Distance Education

Again this fall, I'm teaching the Distance Education class.  I have four students.  The most "distant" part about it is that my students are from four countries - United States, Turkey, Indonesia, and Mexico.  It is good from my point of view because I can spend enough time on each of them to see what they need to develop their distance course.  The needs are different based on their comfort with computers, their comfort with the idea of teaching, how they perceive my instructions, and how much time they spend on it.  Not so different from an all U. S. class.  Fascinating to explore though from a cultural perspective - and fun!  They are a good group.

The course is being put forth to the college to be a regular course rather than a 2nd trial run.  I think, if that happens, more students will sign up.  We shall see.

Last night's class was on mobile learning.  Interesting that other countries are more up to speed than many US schools who refuse to let students bring cell phones or tablets into the classroom.  They often don't have the infrastructure of wire transmissions so wireless is what they always use. Access to the internet offers students more opportunities for differentiated learning according to need.

One of my former students had shown me an app called Word Lens.  Very cool!  It uses your phone's camera.  You hold it up to a sign in a number of other languages and it translates the sign for you in real time.

Very Mini MOOC

So now, I'm expecting to teach a class called Distance Education: Methods and Tools.  It isn't really a distance class, it's about setting up a distance class.  It may not happen because currently, there are only 3 students signed up.  But I'm intrigued by the thought that even in small volume, and even in a hybrid class, there are so many online options.  When we are in class we can explore them together.

During the third week of fall classes, I will be in Brazil.  What are the possibilities?

• Give the students a day off - but, hard to justify when there are only 14 classes.
• Give the students projects to complete and present when I return - well, yes, but hardly a testimonial to distance education.
• Find a way to have a virtual class in which I can participate - good idea - but sometimes my internet access in Brazil is spotty.
• Use a new tool - one that I haven't used before and guess that my students wouldn't have used it either- why not?

So, today I'm installing SpeakPipe on this blog.  As I understand it, I will e able to leave a message and students will be able to respond.  A trial balloon.  If it doesn't work, I'll try something else.

MOOC Dropout

OK, so now I fall into the 90% or so who drop out of online courses.  It wasn't so much the fault of the program as it was my inability to stay engaged.  This has been a difficult year to take on anything new.  But, it wasn't a total waste - certainly not of money since it was free.  I did begin to learn how the courses pay for themselves.

As I got into the third or fourth session, I received an email congratulating me for how well I was doing.  The email suggested i might be able to handle more material which could be mine for a fee.  The fee wasn't large - I can't remember exactly - but like 29 or 39 dollars.  With 120,000 people in the MOOC, and if 90% dropped out, that would leave 12,000 to get such an email.  If only 10% of those "bought in" to the suggestion, that would be 1200 people at say $30 which is $36,000.  Not a bad haul for one 8 week course, though it would be split at least three ways with three instructors and of course the university would take a cut.  Later on, more money could come in if people wanted credit for the course.

The course was good in another way for me.  I don't often take the time to sit down and consider plans for myself, and that was what I was doing.  I regret that I dropped out on that, even though I know I can do it on my own.  I recognize that I work more diligently and completely when I have deadlines and requirements.  Doing it on my own allows too much freedom to change the rules.  Maybe the course will be offered again.

xMOOCs and cMOOCs

OK, so I finished the first course on MOOC Basics through Sloan-C.  I received a certificate.  That was interesting since I pushed in on Wednesday and had to finish by Saturday.  They were sure I couldn't get anything out of the course in that time, but I insisted.  I completed at the 100% level.  It wasn't difficult.  I had to watch a few videos, take two quizzes and participate at least twice in each of the two online discussions.  I'm not sure how many people registered for this class, but from the discussions, I'm guessing 25-30.  The most important thing I learned was that there are two kinds of MOOCs.

An xMOOC is pretty much like an old style seated class.  Everything is in video lectures, PowerPoints, quizzes, and some online discussion.  This is what my class was like.  No serious interaction was required either with the instructor or with the class mates. Not that it was bad, just not exciting.  A cMOOC requires interaction between students and some project work either alone or with others.  My other class, the Change, Innovation, and Creativity MOOC through Coursera and Penn State is more like a cMOOC though some of the same factors exist - video lectures (short - 5 min), slides, and online discussions.  When I signed up there were 18,500 students, but now there are 120,000 in this 8 week course.  We have the opportunity to start a discussion and see if others are interested.  I'm participating in a discussion of how to take creativity into organizations.  I have already taught some of the projects suggested - such as Tower Building - so I chose to work on my personal problem solving project of getting published.  The project is structured over time to get you to produce a final result.  Should be fun - and good for me.

What's a MOOC?

 I have heard about these Massive Open Online classes, but it is hard to imagine a class with 18,000 students!  How do they communicate with the instructor?  Or do they?  How do they get grades? Are there grades? How do the instructors know who has done what?  Is there any interaction between students?  Is it a series of video lectures and PowerPoint presentations?  What about homework?  Are there class presentations?  

The courses are free.  How do instructors get paid?  How does the supporting college or university make money?  I have heard that the students who want credit for the course have to take a test in a location where they must prove their identity.  Otherwise, you don’t know who actually did the work to get the credit.  And what is the cost of credit?  Is it the same as a seated class or an ordinary online class?

There are so many questions, I decided to experience it for myself.  Penn State is offering a MOOC on creativity in Coursera.  I have signed up.  I do have a Master of Science in Creative Studies, and I teach the subject, so I really don’t need the course except to satisfy my curiosity.  I also signed up for a course in how to do a MOOC to get the “behind the scenes” view in case I would like to run one.  Many people have asked that I keep them informed about both courses so I am starting this blog to journal the processes.  Stay tuned!