The
Australian Library and Information Association, the Council for Australian
University Librarians, OCLC and the State Library of Queensland presented a
one-day seminar on Libraries, MOOCs and Online Learning on 19 March 2014
A summary
of presentations follows
Professor
Marnie Hughes-Warrington, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (Academic), Australian
National University emphasised
the value of MOOCs as part of a change to reach new audiences, particularly
those without easy access to education. MOOCS assist in overcoming
barriers, eg not enough physics teachers out there. At ANU the Sanskrit
MOOC demonstrates using a language other than English to engage with
international communities. Over half of the students registered are in
India. Many students enrol from around the world - 88 countries.
Other major reasons for MOOCS are to enable individuals to enjoy education and
to push the current boundaries. She characterised librarians as open access
warriors and noted that our university content is content for everyone. She
noted the need copyright reform to enable us to educate everyone. Librarians
are taking a positive role and need to take the next step to remind the world
that information should flow more freely and that it is a gift to the world.
Professor
Beverley Oliver, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), Deakin University,
described the policy and practice settings for Deakin’s initiatives. Deakin
seeks to offer a brilliant education where you are and where you want to
go. She emphasised that we live in a digital world. Key issues include
experience and trust. Innovators are heading to engaging the students rather
than focusing on the technology. Deakin Connect was established to test
assessment and educational models and business model. Students are asked
to make learning evidence. Deakin uses badges - students gave them to
each other. The university seeks to learn from the innovation and rewrite the
education experience. Delightfully she called for innovation for
learning at the digital frontier to more effective, efficient, accessible,
engaging learning and rewire the mothership (the university).
Professor
Margaret Sheil, Provost and Professor of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, placed Elearning within university
strategy. The intention is to explore online learning at scale, transforming on
campus service and producing post graduate courses. Coursera has led to
significant engagement, with much learnt. The University looks to go wholly
online for graduate programs. She noted that learners are more mature. The
University is responding to a changing student cohort. She advocated that
"We are in there" to learn with the result that the university can
respond appropriately.
Dr
Phillip Long, Executive Director of Innovation and Analytics, University of
Queensland, gave a
very insightful analysis of MOOVD and their use with detailed analysis of
metrics. He began by commenting on what the academy is learning. The origin of
books in Bologna was used in the classroom as a part of peer learning. Over more
recent years there has been integration of media and introduction of the
“Flipped classroom”, and new joint teaching moving from 200 to 600 students
with multiple teachers. Developments have proved can do active learning
at scale. MOOCs need to be a whole of institution initiative not just
technology enabled teaching, edX expands reach, provides for collaborative
innovation with top research institutions, explore best practice and creates
improved use of technology. UQ are interested in improving on campus
experience, expanding access to quality education and advancing research. New
models include Berkeley which delivers of SPOC (small private online learning)
of high quality. MITx courses used to supplement their class experience. 55% of
students much prefer online assessment. The results of MOOCs are a reduced
number of students flagged for falling behind. A major factor in MOOC
development ahs been research into how long videos should be. A sweet spot is
6-9 minutes. Lecturer need to know more about how to should present
slides. Research shows Khan style slides more effective and preferred.
He provided
tantalising other findings - level of maths skills correlates with achievement
in MOOCs as does working offline with so does and time spent on homework,
although too much time on homework is correlated negatively with achievement.
Completion
rates need to be considered in a different frame – for example categorising as
auditors, behind, on track, out - some switch across, volatile and changing
streams. Compared to first 2-3 weeks of traditional university classes.
motivation matters more in MOOCs.
UQ first 4
MOOCs are bio imaging, hyper sonics, the sciences of everyday thinking, tropic.
Demographics
were analysed gender, education, age. UQ is interested in data that can
be collected from students - use clickstream. data - tincan or experience api,
that can combine with open badges. Open credentials - facts, skills
competency, mastery. Spaced learning over time is the most successful (rather
than cramming).
Average 17
minutes on feedback in the course studied.
UQ learning
online has demonstrated that early adopters very different from mainstream
academics, academic subcultures are deeply held, with collaboration meaning
different things to different disciplines. He commented that the pact of MOOCs
was more aligned with tech start ups than academia, and breaking out of the
semester timeline frame is difficult.
The need
for Open access resources causes some problems e.g. image from researcher which
had been published in an Elsevier publication could not be used.
Copyright –
he noted that to date edX has not has to address a single DMCA take down
notice.
Merliee
Proffit, Senior Program Officer, OCLC Research, USA reported on detailed research OCLC has
conducted into library involvement in MOOCs. Many have been involved in
online education for decades. experience had included online for
extension courses e.g. to remote students and public lecture put online.
The main
involvement of libraries is around copyright - several hundred hours for
clearance per MOOC, with opportunities to forge now collaborations with
faculty. Projects helped faculty to see librarians in new ways.
