ALTMOOC SIG Conference – No Way Back – 6th November 2013

MOOC
MOOC poster April 4, 2013 by Mathieu Plourde licensed CC-BY on Flickr, explores the meaning of “Massive Open Online Courses”

This is a summary (via twitter #altmoocsig thoughts and Storify) of the ALTMOOC SIG Conference which took place at the University of Southampton on 6th November 2013.

The day was a one-off conference to discuss all aspects of Moocs and contained a variety of musings on the current state and purpose of Moocs.

Overall, the conference provided some insight into both how institutions and individuals are running MOOCs as well as an an overview of the ethos of newest Mooc platform in the UK (FutureLearn) is being positioned.

Pertinent questions and thoughts to come out of the conference for me were:

  1. Are the rise of MOOC platforms a challenge or opportunity? (Edx, FutureLearn)
  2. Different approaches (OER/Profit/Recruitment) MOOCS are being used for.  Connectivist (Edinburgh) versus linear (FutureLearn)
  3. Socialisation of MOOC experience seems key to enabling real learning together, rather than just all working through linear course materials simultaneously but with hardly any connection to other learners.
  4. MOOC-like activity has been going on for years beforehand within distance learning courses via VLEs… what has changed with MOOCs (apart from the ‘massive)?
    1. Change is opening up of resources from behind walls
  5. Has something been lost with the Massive (i.e. point 2 above – socialisation/community?)
  6. Should MOOCs being continued as an areas for activity or will this evolve into something else – SPOCs? and also Udacity moving away from straight education to training?
  7. Devils advocate thought…. Original #moocs are connectivist? New wave/platform approach is not? Is this bad or just diff?
  8. Challenge: How can we bring content together from different moocs or platforms. Is this possible with commercialisation of HE
  9. MOOC sequences #moocs the next generation?
  10. MOOCS can be used to blend on-campus activity to flip the classroom.
  11. Knowledge isn’t everything – it is everywhere and can be given away for free but the experience is key and most valuable
  12. Uses of technology: Don’t create a new @facebook to use in#education just use Facebook! #altmoocsig

Musing on each session – specifically:

FutureLearn (Simon Nelson)
  1. Important to know that FutureLearn is not just a platform for moocs but online learning
  2. FutureLearn has prioritised social learning… Ability to share together. Finer discussions and interactions coming later
  3. What are the right metrics to measure success or failure in FutureLearn #moocs good question!
MOOCs, what makes ‘good’? (Helena Gillespie)
  1. How much does a Mooc cost? Could be 50K – or much less. depends on platform and aims.
  2. A large amount of change needed to shift to creating and running a #MOOC
  3.  Breakthrough in Uni processes and admin to support moocs activity
  4. “dont underestimate the power of nosiness” “lurking is okay”
Looking Beyond the Hype – MOOCs as Catalysts of Major Educational Change’ (Amy Woodgate)
  1.  Edingburgh focused on OER and sharing… a more connectivist approach
  2. Lots of moocs live activity has been going on for years before MOOCs came along
  3. A step change happening as a result of#mooc past areas that have been skipped (e.g. online learning) now revisited
Using MOOCs to enhance on-campus education – experience, lessons, and research opportunities (Doug Fisher)
  1. MOOCS can be used to blend on-campus activity to flip the classroom.
  2. Use of community in MOOCS
  3. Avoid #mooc traps. Material needs supporting when used as part of a f2f course.Don’t forget your teacher role
Jonathan Worth, BA and MA course director Photography
  1. Uses of technology: Don’t create a new @facebook to use in#education just use Facebook! #altmoocsig
‘Show me the data! Actionable insight from open courses’ Martin Hawksey
  1. Need to find data or have access to it in order to analyse it
  2. The data also needs to be the one you need
  3. Both of the above can be issues

Storify Summary of the day:

ALTMOOC SIG Conference 6th November 2013

The ALTMOOC SIG first conference hosted by the University of Southampton.

