On completion of this workshop you will be able to: 1) Identify and evaluate MOOCs for your professional development 2) Develop a general strategy for participating in MOOCs effectively 3) Identify key characteristics between cMOOCs and xMOOCs

1. 13:00 – 14:30 April 11th 2013 in DG10 Bea Orpen
MOOCs for professional
development
MOOCs are freely available
online courses that are offered On completion of this
by universities worldwide. workshop you will be
able to:
We will discuss what MOOCs are,
where to find them, and 1) Identify and
different strategies for evaluate MOOCs for
engaging with them for your professional
professional development. development
The workshop is based on my 2) Develop a general
experiences with MOOCs as a strategy for
participant and I will do a tour participating in MOOCs
of a current MOOC so that effectively
participants can see how a MOOC
might function in practice.
Dr. Eloise Tan, Learning Innovation
Unit, Dublin City University

2. What was the experience
like?
What was your
motivation?
How much time did
Did you achieve your you spend a week on
personal goals? it?
Was the technology easy Did you complete?
to manage?

3. What appeals to
you?
What are you hoping to
achieve?
What concerns you?
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

4. M Massive Can accommodate large numbers of
students, sometimes tens of thousands.
O Open Anyone can register, no institutional
affiliation necessary, ‘free’, discussed in
detail next.
Online Delivery, feedback, and assessment (if any)
O are done virtually. Sometimes
supplemented with physical ‘hang outs’.
C Course There is a curriculum although in some
cases it is very flexible.
Video explaining MOOCs
http://www.connectivistmoocs.org/what-is-a-
connectivist-mooc/ @t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

5. ‘Open’ carries many
meanings…
http://www.openclassroomonline.com/open-learning-trying-to-define-and-apply-
to-k12-again/
“Open Learning – trying to define and apply to K12 …again”
Posted on October 30, 2012 by Verena Robert
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

6. MOOCs are early on in
Gartner’s Hype Cycle
www.gartner.com
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

7. http://www.gwhatchet.com/files/2
013/01/cartoon-1281.jpg @t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

8. cMOOC s xMOOCs (Ex. Coursera,
EdX, Udacity)
Connectivist MOOCs
• Focus on connected aspect of
learning , building a community • Usually video
of practice
content and
• Can feel ‘chaotic’ as it is
learner-driven
discussion forums
• “inherently personal and • Automated testing
subjective, as participants
create their meaning and build
and navigate their own web of
• Instructor-guided
connections” lesson
• No fixed competencies and usually
•
no certification.
Often run by professional
• Linear
associations (ex. ALT ocTEL,
Association for Learning • Fixed competencies.
Technology), but always (ex. Uni.
•
Of Edinburgh’s EdCMooc)
Learners encouraged to add to the
“ Learning is seen as
curriculum in their own spaces
such as blogs, Google Hangouts,
something that can be
Twitter. tested and
certified.”
What is a MOOC? What are the different types of MOOC? xMOOCs and cMOOCs
Posted on August 23, 2012
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013
By Martin Lungton

9. Fixed
Linear Instructor-led
competencies
Learner
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

10. cMOOC xMOOC
• I’m comfortable with learning • I’m ‘okay’ with learning
technologies and social media technologies, but I
• I want flexibility in my online wouldn’t call myself an
learning, in terms of where I expert.
can post, how I work through • I want my learning to
content.
happen in one online place.
• I’m very interested in
connecting with others around • I want to learn specific
this topic content or competencies.
• A big part of my learning • Connecting with others is
process is departing from the nice but it is not my
curriculum and exploring on my priority.
own
• My focus is gaining a deep
• I need a learning
understanding of the topic, not experience where I can log-
so much acquiring facts or on and tick the boxes.
specific competencies. • Certification is not my
• I’m looking for a learner main aim, but it is an
centred experience. objective.
• Getting a certificate at the • I have the time, space, and
‘end’ is not important to me. resources to manage my own
• I have the time, space, and online learning.
resources to manage my own
online learning.
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

11. Where to find MOOCs
cMOOCs xMOOCs
http://www.conne http://www.class-central.com/
ctivistmoocs.org
/ Class Central aggregates
xMOOCs from Coursera, EdX,
Connectivist Udacity, and others.
Moocs aggregates
current and https://www.udacity.com/
forthcoming
cMOOCs. Also
provides helpful https://www.edx.org/
background on
cMOOCs. https://www.coursera.org/
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

