They are massive, they're online, and they're open; but do participants learn - for themselves and with others? To what extent do participants contribute to and gain from collaborating with other participants?
The same, yet ever changing
I'm participating in a MOOC at the moment - Managing Change in Community Development. Don't ask me how I found out about it - I know I was checking out the world according to Google+ at the time, after that - serendipity rules OK!
I read some of the other MOOC participant's blogs and albeit at the 11th hour, found the discipline to begin my contribution here.
Dave Valentine made reference to poverty limiting access to learning and I'd like to add another dimension to this and thank Dave for sparking the connection.
Some years ago a high school teacher introduced me to the term 'low learning resourced families', families where there was an absence of of the physical resources that can support a child's learning. Importantly, it also included families where the resources were, or could have been present, but little value and importance was placed on learning and the child received little or no encouragement to engage in any learning experience.
What about online learning? Some 'Googling', the Managing Change in Community Development MOOC, webinars and blogs triggered more of my thinking that has contributed to this post. Face to face interactions motivated an online quest for more. Without some human interaction - in real life, Skype, webinar, Hangout, whatever, I suspect it wouldn't have been as extensive.
Helen Blunden wrote about her experiences with online learning, identifying that the addition of a face to face component enhanced the experience;
"In my experience, I have yet to experience an online learning community that doesn’t use some additional face-to-face time whether it is through Skype, Google Hangouts, webcams or meeting face to face (whether they are organised by the organisers or the participants). Certainly using the additional forms to meet and work online only adds and enriches the learning experience because it personalises the people within your community."
I joined week two's session for the Managing Change MOOC - it was great to see Ramona and Inge on screen and this motivated me to engage (at least a bit) more! Without this, for me, it would all be a bit impersonal.
So, do MOOCs work...?
With time zone differences, it can be difficult for participants to be there in real time. Technology issues can also hinder participation - recent personal experiences include slow internet speed and routine maintenance by the ISP (well who is online at 3am?).
The technology aside, there are other challenges and potential barriers to learning online, including via a MOOC.
"Education is primarily driven by motivation, and online learning doesn't do anything to address people's motivational needs. In fact, the nature of online education strips away many of the components that keep students engaged and committed. Many of the factors that online education advocates claim are a benefit, such as time, flexibility and the lack of classrooms, are actually a hindrance to learning. Studies have show that a fixed structure and the sense of belonging that comes from a student body improve completion rates. Allowing students to study on their own removes these components of the support system resulting in lower rates of course completion."
I've already mentioned the value of the webinar and video; scheduling activities to specific times; scheduling tasks and providing ready access to those facilitating the learning could provide the support system Dao states is missing.
Online learning remains dependent on the motivation of the learner - but isn't that true of face to face learning? Whilst it is easier to work with other students, collaborate, meet up outside the classroom in the real life setting; this isn't impossible in the online setting. Google+ has Hangouts; there is Skype and other web-based chat. Google+ and other communities provide a 'learning space' for participants to interact and discuss. Doing so rests with the motivation and drive of the individuals and stimulating 'triggers' from the facilitators.
Does classroom-based learning work?
David Gurteen drew my attention to Jeff Bliss (high school student) who criticised his history teacher in a 'YouTube rant'; "there's kids in here who don't learn like that, they need to learn face to face".
"If you would just get up and teach them instead of handing them a freaking packet, yo. There's kids in here who don't learn like that, they need to learn face-to-face."
"You want kids to come to class? You want them to get excited? You gotta come in here, you gotta make 'em excited, to change him and make him better, you gotta touch his freakin' heart."
It is important to note that Jeff was criticising class based instruction - if you looked through the door, it was technically face-to-face. Here is a student, frustrated by the real life classroom environment, it was facing to provide the very support Dao states is absent in online learning.
Where does this leave us?
Online learning presents some different challenges (confidence in and ability to use the technology is only the beginning), yet is filled with similar pitfalls to face-to-face learning. Learners won't engage or be motivated if the teacher/facilitator isn't engaged and highly motivated (plus skilled etc...).
Enter my recent studies in social ecology and transformational learning;
Mezirow describes a 10 phase process of transformational learning:
- A disorientating dilemma
- A self-examination with feelings of guilt or shame
- A critical assessment of epistemic, sociocultural, or psychic assumptions
- Recognition that one's discontent and the process of transformation are shared and that others have negotiated similar change
- Exploration of options for new roles, relationships and actions
- Planning a course of action
- Acquisition of knowledge and skills for implementing one's plans
- Provisional trying of new roles
- Building of competence and self-confidence in new roles and relationships
- A reintegration into one's life on the basis of conditions dictated by one's perspective
I've previously explored Prochaska and DiClimente's stages of change, and in particular the readiness and motivation needed to support the change journey. Joe Moore used it to identify appropriate tools for managers working to build respectful workplaces, depending on the level of awareness of the need for change - sadly this isn't in his blog, but you could always ask him!
Returning to the challenge of low learning resourced environments, I would contend that there are 'low learning resourced' adults. The physical resources are not the barrier, it's a mindset that dismisses learning and education as a means to continuous self development and improvement. They are unaware (unconsciously incompetent) of the benefits of learning and personal development.
From my perspective, Mezirow's phases are relevant for individual, organisation and community development - in each we seek a transformation from what is, to a new state, which becomes the future 'what is'. Need awareness, motivation and readiness to learn are key (stages of change). Use of information, tools and materials that the individual, organisation and/or community can relate to, depending on their readiness to move increases the potential for success. Changing and adjusting them as the awareness of the benefits of change become stronger, helps build sustainability and ownership.
MOOCs present as great an opportunity to achieve this as any other form of collective learning - it's not the what, it's the how that matters.
"The twist with its crisscross form represents the many paths of life and love and as such is regarded as the original eternity symbol. The double and triple twists have similar meaning but refer more to the joining of two peoples or cultures rather than individuals."
I've rambled in response to an activity that forms part of the Managing Change MOOC already mentioned. I am not sure if this really adds value, but it does represent a collection of thoughts triggered as a result of what we've explored so far!
"Everything alters me, nothing changes me"
Salvador Dali