  1. 10.45-11.15 Session 2: Simon Nelson – Chief Executive, Futurelearn

  2. Next presenter: Simon Nelson – Chief Executive, Futurelearn. Watch live starting at 10.45 today  http://go.alt.ac.uk/1aElFFj  #altmoocsig #altc
  3. Just arrived @unisouthampton for #altmoocsig conference. Better late than never. Got 2nd to last parking spot. Now to engage brain.
  4. Important to know that FutureLearn is not just a platform for moocs but online learning #altmoocsig
  5. Current FutureLearn partners. Collaboration potential and experimentation #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/56WIZbTzT3
  6. Corporate partners including BT also coming on board *pondering potential and conflicts?* altcmoocsig
  7. FutureLearn hoping to bring something new to the online learning / #mooc party. Mobile learning focused as starting point #altmoocsig
  8. Important to get basics right for FutureLearn. Ready to scale. Compared to Frankenstein growth of online plats at bbc frm 1997 #altmoocsig
  9. FutureLearn has prioritised social learning… Ability to share together. Finer discussions and interactions coming later #altmoocsig
  10. FutureLearn assessment tools as formative as well as summative #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/3By3BejVTT
  11. New @FutureLearn features coming soon… Game quizzes, audio, html5apps, peer-review and assessment #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/BS0345FCif
  12. The @FutureLearn platform is impressive already but their roadmap will make it competitive to replacing VLEs such as @moodle #altmoocsig
  13. Learning from FutureLearn.What does experience tell about learners.No strict definition of #moocs being #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/MJeE8UIaDK
  14. What are the right metrics to measure success or failure in FutureLearn #moocs good question! #altmoocsig
  15. #altmoocsig question about English only in @FutureLearn t&cs – not meant to be draconian and want to be open to other languages
  16. 2nd question about 3rd world accessibility and partnership with BBC – will they broadcast @FutureLearn courses? #altmoocsig
  17. Digital divide question popping up again… #moocs and online education now makes access even more important #altmoocsig
  18. 11.15-11.45 Panel session 1

  19. QAA question is misdirected. This is an institutional issue. Nutbeam says the further away they are the better. #altmoocsig
  20. The ALT MOOC Special Interest Group will give you a network of support and expertise  http://go.alt.ac.uk/17EtDy2  #altmoocsig #altc
  21. Q: What opportunities do MOOCs offer students for engaging with uni libraries, museums etc #altmoocsig
  22. .@MarenDeepwell “who will actually be the content creators, the learning designers, the delivery platform makers of the future?” #altmoocsig
  23. #altmoocsig Simon Nelson #futurelearn is sticking to league-table based partner selection approach.
  24. 11.45-12.15 Session 3: Helena Gillespie, Senior Lecturer in Education and Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of East Anglia

    ‘MOOCs, what makes ‘good’?’

     

  25. “dont underestimate the power of nosiness” “lurking is okay” #altmoocsig #digichamps
  26. How much does it cost a HEI to build and run a #mooc? @helenauea pondering #altmoocsig
  27. @helenauea building a #mooc team. 8 acads. 1 learning technologist. 1 admin support #altmoocsig multiple models/approaches? @LT_tech_HE
  28. @helenauea a large amount of change needed to shift to creating and running a #MOOC… And that’s just engagement from acads #altmoocsig
  29. @sheilmcn good point. Distinction between self directed and isolated approaches vs social-like interactions over and above discussion forums
  30. “emails generate traffic to the site” #altmoocsig “video messages create educator presence” #digichamps
  31. @paigecuffe at least that has been discussed openly by HEIs MOOC teams
  32. @helenauea where do #moocs fit in terms of cognitive surplus and sharing for civic good? #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/Cybu0ATlR5
  33. “Cognitive Surplus” Clay Shirky – recommended book by Helena Gillespie (@helenauea)  http://go.alt.ac.uk/1aElFFj  #altmoocsig #altc
  34. @helenauea #moocs and the changes needed is not what we do…. Breakthrough in Uni processes and admin to support moocs activity #altmoocsig
  35. @paigecuffe no, sorry meant I totally agree that no one has discussed it 🙂
  36. 13.15-13.45 Session 4: Amy Woodgate, Project Coordinator Distance Education Initiative (DEI) & MOOCs, University of Edinburgh

    ‘Looking Beyond the Hype – MOOCs as Catalysts of Major Educational Change’

     

