Changing Technology: Implications for Planning, Delivery, and Marketing of Lifelong Learning Programs

Patricia FlynnChair, Board of Directors, OLLI@UMassBostonWichian Rojanawon, Ph.D.Director, OLLL@UMass Boston

What is Technology?

"Technology encompasses digital hardware and software, including fixed and mobile computing and communications systems and devices, operating systems, applications, and processes that can be applied to the delivery and sharing of course content and marketing and management of lifelong learning programs.”

Why is Technology an Issue? It’s a “Tool” to:

Efficiently Plan and Manage the program

Expand and Strengthen Community of Learners

Engage Members in Learning by Providing Options in the Changing Environment of Information Technology

Rational:

The Impact of Technology on Older People and the Uses and Preferences of Technology among Members

The Increase in Number of Members Lack of Space & Parking Problems The Efficient Use of Staff’s Time The Increase in Operational Costs The Aging of Long-time Members The Expectations of New Cohorts

of Members

ONCE UPON THE TIME……1999

• 90 members, 14 courses, 10 lectures & others

• Excel Database

2008

• 500 members, 90 courses, 40 lectures & others—3 offsite locations

• Access Database + Constant Contact programs + Video Conference courses

2014

• 1,100 members, 140 courses, 80 lectures & others—4 offsite locations

• CampusCE

What We have Done…

Video Conference Classes (8-10 courses per semester since 2005--$2,500 per semester

Offsite Location –bought $9,000 equipment for the Hingham Public Library Offer On-Demand Videos on Our Website—No

Cost

What We have Done…

Offer Assisted Listening Device ($300 per set)

Offer Access to Mango LanguageProgram ($1,000 per year)

Offer Free Access to Atomic Learning, an online training resource for over 200 computer programs (no cost)

Signed up for an Online Registration Service ( $9,000/yr)

Established a Technology Committee and Conducted a Technology Survey

Surveyed 1,000 OLLI member in 2012

Survey Respondents: 446

Objectives Assess demand for digital-technology

related courses, brown bag lectures, workshops, and Special Interest Groups

Identify new opportunities for distance learning.

Enhance members’ ability to make informed decisions regarding their acquisition of new technology.

Survey Scope Computers & Portable Electronic

Devices

Computer Software

Internet Applications & Activities

Personal Security

Miscellaneous Questions

Other Areas of Technology Interest

Volunteer Opportunities

Computers & Portable Electronic Devices

Respondents who have one

Respondents who want one

Candidates for Training

Cell Phones n=364 (82%)

n= 2 (<<1%)

n= 78 (17%)

Digital Cameras

n=332 (74%)

n= 30 (7%)

n=197 (44%)

Desktops n=307 (69%)

n= 11 (2%)

n= 76 (17%)

Laptops n=282 (63%)

n= 62 (14%)

n=163 (37%)

HDTVs n=279 (63%)

n= 35 (8%)

n=125 (29%)

eReaders n=161 (36%)

n= 69 (15%)

n=179 (40%)

Smartphones

n=121 (27%)

n= 99 (22%)

n=225 (50%)

Tablets n=107 (24%)

n=121 (27%)

n=240 (54%)

Streaming Video

n= 79 (18%)

n= 61 (14%)

n=190 (43%)

Smart TVs n= 60 (13%)

n= 74 (17%)

n=207 (46%)

Internet Applications and Activities

Respondents who use it

Candidates for Training

Email n=421 (94%) n=116 (26%)

Web Browsing n=394 (88%) n=174 (39%)

Research n=311 (70%) n=224 (50%)

Travel Planning n=294 (66%) n=223 (50%)

Banking n=250 (56%) n=128 (29%)

Reading News and Books

n=233 (52%) n=179 (40%)

Buying & Selling n=155 (35%) n=239 (54%)

Voice/Video over IP n=110 (25%) n=290 (65%)

Investing n=80 (18%) n=124 (28%)

Blogging n=60 (13%) n=206 (46%)

Computer Software

Respondents who use it

Candidates for Training

Word Processing n=359 (80%) n=155 (35%)

Spreadsheet Development

n=175 (39%) n=217 (49%)

Photo Management

n=145 (33%) n=321 (72%)

Presentation Development

n=139 (31%) n=198 (44%)

Photo Editing n=130 (29%) n=318 (71%)

