Littlejohn elesig keynote_mar2013_final

Charting open territory:Learners’ experiences in MOOCsA keynote presentation at ELESIGMarch 11 2013

Allison LittlejohnDirector, Caledonian AcademyChair of Learning Technology www.gcu.ac.uk/academy

Collaborators:Dr Colin Milligan, , Dr Anoush Margaryan, Dr Isobel falconer, Lou McGill, Helen Beetham, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

Key challenge: continual learning

“The most profound impact of the Internet… is its ability to support and expand the various aspects of social learning”.

“Attention has moved from access to information towards access to other people”.

John Seeley Brown (2008), Minds on Fire

Grand challenge

Scenario 4

Grand challenge

Scenario 4

Grand challenge

Massive OpenOnlineCourse

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


Online courses aiming at large-scale participation & open access.

Scenario 4

Grand challenge



May represent a pedagogical approach ideally suited to the network age.

.

Scenario 4

Grand challenge



May represent a pedagogical approach ideally suited to the network age.

Little known about how the learning experience afforded by MOOCs is suited to diverse learners.

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


xMOOC • Learning goals defined by

instructor• Learning pathways

structured by environment• Limited interaction with other

learners

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


xMOOC • Learning goals defined by

instructor• Learning pathways

structured by environment• Limited interaction with other

learners

cMOOC • Learning goals defined by

learner• Learning pathways ill

defined• Interaction with others

depends on the learner

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


xMOOCCourseraEdXCanvas NetCodeacademyClass2goeCornellFuturelearnNPTELOpenstudyOpenHPIUdacityUniMOOC-Tec10genEtc…

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


xMOOCCourseraEdXCanvas NetCodeacademyClass2goeCornellFuturelearnNPTELOpenstudyOpenHPIUdacityUniMOOC-Tec10genEtc…

cMOOCCCK08Change 11DS106HowtoMOOCMoocMoocMOOCDLMechanicalMOOCOCTELODLMOOCEtc…

Scenario 4

Grand challenge


• Fini (2009) digital literacies critical to learning in a MOOC

• Mackness et al (2011) tensions across autonomy, diversity, openess, connectedness

• Kop et al (2011) critical literacies required to learn in MOOCs

• Littlejohn et al (2009, 2011 & 2012) learners have to self regulate their learning


GC: Every university graduate has the ability, confidence and literacies to set his/her own learning pathway to achieve individual learning goals.

Grand challenge

Scenario 4

E-learning research and development tends to Focus on... Largely ignoring...

Trends within the education sector

Wider societal trends and the impact on education

Online versions of current learning design where teachersdesign learning pathways

Learners map out their own learning pathways

Bounded, structured environments

Open, unstructured environments as the ‘norm’

Content as the central object of activity

People learn together via objects of activity

Stepanyan, K, Littlejohn, A & Margaryan, A (2012) Sustainable eLearning, Journal of Educational Technology and Society


Grand challenge

1. How do learners learn in open, unstructured, networked environments?

2. What learning approaches do they use?

3. How can learners learn in open, unstructured, networked environments

4. What /who structures learning?

Question 1

How do people learn in open, unstructured, networked environments?

Context: Shell global knowledge sharing networks

Period: Sept 08-Apr 09 Method/instruments: Mixed method: Questionnaire (Cross and Parker, 2004) & semi-structured interviews (critical incident)

Sample: survey: n=462 (E46%; N27%; M27%); interviews: n=29 (E41%, N31%, 28%M)

How do learners learn in unstructured env?

You Your goal

Dynamic Knowledge, e.g. wikis

Shared resources (e.g. delicious)

Formal Learning

Recommended Resources

Collaborative Spaces

Knowledge Networks

Libraries of Cases / Examples

of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You

People with similar skills

Peers with similar goals

Tutor

Team

Anyone



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneGROUP



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneNETWORKGROUP



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Tutor

Team

AnyoneNETWORKGROUP

COLLECTIVE



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

You Your goal

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

CONNECT

CONTRIBUTE

Tutor



Formal Learning



Knowledge Networks


of Practice

Smart Information

Your Knowledge

External contacts

You



Team

Anyone

CONSUME

CONNECT

CREATE

CONNECT

CONTRIBUTE

You and Your Peers

Your goals

Tutor

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

How do learners learn in the open?

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

Consume


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Scenario 4

Question 2

What learning approaches might learners use?

Scenario 4

Acquisition Participatoryof knowledge

Sfard, 1998

What learning approaches are used?

Scenario 4

Acquisition Participatoryof knowledge

Sfard, 1998


Knowledge creation

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Acquisition

COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute


Acquisition

• OER (podcasts)• x-type MOOC

Scenario 4


Scenario 4

Typically sequenced tasks with vidcast lectures, computer marked tests.