  37. @amywoodgate “Looking Beyond the Hype – MOOCs as Catalysts of Major Educational Change #altmoocsigpic.twitter.com/sHagK5QehP
  38. The university of Edinburgh reasons behind doing #moocs #altmoocsig not money-based! pic.twitter.com/VJqfguoXX8
  39. @amywoodgate how Edinburgh University approached #moocs Experimenting. No imposed approach cc as default #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/1FZdqnzn5p
  40. @PaulHollins or to flip this q. How many have only supported them with an aim of some roi? #altmoocsig
  41. @jimjamyahauk devils advocate…. Original #moocs are connectivist? New wave/platform approach is not? Is this bad or just diff #altmoocsig
  42. @amywoodgate lots of #mooc -like activity has been going on for years. Change is opening up of resources from behind walls #altmoocsig
  43. @A_L_T: 13.45 Doug Fisher: “Using MOOCs to enhance on-campus education”  http://go.alt.ac.uk/1aElFFj  #altmoocsig #altc@LT_tech_HE relevant…
  44. @amywoodgate how content is being used… And how to open it up for different audiences #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/31mcoDT3DK
  45. @amywoodgate a step change happening as a result of #mooc past areas that have been skipped (e.g. online learning) now revisited #altmoocsig
  46. What impact have #MOOCs had…. Online courses and discussion in news and government #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/3dj31LedMe
  47. Excited that @doug OfNashville is talking about wrapping his MOOC with @coursera just for us #altmoocsig pic.twitter.com/lpVL6rKqk7
  48. Nuts and bolts in video but prefers ‘inspirational’ lectures to be face to face @DougOfNashville talking at #altmoocsig #übercool #lovingit
  49. It is no way back for MOOC technologies – we have a Special Interest Group that can help you  http://go.alt.ac.uk/17EtDy2  #altmoocsig #altc
  50. 13.45-14.15 Session 5 (virtual keynote): Doug Fisher, Director of the Vanderbilt Institute for Digital Learning

    ‘Using MOOCs to enhance on-campus education – experience, lessons, and research opportunities’

  51. @DougOfNashville teaching from PowerPoint has become an old fashioned approach… Rejuvenate nuts and boots lectures online #altmoocsig
  52. @mattlingard @DougOfNashville @mhawksey lets screenshare the screenshare…. Like pointing a camera at the tv.
  53. @DougOfNashville wants to draw on multitude of content for next #moocs content beyond individuals or institutions #altmoocsig
  54. Challenge: How can we bring content together from different #moocs or platforms. Is this possible with commercialisation of HE #altmoocsig
  55. @DougOfNashville avoid #mooc traps. Material needs supporting when used as part of a f2f course.Don’t forget your teacher role #altmoocsig
  56. The open licensing is enabling the culture of remixing and reusing others’ content, #AltMOOCSIG
  57. @amywoodgate indeed… Hierarchical structures and insecurity?
  58. #altmoocsig the product isn’t the knowledge it’s the learning experience @Jonathan_Worth
  59. Knowledge isn’t everything – it is everywhere and can be given away for free but the experience is key and most valuable #altmoocsig
  60. 14.15-14.45 Session 6 (virtual keynote): Jonathan Worth, BA and MA course director in Photography, Coventry University

  61. @Jonathan_Worth #altmoocsig – talking about being a good digital citizen and how it makes sense to collaborate
  62. Community happens around a nexus…. But you can build and they won’t necessarily come… But you can try and enable this #altmoocsig
  63. @georgeroberts @mhawksey @Jonathan_Worth normally no, but this works really well as interactive questions after.
  64. 14.45-15.15 Refreshments

  65. Why go to f2f conference?Here’s why #cake #altmoocsig with @fionajharvey conference organiser in shot.Thanks Fiona:) pic.twitter.com/IO3Zda1AHi
  66. 15.15-15.45 Session 7: Martin Hawksey, Innovation and Technology Manager, ALT

    ‘Show me the data! Actionable insight from open courses’

  67. @mhawksey livestreaming from #altmoocsig – “Show me the data! Actionable insight from open courses”  http://bit.ly/1b5jxos 
  68. @mhawksey – showing snip of film about how learning analytics support assessment effectiveness #altmoocsig
  69. Hawksey: To engage in analytics, you first need to access the data (permission?) … and it be the data you want #altmoocsig
  70. #altmoocsig #octel mentioned by @mhawksey re the use of API to access data – social network analysis also important pic.twitter.com/TmAXcZ4aej
  71. 15.45-16.15 Panel session 2

  72. Can a #mooc experience be aligned with an on campus f2f experience? @helenauea #altmoocsig
  73. Longest continuous ever drive 4hrs30min & amount of driving in one day 8 1/2ish hours. St. Ives to Southampton and back again. #alongjourney
  74. Great event #altmoocsig conf today. Lots of areas & ideas to explore. Now back in St. Ives after 4hr30min drive. Well worth it. @A_L_T
  75. Southampton to St. Ives in around 4hrs30mins including petrol stop, 2 diversions, 1 small amount of getting lost and no stops #bedtime

 

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