Data Base Management

n=60 (13%) n=193 (43%)

OLLI vs. Pew Internet Findings

OLLI SurveyRespondents

Americans 65 and Older 1

Internet or Email use 95% 53%

Cell or Smartphone Ownership

96% 69%

Desktop Ownership 69% 48%

Laptop Ownership 63% 32%

eReader Ownership 36% 11%

Tablet Ownership 24% 8%

1 Older adults and internet use, Pew Internet & American Life Project, Pew Research Center, 6 June 2012.

Internet Applications and Activities Social Networking Sites:

Facebook▸ 175 (39%) use Facebook▸ 186 (42%) are candidates for training

Linkedin▸ 70 (16%) use Linkedin▸ 141 (32%) are candidates for training

Twitter▸ 27 (6%) use Twitter▸ 163 (37%) are candidates for training

Survey Summary and Conclusions

▸Our members are heavily committed to technology.

▸Demand for greater use and ownership of technology.

▸Need for training, and a challenge to provide it.

▸We have data to support curriculum planning and distance-learning initiatives.

▸ Technology will continue to be an enabler for lifelong learning.

Rethinking Lifelong Learning Through Technologies

• How to Use Current and Future Advancement of

Technology to Benefit Our Community of

Learners

• How to Recruit Study-Group Leaders or

Facilitators Who Understand and Know How to

Use New Technology in the Traditional or Virtual

Classrooms

• How to learn and choose Products or Services in

order to improve the Quantity and Quality of

Course Offerings

• How to train, recruit staff and

volunteers who are “techies” and

skilled in applying available

technology to meet our needs

• How to collaborate with other OLLIs

through technology

• How to Increase Funding to

Purchase Those Products and

Services

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

An online course aimed at unlimited participation and open free access via the web. In addition to traditional course materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user forums that help build a community for students, professors, and teaching assistants (TAs).

Biggest MOOC Providers

· https://www.edx.org/. Harvard and MIT and other ivy league schools. · https://www.coursera.org/. Started by Stanford

University professors, Duke and Yale and many other schools are members. · https://www.udacity.com/. Mostly computer

science courses. · https://iversity.org/ European MOOC provider.

https://www.edx.org/

EdX offers interactive online classes and MOOCs from the world’s best universities. Online courses from MITx, HarvardX, BerkeleyX, UTx and many other universities. Topics include biology, business, chemistry, computer science, economics, finance, electronics, engineering, food and nutrition, history, humanities, law, literature, math, medicine, music, philosophy, physics, science, statistics and more. EdX is a non-profit online initiative created by founding partners Harvard and MIT.

Coursera https://www.coursera.org/

• 10 educational institutions currently participate ranging from Brown to Duke to U. of London. Currently 641 courses available, over 7 million people signed up.

• Courses taught in English, Spanish, French, Chinese and Italian

• 23 Categories range from humanities to Computer Science to Law

Academic Earth Collects 15 Academic Sites

http://www.academicearth.org/ Dozens of schools with overlap with Coursera and EdX

Khan Academy http://www.khanacademy.org/

• In 2012, Time Magazine named Salman Khan in annual list of 100 most influential people in the world

• Library of >4,000 short videos on everything from arithmetic to physics, finance, art, and history

• Link to “ABOUT” and view 11 minute video on offerings

Technology, Entertainment & Design: (TED)www.ted.com • Formed in 1984, a nonprofit devoted to “Ideas Worth Spreading.”• Currently over 1,400 talks on their site and they are amazingly good. • All talks sub-titled in English• Funded by ~25 major corporate sponsors: Microsoft, IBM, Coca-Cola,

etc.• See the following site for a fascinating talk on the emergent patterns

of climate change: http://www.ted.com/talks/gavin_schmidt_the_emergent_patterns_of_climate_change

Data and Articles

Visual data from HarvardX (part of EdX):

http://alturl.com/4imea

HarvardX and MITx: The First Year of Open Online Courses, Fall 2012-Summer 2013:

http://alturl.com/vvfqq

Article: http://alturl.com/nrwu2

NY Times article (Nov 2012) on MOOCs: http://alturl.com/4ndqx

Do Not Under Estimate Your Members

A 93-year old member who recently bought an iPad and took a class “iPad for Beginners” with a proud instructor after the last day of class