Libraries
are also getting engaged with how to put research skills into MOOCs. Are there
opportunities to improve library instruction? Interesting opportunity for
public libraries - stand to provide a significant role e.g. through offering
broadband and resources.
At a recent
seminar in Philadelphia themes were copyright, production and pedagogy,
resources.
Libraries
have expressed concerns about the weariness of the unfunded mandate, need for
scaling up information on copyright for faculty, that only a handful of
institutions doing analysis on use of resources and a common question is where
is the open in MOOC?
MOOCs have
not resulted in more open access resources.
Beyond
MOOCs challenges include working with educational technology staff (high
turnover), timeframe for planning online courses, improved online learning,
extending to learning.
Beyond
MOOCs - Penn State World Campus Program example, full online courses, access to
library including print. World campus library treated as its own library,
Promise to bring their campus library to all students.
Underlying
trend in shifting of payment for university education to states rather than
individuals and families.
Robert
Gerrity, University Librarian, University of Queensland reported on the CAUL MOOC survey.
68 per cent of respondent libraries are participating in MOOCs. Library
are involved in supporting - 78 per cent yes. Major roles copyright clearance,
identification of owners, license negotiation, delivery if information literacy
content.
Positions
involved - copyright officer. Liaison librarians, University Librarian,
directors of service areas etc. full results clatac.wordpress.com. Areas
to follow up perhaps registry, deeper survey - resources used e.g. hours and
compare with other countries e.g. North America.
Roxanne
Missingham, University Librarian (Chief Scholarly, Information Officer),
Australian National University – slides are online at http://www.slideshare.net/roxannemissingham/moocs-missingham
- focused on the need for libraries to rethink their roles – to “shake, rattle
and roll” – open up collections, change scholarly publishing, create new
partnerships and .
Dr Cathy
Stone, Open Universities Australia. owned by a group of Australian universities.
Students across Australia, overwhelming supported by FEE-help. Most students
enrol in individual undergraduate units. Open 2 study - 49 4 week courses
online and free to all. non accredited. All delivered by universities.
Worked with
4 public libraries in NSW to promote and support students. OUA connect library
sessions held. OUA publicised to students, libraries promoted sessions to
students. 20 students attended at least one session. demographic analysis
undertaken. Feedback overwhelming positive. Post pilot survey generally
positive feedback.
5 per cent
of total student cohort living within he library regions attended at least one
session.
Expanded to
9 NSW and 6 Victorian public libraries in 2013. More added 2014 -
semester 1 and 2.
It was most
successful where libraries run a welcome to your library session at the
beginning of a session.
COPYRIGHT
panel
Astrid
Bovell, Copyright Communications Officer, The University of Melbourne reported on actions to support
MOOCs at the University. MOOCs require careful copyright management.
Complexities of undertaking content clearance for individual resources for MOOCs,
particularly because of the “M”. Easier to get clearance from small
players. difficulties of finding who owns the copyright. One BBC extract
took 4 months to clear.
Melbourne
is in second year of getting clearance, it is still very labour intensive. Additional
complexity as publishers may change their mind about a clearance.
Asked
librarians for support - offered training and spread the load and up skilled
staff. Over 400 hours spend on clearances last year.
Sandra
Rothwell, Manager Teaching and Learning Service, University of Queensland
reported that UQ began working closely with MOOC creators in the last 18
months. Bob Gerrity made contact with UQX and creators of MOOCs. Significantly
less work provided by the Library than Melbourne. Issues include finding
publishers who only had print rights, resources where it was extremely
difficult to find copyright owners and getting a timely response from owners.
She noted the importance of sharing responsibility. Copyright officer provided
template for requesting right to use in MOOC.
Sue
Owen, Director, Digital Scholarship and Deputy University Librarian, Deakin
University noted
that Deakin MOOCs have matured with greater engagement with the library.
The Library's key contribution was identifying open educational resources
(OER). About 25 per cent of exiting courses were online. Using OERs saved
developing big machinery around rights clearance. Have well developed a website
about open access and licensing, used DOAB, DOAJ, etc.
Major work
occurred with development teams around digital literacy - one MOOC. Ann Horn,
UL, is the library leader.
The Library
is actively involved in course enhancement and academic learning teams,
building on existing relationships. Learning resources created by the library
are reimagined and reworked, particular with less text, in MOOCs. Some exciting
developed are occurring with gamification, images, avatars.
Graduate
learning outcomes were introduced in 2013 – the library has carriage of
building student capability in digital literacy. Roles is to find, use and
disseminate information. Contributing to evidencing of skills e.g. scoop-it for
digital curation, producing a digital portfolio, use storify for presenting
tweets. Developing academics skills also an important agenda for
2014/15. Also addressing this in the MOOC environment.
Roxanne
Missingham
University
Librarian
