MOOCs in the High School Classroom

How They Work to Connect Learners

What is a MOOC?

MASSIVE– Uses the Internet to connect

with others on a global scaleOPEN

– No charge for studentsONLINE

– Learning together in digital modes

COURSE

– Covers a single topic

MOOC Types: cMOOC & xMOOC

A brief history of MOOCs• 2004: George Siemens & Stephen Downes develop theory of

Connectivism, “the thesis that knowledge is distributed across a network of connections, and therefore that learning consists of the ability to construct and traverse those networks (Downes, 2012, p.9).

• 2008: First MOOC presented at University of Manitoba with ~ 2200 learners

• 2010: Dave Cormier videos about MOOCs added to YouTube (Cormier, 2010)

• 2011: MOOC for college prep skills helps freshmen prepare for college requirements (Cormier, 2011)

• 2012: – Harvard’s first MOOC has 370,000 registered students

(Pappano, 2012)– 2012: Coursera launches from Stanford; offers first

xMOOCs (Chen, 2012)– New York Times calls 2012 “The Year of the MOOC”

Pappano, 2012)• 2013: cMOOCs and xMOOCs too numerous to count

accurately

MOOC Adoption S-Curve

Represents growth in MOOCs from 1 in 2008to over 3000 in 2013, including xMOOCs

First MOOC – Sept 2008

2013: Over 3,000 MOOCs

2010: ~ 500 MOOCs

Downes’ MOOC Model

Four essential elements for a successful MOOC:• Autonomy: students decide how much to

participate

• Diversity: students come from all backgrounds, different countries, different experiences

• Openness: MOOCs should be free or of such low cost that nearly anyone can participate

• Interactivity: Chats, social networking, video meetings, collaboration

MOOCs and Pedagogy

This graphic represents the correlation between online learning tools used in MOOCs and Bloom’s Taxonomy (Morrison, 2012).

Pros and Cons of MOOCS

Advantages• Free unless college

credit is offered• Learning is informal and

at student’s own pace• Computer and internet

access are only resources needed

• Students can share work, critique others and receive feedback

• Great instructors without high tuition of host school

Disadvantages• xMOOCs involve costs,

sometimes significant• No real-world

engagement (face time)• Technical difficulties• Academic dishonesty

possible• Students must learn to

be responsible for their own learning

Research on MOOCs

How MOOCs would work in high school classroomsCollege MOOC High School MOOC

Cost of Using MOOCs

• Content and learning opportunities available on Internet without cost

• School’s existing Course Management System (CMS) can be adapted to MOOC process needs

• Existing computer lab can be used for students working on MOOC modules

• Part-time IT specialist may be needed to troubleshoot network issues or workstation malfunctions

• Goodnight High School has sufficient resources to offer MOOCs for class content free or at very low cost

Administrators as Change Agents

1. Principal & vice principal present MOOC model to classroom teachersa. Demonstrate ways to use MOOCs as part of instructional

activities

b. Create cohort with teachers who embrace MOOC ideals

2. Establish teacher learning group to develop content3. Discuss problems of MOOC model with teachers who

have concerns about MOOC success4. Encourage early adopters to discuss pros of MOOCs

with doubters a. “Laggards” likely to be older teachers and those unfamiliar

with social networking, use of internet for research.

Administrators as Change Agents (continued)

5. Administrators will work with the original cohort to put MOOC modules into existing course contenta. Teachers suggest topics that they believe will translate well

into a MOOC activity

b. Administrators will ensure that classrooms are equipped with appropriate technology resources (workstations, dedicated network drive, software as required)

6. At mid-year, a second in-service will review MOOC successes and challengesa. Ask enthusiastic early adopters to present their experiences

to the faculty

b. Encourage MOOC adoption by more reluctant faculty members

7. By end of first year, allow teachers to incorporate MOOC modules into classes as part of normal lesson planning process

Why Goodnight High Should Adopt MOOCs

• Innovative learning method already in use by Harvard, Stanford, and other university high schools and high-performing school districts (Locke, 2013)

• Prepares students for real-world experiences using technology and networking

• Expands course content

• Encourages learning through exploration and collaboration

• Opens the world’s knowledge resources to GHS students

QUESTIONS?

References