• Peter Norvig• Todd Edebohls• Dennis Yang• Amy Collier…and more

ConversationBlah blah blah tenured humanities professor sanctimony. Explain to me how you occupy the moral high ground when your students graduate $30000 in debt and have no marketable skills.

MOOCs reflect changes in education. In themselves, they are not "disruptive' (what a terrible word - it needs to be taken out back and shot and never used again by educators).

Evident themes included:• The rise (rebirth?) of

cognitive learning theory• A discord in the

application of educational terms and vocabulary

• MOOC = Online Learning (in the mainstream)

• Economics are at forefront of MOOC debate

Four Notes for the Future• Higher Ed solutions to have

economic implications at forefront.• Growing discord between MOOC

developers, education scholars, and practitioners in regards to theory and pedagogy (cognitive style vs modern theory).

• Continued debate of the purpose of higher education; increased focus on skills and competencies due to lack of voices advocating for the system.

• Many “Future of Education” debates driven by non-edu voices, where terms and vocabulary are not negotiable (business, computer science).

Conurbation

Discussion