*** Open Learning at a Distance: Lessons for Struggling MOOCs
Article de Science on la Open Univ UK dóna opinions semblnats a la gent de la UOC. Un punt de vista rellevant, que a més ajuda a veure quin paper pot tenir la universitat presencial. I si s’aliéssin la universitat presencial i la no presencial?
Entre d’altres coses, creu que els MOOC són un pas endavant en la bona educació, i també que les llicències Creative Commons són rellevants:
“Classic models of education cannot meet all our needs. Simply transferring those models online is not the most effective approach to open education. We need new approaches that can operate at low cost in the open. The current generation of MOOCs are already providing some benefits, their global reach finding enthusiastic learners. But MOOC providers have been criticized for their elite model, lack of reliability, low proportions of learners completing courses, and overall pedagogy”
“Our advice on implementation of open online courses should help build large-scale open learning. Completely open operation online also brings new aspects. For example, using effective open licenses, such as Creative Commons, allows us to share the ways we develop teaching, as well as giving clear permissions to learners.”
*** SPOCs may provide what MOOCs can’t
Small, private online courses. Jo hi afegiria encara “small, public online courses”.
“Whether MOOCs can be as successful without providing the same level of learner support is still an open question. After MOOC mania subsides, it may be that SPOCs will emerge as the preferred model for specialized learning, taking the online approach to smaller, targeted—and revenue generating—classes.”
*** Redefining MOOC Completion Rates
Molt interessant sobre la taxa de superació del MOOC. Compara els que s’hi apunten amb la gent que va a la jornada de portes obertes d’una universitat. O sigui: comparem el rendiment d’un MOOC mirant quins inscrits han passat al segon mòdul! La nostra experiència al #mxic201 és parella.
*** MOOCs, SPOCs, and LAPs: The Evolving World of Education (Huffington Post)
Sobre els Punts d’Accés Locals (Local Access Points, LAPs)
“The design and development of LAPs are about much more than e-learning. First of all, they offer a physical presence and a local touch, while conventional e-learning does not. Secondly, the tools are increasingly complex, particularly when compared to those in a traditional classroom-based environment. LAPs also provide two additional components which will be of increasing value in the modern, competitive and increasingly borderless world of working.
These are virtual collaboration and the management of projects in virtual environments.
Virtual Collaboration: Most people know how to use social media to communicate, but that is only one part of the capabilities needed to collaborate. A full understanding of collaboration demands additional communication, combined with feedback tools and experience. LAPs provide collaborative working tools, specify requirements in a virtual environment, offer feedback both from educationalists and students and combine offline local presence and mentoring to use tools effectively.”
No crec que sigui gaire verita que les eines siguin complexes. Pel contrari: són més senzilles. Ara bé, la presència física de gent junta és bona. No és això el model UNED o UOC? No hauria de tenir una universitat com la UdG punts d’accés al territori?
*** Higher Education’s Internet Revolution
The biggest surprise about Massive Open Online Courses is how conservative they are
Interessant punt de vista sobre l’efecte dels MOOC en el professorat:
“Enthusiasm and fear thus go together. But the real threat to faculty members, especially younger professors, isn’t the MOOC at all, it’s the profession’s growing stratification and creation of a permanent adjunct underclass, like the split between elite law firm partners and contract attorneys. The global scope of MOOCs gives an advantage to renowned researchers like Thrun, to the disadvantage of the many outstanding teachers without such visibility or resources for course development.”
I una bona reflexió: “MOOCs will succeed or fail depending on the willingness of gifted instructors to forgo other opportunities. It would be more exciting if they were as transformative as some advocates claim, or as sinister as many critics fear. The prosaic fact is that a course, no matter how sophisticated its mode of delivery, is labor-intensive – for both the professor and the students. That makes MOOCs potentially valuable. It also makes the movement, for better or worse, self-limiting.”