Little or no interaction with the (hundreds or thousands of) other learners

Acquisition


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Consume

ConnectCreate

Contribute

Participatory


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Consume

ConnectCreate

Contribute

Participatory


• blendedlearning• cMOOC

Scenario 4


Scenario 4

Typically structure provided by instructor.

Learners provide peer support & create/ contribute content

Participatory


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Knowledge creationThird type affordedby networkedtechnologies


COLLECTIVEKNOWLEDGE

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Knowledge creationThird type affordedby networkedtechnologies


researchdegrees

professional or workplace learning

Connect

ConsumeCreate

Contribute

Charting occurs wheneach learner mapshis/ her learningpathway throughplanning, implementing& reflecting on learning goals

Builds individual &collective knowledge

CHARTING


Q Will MOOCs be a mainstream approach to learning in universities?

No –

Not mainstream but there will be some MOOCs–

Yes –

If yes or maybe, how will learners learn in MOOCs?

Pause for thought

Question 3

Can learners self regulate their learning?

Scenario 4

Self Regulated Learning in MOOCs

Context: Change11 MOOCPeriod: Jan 12-Apr 12Method/instruments: Mixed method: SRL Questionnaire

& semi-structured interviews Sample: survey: n=29 interviews: n=29

Study Hypothesis:People who exhibit a high degree of Self-Regulation in theirlearning will use qualitatively different strategies to plan,monitor and reflect on their learning than individuals whoexhibit a low degree of Self-Regulation in their learning

www.gcu.ac.uk/academy/srl-mooc/


Scenario 4

Zimmerman, B. J. (2005). Attaining self-regulation: a social cognitive perspective. In Boekaerts, M., Zeidner, M., and Pintrich, P.R (eds) Handbook of self-regulation, pp13-39. Academic Press, San Diego, CA.


Scenario 4



Scenario 4



Scenario 4


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row

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bookm

ark

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Mic

rob

log

(Tw

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pers

on

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Word

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ow

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Vid

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ook,

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Scenario 4


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bookm

ark

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(Tw

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Goals as the Social Object

Active learners who set goals & structure their learning

Passive learners who expect others to provide structure

Lurkers….





Active (12/29)

“Oh there’s some people who are everywhere you turn in the Change 11 MOOC: there’s this group of people who are inspirational, just phenomenal the way they just keep going and they know their way around it.” (P08).

“You can read the comments of people who are participating from different places and they give links to things that they are doing or they think while you hear what is happening” (P20).

“I have no idea how scattered I am across this MOOC, I have no idea how many contributions I’ve made, 30? 50? I’ve got a lot of replies… I usually end a reply on an open end” (P05).



Lurkers (13/29)“I guess I tend to be a loner and I’ve done more lurking & I'm quite happy lurking, I think it’s an honourable profession”(P21)

“Lurking is actually hugely beneficial [knowledge is filtered by the course organisers and has] more value than something I randomly come across on the Internet” (P18)

“I'm going out to the MOOC and lurking and getting lots of great interesting ideas [to my] networks” (P01).

“I’m more or less like what do you call? A lurker and not very active … I'm always invisible and the reason is that the way I’ve been using the MOOC is to put into things that I'm doing… to be a network mentor” (P17).



Passive (4/29)

“Sure, I can read other people’s blogs and that’s not a problem and I comment occasionally, but as far as really putting my ideas out there in the open in my own blog to be trampled on, you know there’s a bit of fear there I think that I have and so that has been difficult for me” (P12).

”I'm not really sure how to find a group of people online who really want to learn about what I most want to learn about.” (P13).



Factors affecting engagementin a MOOC:

• Prior Experience

• Confidence

• Motivation


Scenario 4

Our hypothesis:People with high SRL score use different learning strategies

in MOOCs

• Those with high SRL scores tend towards being ACTIVE• Those with low SRL scores tend towards being PASSIVE• Lurkers interspersed

Some correlation between degree of Self-Regulation and learning BUT not statistically valid.

www.gcu.ac.uk/academy/srl-mooc/


Scenario 4



Question 4

Who/ what structures learning?


What/ who structures learning?

Charting tools use goals as a social object for sharing, discovery and cooperation

Charting Tools


Grand challenge

1. How do learners learn in open, unstructured, networked environments?

2. What learning approaches do they use?

3. How can learners learn in open, unstructured, networked environments

4. What /who structures learning?

Charting open territory:Learners’ experiences in MOOCsA keynote presentation at ELESIGMarch 11 2013

Allison LittlejohnDirector, Caledonian AcademyChair of Learning Technology www.gcu.ac.uk/academy

Collaborators:Dr Colin Milligan, , Dr Anoush Margaryan, Dr Isobel falconer, Lou McGill, Helen Beetham, Glasgow Caledonian University, UK

Littlejohn elesig keynote_mar2013_final

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