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| MOOCs were vigorously defended by Donald Clark. Théo Bondolfi led people in trying out collaborative group writing tools. Mister Blackboard Rick Van Sant vividly shared his opinion of man’s ability to multitask. Educa veteran Juhana Nieminen presented an interesting KungFu feedback tool. |
Again in 2013, Online Educa Berlin gathered a few thousand e-learning professionals from 91 countries. Despite turbulent weather, the conference proceeded in a relaxed atmosphere. The main topics did not change from last year, but MOOCs–massive open online courses–were examined in greater depth from various perspectives.
Are MOOCs working? The answer is yes and no. They attract a huge number of participants and offer a wide audience the opportunity to participate in courses from top universities. Not everyone can take part, however, because MOOCs demand a computer, Internet access, and usually skill in English. One of the biggest problems is the large number of drop-outs; only a fraction of those who enroll will formally complete the course. MOOCs, therefore, require a fair amount of student self-direction, which is why they may be particularly suitable for university graduates.
We already have experience in MOOCs, and they can be designed in the traditional method (X MOOCs) or in the spirit of connectivism (C MOOCs). Donald Clark encouraged people to try different types of courses for different target groups. Not all participants need credits; many are involved because of the joy of learning. It might be possible to reduce the drop-out rates, so that massive open and small closed online courses are connected to each other. According to Clark, the financial problem can be solved in many ways, for example by state aid, donations, sponsorship, small participation or certificate fees and advertising.
One solution for time-consuming feedback is peer work, but there’s also the development of data collection and automatic feedback. Keynote speaker Victor “Big Data” Mayer-Schönberger illustrated how raw data collected in MOOCs is processed to support learning. When statistics show, for example, that a specific discussion comment helps in solving a problem, then students who have failed are automatically guided to read the comment. The huge amount of participants in a MOOC makes such massive data collection possible, which in turn supports the personalization of education.
The other keynote speaker Jeff Borden strongly advocated active learning. As evidence, he described a survey of 16 000 students who were asked about their favorite courses. The respondents almost unanimously cited those courses that require critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Borden also surprised the audience by saying that critical thinking is more likely with a cafeteria-like noise level around 65 to 80 decibels, while a lecture hall with 35 decibels is not as good for brain activation. If you need an environment that does not in any way support learning, he said, choose a classroom. MIT’s research on activiting the brain shows that student attention is lower while listening to lectures than while sleeping.
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| Finns are always active in the Educa; perennial participants Petri Lounaskorpi and Leena Vainio are talking with Ulla Tirronenand Johannes Pernaa. Linda Saukko-Rauta delighted the Educa audience with her sketchnotes. Kari A. Hintikka and Maija Kärnä talked about the use of social media; Inge de Waard guided teams in the design of MOOCs. The annual highlight of Educa is the debate, in which mass course opponents and supporters faced off this year. Almost unanimously, the audience voted the mass course on to the next round. |