MOOC research and its value for Universities of Applied Sciences

MOOC research in a University of Applied Sciences

Robert Schuwer

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Agenda

• How about MOOCs in a UoAS?• Case: Fontys School of ICT• MOOC research in a wider context

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CC-BY Hester Jelgerhuis

How about MOOCs in a UoAS?

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Research University UoAS

Research University University of Applied Sciences

Focus on research Focus on teaching

Global orientation Local / regional orientation

Teaching in Dutch and (often) English Teaching mainly in Dutch

Research profile in curriculum Practice based profile in curriculum

Cooperation between institutions (research)

Hardly cooperation between institutions

Consequences

MOOC: focus on publishing and reuse MOOC: focus on reuse

OER: both publishing and reuse OER: more reuse than publishing

Duisterwinkel, H., Gorissen, P. & Schuwer, R. (2014). Open en online onderwijs in HBO en WO: never the twain shall meet?In: Jelgerhuis, H., Riksen, D. & Schuwer, R. (eds). Thema uitgave open en online onderwijs, editie didactiek. SURF, Utrecht.

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Exceptions

• Sustained cooperation• International orientation for some programs• Experimenting with online learning & showing expertise

No access to large platforms Exception: EdX via OEC

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Some opinions

• Fear of reputation when sharing• Fear of losing regional identity (specific for UoAS)• Change in mindset needed when going from

closed to open (both teachers and management)• Uncertainty about giving credits for MOOC

certificate• Financial consequences unsolved

Source for research!

Janssen, B., Jelgerhuis, H. & Schuwer, R. (2014). Supporting Open Education Policymaking by Higher Education Institutions in the Netherlands: Lessons Learned. Proceedings OCWC Global Conference, 23-25 april 2014 Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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Some observations (UoAS)

• A lot is happening under the radar• Mainly reuse of resources• Hardly sharing • Experiences are not shared

– No learning

Source for research!

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CC-BY Hester Jelgerhuis

Case Fontys School of ICT

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Characteristics FHICT

• 11 programs Bachelor• ~ 2600 students

– 1000 started in 2014– ~ 350 in English stream– ~ 280 part time

• Innovation stream• ~ 200 employees (150 lecturers)

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Why open education for FHICT?

• Efficiency– Many students and many job openings

• Innovation– Fast response on developments in ICT

• Quality– More personalized education

• Opportunity for cooperation– Partners in education

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FHICT and MOOCs: reuse

• Minor Big Data• Minor ERP & BI

– Udacity MOOC Introduction to Mapreduce and Hadoop

• And more plans to reuse MOOCs

How about the student?

Steve Snodgrass @ Flickr

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Survey

• Students FHICT• Goal:

– Awareness of MOOCs– Perceived opportunities and threats

• Results are input for further planning

Véronique Debord-Lazaro @Flickr CC BY-SA

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Responses

Category #Students 4th year who participated in minor ERP&BI 21Studenten 4th year who did not participate in minor ERP&BI 10Other students (year 1 – 3) 156Total 187

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Awareness & experience

Question Yes No N.A.MOOC is known concept? 33 (17,6%) 154 (82,4%) -Looking for a MOOC? 35 (18,8%) 151 (81,2%)  Take a MOOC? 22 (11,8%) 164 (88,2%)  If yes: finished MOOC? 7 (31,8%) 14 (63,6%) 1 (4,5%)If yes: earned a certificate? 3 (42,9%) 3 (42,9%) 1 (14,3%)

• Awareness in line with other research (e.g. Aboshady et al, 2014)

Aboshady, O. A., Radwan, A. E., Eltaweel, A. R., Azzam, A., Aboelnaga, A. A., Hashem, H. A., ... & Hassouna, A. (2015). Perception and use of massive open online courses among medical students in a developing country: multicentre cross-sectional study. BMJ open, 5(1), e006804

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Opportunities

MOOC = Learning of the futureMOOC offers a simple way to extend my personal programWith a MOOC I can shape my educational programWith a MOOC I can deepen my educationWith a MOOC I can cooperate with students all over the worldWith a MOOC I can learn about programs of other institutionsWith a MOOC I can take subjects that are not offered regularlyA MOOC can be used by students for extra subjects in their programA MOOC raises the quality of the program

N=169

ThreadsNo threat Little threat Big threat Very big threat

Program is too full; no time for extra activities

MOOC is hard to combine with a “prof task”

Most MOOCs require rigid planning

MOOCs should be taken independent. Little support is available

MOOCs are often from renowned universities. Probably too difficult for me

Most MOOCs are in English

N=166

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New topics for a MOOC

N=170

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Future plans

• Extend student survey• Opening up the program

– Focus on reuse– Teacher as the focal point for interventions– Supporting tools

• Open Education and Open innovation– What can we learn from Open Innovation processes?– How can Open Education contribute in realizing a vision on Open

Innovation?

• Cooperation with lectorate Big Data– Learning Analytics

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Invitation

• 12 June, Eindhoven• Bit.ly/rede12juni

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CC-BY Ria Jacobi

MOOC research in a wider context

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Quote

“I replaced the word ‘OER’ with ‘MOOC’ in my rejected proposals and they got accepted”

Prof. Martin Weller, Institute of Educational Technology, Open University UK

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OER research agenda

• Policy• Adoption• Effectivity• Postinitial education• Sustainability• Creating, adapting and (re)using OER• Implementation• Infrastructure

Smith, M.S. (2013). Ruminations on Research on Open Educational Resources. William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, Menlo Park, USA.

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What are we researching?

Math Plourde

Open Educational Resources

Open Education

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MOOC-as-a-vehiclevs.

MOOC-as-a-subject

Use MOOCs to better understand education

Better understand the MOOC phenomenon

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MOOC research from the openness viewpoint

Publish Reuse

Vehicle

Subject

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eMOOCs2015 research track

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Just some thoughts (for discussion during lunch)

• How valuable is it to have stratified MOOC-as-a-subject research?

• How can UoAS benefit from MOOC-as-a-subject research?

• How important are open licensed MOOCs for taking advantage of research results on MOOCs?

• Would an OER-as-a-subject research provide more advantages for UoAS in the near future?

Tourism Victoria @Flickr

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@fagottissimo

bassoonvenlo

http://nl.linkedin.com/in/robertschuwer

robertschuwer.nl

+31 - 6 1446 9300

[email protected]

Thank you!