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MOOC:WillTheseFour LettersChangeK12?
Findouthowhigherlearningslatestinfatuationmightplaywithyoungerstudents.
ByMichelleLocke
Cheap,hip,andtailoredfortheYouTubegeneration,MOOCsmassiveopenonline coursesarethehottestthinginhigheredrightnow.ButdotheyhavepotentialforK12 instruction? Absolutely,saysRaymondSchroeder,directoroftheCenterforOnlineLearning, ResearchandServiceattheUniversityofIllinoisatSpringfield.Theresalreadytalkof usingtheMOOCmodeltooffermoreadvancedplacementhighschoolcourses,andits likelyinterestwillcontinuetogrow.Manytrends,onlinelearningamongthem,beginin highereducationandthenmovetotheK12level,saysSchroeder.Ithinktherespotential forMOOCstopenetratedeepintoK12. Intherealmofhighered,accreditedonlinelearninghasbeenaroundforawhile.MOOCs areaslightlydifferentbreed.Theyreusuallyfreeanddonotconferclasscredit,although somecompaniesareteamingwithuniversitiestoprovideproctoredexamssostudentscan gaincreditsfromthem.Stylistically,MOOCsborrowfromtheyouthcentricworldsofonline gamingandsocialmedia.Informationisdeliveredinchunkssnappy,15minute presentations,withpausesforstudentstotakequizzes(andreceiveinstantfeedback). Andthisisthemassivepartenrollmentisessentiallyopentoanyonewhocanget online,whichmeansclasssizecangrowintothetensofthousands. Onlineclassesthatsizerequireahighdegreeofstudentmotivation,andtheyvarygreatly inapproach.Somearefreewheelingexercisesinpersonalenrichment,otherscomewith structuredstudygroupsandproctoredexams,andafewoffercreditinpartnershipwitha brickandmortaruniversity.Generally,MOOCshavehighdropoutrates,notaworkable optionforK12,andweedingoutcheatersisachallenge.(Schroederpointsoutthatthe lowcompletionratewhichhasbeenestimatedat10percentismisleading,sincesigning upforaMOOCnowisbasicallycommitment free,somethingthatwouldntbetrueforhigh schoolstudents.) TheadvantagesofaMOOCforK12educationareclearenough,though.Schoolscould usethemtobridgetheteachershortage,particularlyinmathandscience.Ahighschool strugglingtofindateacherqualifiedtolead20studentsinAPcalculuscouldtapintothe expertiseofatopflightuniversityprofessor.Andschoolswithjustahandfulofstudents readyforcalculuscouldplugthemintoaMOOCaswell. RobinWorley,whoisworkingonadistance learningprojectforKamehamehaSchools,a privatecollegeprepschoolinHawaii,thinksMOOCspotentialforK12education outweighsthedrawbacks.Shehasstartedthewebsitek12mooc.orgtobuildacommunity oflikemindededucators.Responsesofarhascomefromparents,administrators,and
teachers,includingoneinterestedincreatingaSpanishMOOC. ImaginingK12MOOCs TherewouldneedtobechangesforMOOCstoworkinsecondaryandprimaryschools, saysWorley.SheenvisionssubjectexpertscreatingaK12coursewithtopoftheline contentthatthousandsofstudentsacrossthecountryandbeyondcanaccess.Being abletoutilizeteacherswhoareexpertsintheirareawouldbeahugebenefit,shesays. Studentswouldwatchcontent together(sharingacomputerifresourcesarescant).A facilitatorwouldleadclassroomdiscussionsandsupervisegroupwork.Andwithage appropriatecontent,theblendedlearningapproachcouldworkatallgradelevels,says Worley. SchroederthinksMOOCsaregoingtostartcatchingonasmorehighschoolstudentsstart takingthemontheirown(astheynodoubtalreadyareadultandhigheredMOOCs havenoagerestrictions).He,too,thinksthattheyllultimatelybeusedinconjunctionwitha