The document discusses the use of MOOCs for professional development in library and information science (LIS). It describes a connectivist MOOC called #hyperlibMOOC that was created for LIS professionals. The MOOC had over 300 registered students and incorporated lectures, readings, assignments and peer interaction through blogs and discussion forums. A survey of students found that most felt successful in the course and that it provided opportunities for networking, learning new concepts and renewing their professional outlook. The document concludes that MOOCs can engage and educate LIS professionals in new ways and that libraries may take on roles as creators, instructors and guides within MOOCs.
MOOCs for Professional Development: Transformative Learning Environments and Roles for LIS
1. MOOCs for Professional Development:
Transformative Learning Environments
and Roles for LIS
Michael Stephens, PhD
SJSU School of Information
IFLA World Library and Information Congress
80th IFLA General Conference and Assembly
16-22 August 2014, Lyon, France
2. Tame the Web | Michael Stephens | SJSU SLIS | Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
Learning
3. Tame the Web | Michael Stephens | SJSU SLIS | Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
“Being adaptable in a flat world, knowing
how to ‘learn how to learn,’ will be one of the
most important assets any worker can have,
because job churn will come faster, because
innovation will happen faster,” writes Thomas
Friedman in The World Is Flat.
4. Tame the Web | Michael Stephens | SJSU SLIS | Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
Learning Organization
6. Tame the Web | Michael Stephens | SJSU SLIS | Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
I’d argue for continuing staff
development days, but I’d also
urge administrators to promote a
culture of learning all year long.
7. Tame the Web | Michael Stephens | SJSU SLIS | Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
Learning 2.0
Mobile 23 Things
MOOCs
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2011/11/opinion/michael-stephens/lessons-from-learning-2-0-office-hours/
http://23mobilethings.net/wpress/
http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2014/04/opinion/michael-stephens/lessons-from-hyperlibmooc-office-hours/
13. Stephens, M. & Jones, K. M. L.(2014). “Emerging Roles: Key Insights from Librarians in a Massive Open Online Course,”
proceedings of 16th Distance Library Services Conference, Denver, April 2014.
15. The MOOC Structure
• 10 modules of content over 12 weeks
• Primary lectures provided by Michael & Kyle; guest lectures
provided by leading professionals in the field
• All course readings and media were open and accessible,
including the textbook (Library 2.0: A guide to participatory
service)
• 11 LIS students–some from SJSU and some from other
programs–worked as leaders of homerooms in which
students were placed to support course logistics and act as a
go-to resource for students
15
16.
17.
18. Statistics
• 2 instructors
• 9 guest lecturers
• 363 registered students
• 310 blogs
• 10 homerooms
• 3,929 blog comments
posted
• 3,788 instances of badges
unlocked
• 2,099 status updates
• 1,246 public blog posts
published
• 80 Tribes (groups)
31. For example, one respondent envisioned librarians as
“learning mentors” in a MOOC, by acting as real-life
educational resources, who would help students, through
conversation and resource connection, understand the
course’s concepts. Another respondent saw librarians
supporting MOOCs with “resources, space, and additional
materials” to aid student learning.
35. Libraries are places “of learning [that are] only
going to grow,” and creating MOOCs seems like
a part of that natural evolution. By running and
hosting MOOCs, librarians could create learning
environments tailored to the needs of their
communities.
37. Librarians, to one respondent, have a
professional inclination to teach, which makes
them an asset to MOOCs “as a course leader
or as a contributing voice.”
39. “Librarians would be well-served to participate
in MOOCs to gain understanding of that type
of learning experience as well as information
presented for their own professional growth.”
45. 45
MOOCs provide a way to engage with other
professionals working on the same issues in
other libraries and for a reasonable cost and
time-commitment.
46. Implications
!
• Make time for continuous learning & PD
• Organizations & associations should explore these
models of open online learning.
• Grass roots efforts and official partnerships may
yield some new opportunities.
47. A deeper understanding of creating a
learning space, argues Morville (2012),
may lead to educators and LIS
professionals becoming influential
architects of learning environments.!
48.
49. !
References & Further Reading! !
Barnes, C. (2013). MOOCs: The challenges for academic librarians. Australian Academic & Research Libraries, 44(3), 163-175. doi:
10.1080/00048623.2013.821048 !
DeJong, R. (2013, November 10). Why do students drop out of MOOCs? [Web log post]. Our Essays. Minding the Campus. Retrieved from http://
www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2013/11/why_do_students_drop_out_of_mo.html !
Educause. (2011). 7 things you should know about MOOCs. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7078.pdf !
Haggard, S. (2013). The maturing of the MOOC (Research paper number 130). Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/
government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/240193/13-1173-maturing-of-the-mooc.pdfDeJong, (2013) !
Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., & Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition. Austin, TX: The
New Media Consortium. Retrieved from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-horizon-report-HE.pdf !
Kendrick, C., & Gashurov, I. (2013, November 4). Libraries in the time of MOOCs [Web log post]. Educause Review. Retrieved from http://www.educause.edu/ero/
article/libraries-time-moocs !
Mahraj, K. (2012). Using information expertise to enhance massive open online courses. Public Services Quarterly, 8(4), 359-368. doi:
10.1080/15228959.2012.730415 !
Morville, P. (2012, December 18). Architects of learning [Web log post]. Semantic Studios. Retrieved from http://semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/
000662.php !
Pappano, L. (2012, November 2). The year of the MOOC [Web log post]. Education Life. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/04/
education/edlife/massive-open-online-courses-are-multiplying-at-a-rapid-pace.html?_r=0 !
Penn GSE. (2013, December 5). Penn GSE study shows MOOCs have relatively few active users, with only a few persisting to course end [Press release].
Retrieved from http://www.gse.upenn.edu/pressroom/press-releases/2013/12/penn-gse-study-shows-moocs-have-relatively-few-active-users-only-few-persisti !
Stephens, M. (2013a, October 23). Infinite learning [Web log post]. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2013/10/opinion/michael-stephens/
infinite-learning-office-hours/ !
Stephens, M. (2013b). MOOCs for LIS professional development: Exploring new transformative learning environments and roles. Internet Learning, 2(2), 71-88.
Retrieved from http://www.ipsonet.org/images/Westphalia_Press/Internet_Learning_Journal_2-2/5.%20Stephens%20-%20MOOCS%20for%20LIS%20Professional
%20Development.pdf !
Yeager, C., Hurley-Dasgupta, B., & Bliss, C. A. (2013). cMOOCs and global learning: An authentic alternative. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(2),
133-147. Retrieved from http://sloanconsortium.org/jaln/v17n2/cmoocs-and-global-learning-authentic-alternative