12. Udacity Coursera EdX
- Able to sign in with Facebook - Great range of courses - Good range of courses
or Twitter covering many subject areas covering different subject
- All advertised courses are - Lots of information provided areas
available to enroll onto on individual courses - Lots of information
straight away (apart from 4 - All courses feature a video available on individual
courses which are coming soon) introduction to the course courses
- All courses feature a video - Many of the video lecture have - Most courses have a video
overview of the course an option to display subtitles introduction
in languages other than English
- Courses do not follow a - Some courses have foreign
- Almost all courses offer
traditional textbook format language options, either in
certification
- Highly interactive tutorials text transcription or whole
- Offer a career matching
- Able to learn at your own service
course format
pace with no deadlines - Central forum, following a - Certificates of mastery
- All courses offer gamification rewards system available for all courses
certificates - Proctored certificates also
- Community forum where user available if exam is taken
are rewarded for participation under proctored conditions
- Some courses offer a (there is a fee for this)
proctored exam (fee payable - Course forums available to
interact with peers of that
course
- Limited range of courses - Not all advertised courses
- Not much written information - Not all advertised courses are are currently available to
on individual course contents currently available to enroll enroll onto
- Does not currently offer any onto - Some courses that require
form of translation into - Operate peer grading for some prior knowledge offer a self-
foreign languages exercises which can be off assessment but this is not
putting available until the course has
- To achieve certification you actually started
must meet all course deadlines
- Estimated weekly hours and
- Estimated weekly hours and
deadlines can be difficult to
deadlines can be difficult to
for some people to meet
meet for some people
Catherine Round ‘The Best MOOC provider” http://www.skilledup.com/the-best-mooc-provider-a-
review-of-coursera-udacity-and-edx/
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

13. Once you found one
•Log-in before the MOOC starts to
become familiar with the
platform.
•Set a day/time for •Check if you are expected to
engage over Twitter, Google
MOOCing. Hangouts.
•Register at least two •Secure a headset to watch
weeks before the MOOC videos, make sure there is a mic
starts. if there are synchronous
•Check how many hours the sessions to participate in.
instructor recommends •Try to find someone who is
spending each week. willing to help you with the
technology throughout the course
•If there are synchronous if you get stuck.
components check the time
•Before the course starts set up
zone. Time Technology a separate folder in your email
and a filter that will send all
emails there.
CPD Plan Resources
•Is there a book you
•If it is for CPD inform your line
need to buy?
manager/head •Do you have a
•Include it on your c.v. suitable space where
•Strive for completion. you can learn?
•Identify how the MOOC will fit with
other courses or with other MOOCs,
create a year long MOOC plan or
integrate with other learning.
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

14. Don’t let MOOCs do this to
your life
Image part of the Microsoft Blue Monster series.
Sourced here: http://gcaptain.com/the-vast-sea-of-chaos/
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

15. Phil Hill’s 4 MOOC student
archetypes http://mfeldstein.com/the-four-student-archetypes-emerging-
in-moocs/
Active Participants
– Intend to participate in the MOOC,
including consuming content, taking
quizzes and exams, taking part in
activities such as writing assignments
Lurkers and peer grading, and actively
participate in discussions via
discussion forums, blogs, twitter,
– observe or Google+, or other forms of social
sample a few media.
items at the
most.
Drop-Ins
Passive – These are students who
Participants become partially or
fully active
participants for a
– view a course as content to select topic within the
consume. - watch videos, course, but do not
perhaps take quizzes, but attempt to complete the
tend to not participate in entire course
activities or class
discussions.
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

16. @t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

17. What to expect from an
xMOOC
• Videos
– You can adjust speed of videos.
– Sometimes the video lectures are verbal presentation of content available
elsewhere, decide which suits you : reading or watching.
• Discussion forums
– Brush up on your netiquette.
– Be aware that anyone can be in a MOOC, so conduct yourself professionally.
– Posting anonymously is of limited value.
– Be careful of ‘auto-subscription’ to forums lest you get 100s of emails
overnight.
– Choose one or two forums and interact with those.
– Posting in a discussion forum is different than writing academically, read
others to get a feel for tone.
• Quizzes
– These are knowledge checks, so be realistic about your expectations.
– If you want a certificate find out what the requirements are.
• Peer assessment
– The experience of others on the MOOC will vary so be open to the various types
of feedback you might get.
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

18. Recap
• Now you know a little about
MOOCs, xMOOCs, cMOOCs
• You know where to find them
• How to choose between xMOOCs
and cMOOCs
• A little about what to expect
and tips on how to prepare for
taking a MOOC for professional
development
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013

19. The world of MOOCs changes
rapidly
UK Platform will
launch in 2013 with
Russell Group
http://futurelearn.c
om/
March 2013 an Australian MOOC platform has
launched: https://www.open2study.com/
@t_eloise Dr. Eloise Tan 2013