teacherinthedisciplineonhandtooccasionallyhoveroverthestudentand,atthevery least,bethere. JustOneMorePotentialTool OthershavereservationsaboutusingMOOCsaspartofK12schooling. NEAseniorpolicyanalystMikeKasparsaysMOOCshavemeritasanenrichmenttool, butheremainswary.Justbecauseitsgreattechnologyandhigheredhasbeendoingit doesntnecessarilymeanitwouldtransitionwelltohighschoolorbelow,saysKaspar. TheproblemwithMOOCs,hesays,isthattheycantprovideteacherstudentinteraction. Itlookslikeitsthesilverbulletitlookslikeitwilltakecareoftheteachershortageissue, butitdoesnt,hesays.Itdoesntprovidefortheeducationthatthestudentneeds. JenniferWhiting,oftheallonlineFloridaVirtualSchool(FLVS),alsoseesMOOCsasa supplementratherthanamajorinstructionalcomponentattheK12level.Asaleading providerofonlineeducationfreetoFloridaresidentsandavailableforafeeinotherstates FLVShaslearnedthatittakesacaring,interactiveteachertomakeasuccessful student,Whitingsays.ThatteacherformsarelationshipwiththestudentthatIdontthink weregoingtogetinMOOCs.Evenanexcellentinstructorcantprovidethatinaclass withhundredsofstudents.Meanwhile,FLVShasdiscoveredthatittakesateamtodeter cheating.Whenyouvegotamassivestudentload,itshardtoknowwhencheatingis happening.Nobodysgoingtobeabletoreallytellifyourfivehundredthstudentiscopying fromthethousandthstudent. However,WhitingdoesexpecttheK12communitytostartusingMOOCsassupplements forinstance,havingstudentstakepartinanSATprepMOOC. WhereWillItLead? Coursera,amajorMOOCprovider,hasnocurrentplanstocreateclassesforK12 students,accordingtocofounderAndrewNg.Weareawarethatmanystudentsatthe highschoollevelhavebeentakingcoursesonCourseratoprepareforcollegeortogain extraknowledgeintopicsofinterest,hesays.WedonotviewMOOCsasafull replacementfortraditionaleducationhow ever,webelievethattraditionallearning approachescanbeimprovedbyimplementingeducationtechnologiessuchasonline learningtopromotebetterlearningoutcomesandmeettheneedsofstudentsatvarious levels. EventhoughtheresalotofexcitementinhigheredaboutMOOCs,universitiesarestill figuringouthowtousethemandthereareconcernsovertheimpacttheycouldhaveon thevalueofadegree.SchoolsarewellawarethatMOOCshavethepotentialtogenerate realmoneyimagine50,000studentssigningupat$10ahead.Andschoolscanuse MOOCstobroadencourseofferingsatnocostandfreeupstaff.Coursera,launchedin
April2012byNgandfellowStanfordprofessorDaphneKoller,haspartnershipswithmore than60universities,andtheAmericanCouncilonEducationrecentlyrecommendedcredit forfiveofCourserascourses. Withfundingforeducationshrinking,Schroederexpectstoseemoreattentionpaidto MOOCsandmoreexperimentationwithdifferentmodels.TheCenterforOnlineLearning, ResearchandServiceisstudyingtheeffectivenessofMOOCteachingmethods,partof thewiderangingAmericanCouncilonEducationresearchstudyon whetherMOOCsare worthyofcollegecredit.Eventually,thestudywilltrackuniversitystudentstoseehow thosewhousedMOOCsdidcomparedwiththosewhotookconventionalcourses. Weseeallthesepossibilities,andtherearepeoplewhoarealreadyfindingsuccess, saysSchroeder,butwereveryearlyintheprocessofidentifyingwhatsthebestmodel andhowwecanoptimizethisforthestudent. WhateveritsfutureintheK12classroommaybe,saysWhiting,peoplearestartingto wakeupandtakenotice. Summer2013
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