OERu/OERu 14.11 Meeting/Report/Session 7 remote participant feedback

INNOVATION PILOTS

Please add your recommendations to the questions below

QUESTION 1: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING AN OER COURSE ON PREPARING A PORTFOLIO FOR RPL

• I have a lot of material on this and a lot of history on how it has been used at ESC for nearly 40 years...but I am not sure how to easily communicate it.**
• I think such a course should be offered for credit at least at institutions that already give credit for portfolio and RPL (PLA) preparation....ESC has a two credit course in it now.

QUESTION 2: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR DEVELOPING OERu COURSES WHICH ARE OFFERED TO FULL-TIME REGISTERED STUDENTS AT PARTNER INSTITUTIONS IN PARALLEL WITH FREE OERu LEARNERS

• Stress diversity benefits of a worldwide cohort.
  • Yes the worldwide nature of the cohort is very important.
  • We have done some cMOOC's small connectivist MOOC's that have had both kinds of students and have involved two institutions. I could probably dig up some of that data on what we learned. The good news today is that the new Vice-Provost for all online learning (my former boss) will have OERu under him and has agreed to work with me...so these kinds of things could be more easily accessed.
• I wasn't sure what Wayne meant by parallel course offerings from two institutions. Our cMOOC on transliteracy was done with students from the University of Albany, ESC, and students like me who took it for free. It worked well. I am not sure if that is what Wayne meant or if he meant simply having two partners each offer an individual course.

QUESTION 3: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIGH PRIORITY INNOVATION PILOTS THE OERu SHOULD CONSIDER FOR THE FUTURE

• I think the Academic Volunteers International should be a high priority as a special project and might be worthy of some kind of foundation funding.
  • If done right, it might be a point of difference from the existing MOOC providers. Encourage the input of past students, interested community members as mentors, practiioners in industry under study, cultural elders (for some subjects), political or governmental agencies, people with skills in learning (and online learning)
  • Right...because one thing we learned in the small MOOCs and I think folks have learned with larger ones is that to succeed students have to be very self-directed and good time managers. Our overall global target population (those who do not have access to higher ed will not be independent (ours aren't) they will need both academic and emotional encouragement...someone to believe in them...and you are also right...it would be a qualitative difference
  • We will not succeed in our primary mission if we cannot retain as well as recruit students
  • It would also be great to find funding to investigate how technology might support self-assigned subgroups of learners that want a more "collegiate" discussion and support atmosphere beyond the standard online experience.
• And should the OERu be successful, find ways of encouraging physical meetups of student groups where population density/course interest allows.
  • Good idea here in the US there is a whole MEETUP movement. [[1]] It is free...and people meetup for all kinds of reasons.
  • One of my students awhile back suggested that we work with community based educational centers particularly in the developing countries with people on site trained to help students use our network and other OERs...I think it was a good idea.
  • Yes, I think that is a good idea. And part of why I was suggesting audio delivery as a possibility. A group might listen to audio lectures (or video lectures with higher technology requirements) where online study would be problematic.
  • Great idea from a course design perspective one would start with learning outcomes and objectives and then design courses with pieces that were appropriate to the context...same outcomes, different approaches.
• Prototype synchronous mass hangout video sessions (on a rotating time basis) as an optional component of a course.
  • I use Blackboard Collaborate (which isn't OER but I think has OER equivalents) for synchronous work. Our international programs also use a very good program called ZOOM which I think is Open.
  • I think an optional way to "speak synchronously" is an excellent idea...my community organizing students who come to Collaborate learn tons from one another.
  • How are we going to do the technology support piece. You can't do everything...and stuff always seems to go wrong with technology. Partner institutions are going to have to start contributing technical expertise. Most of the partners include strong online programs, and so must have the people. They just aren't sharing the resources... which is where demonstrating the benfits of parallel delivery may show some win-win benefits.True, but you would be surprised at how much we do with how few staff so we really do have to build a case that somehow or other sharing expertise with be a win for everyone. I am pretty sure we are not alone in feeling stretched. Perhaps we need to define an "ideal" partner team....what skills should each partner try to provide...content expertise, design expertise, and it sounds like technical expertise as well....in fact the three usual components of online learning.
• Perhaps trial a course with downloadable audio (think podcast) lectures targeting adult learners.
• I think in addition to Academic Volunteers to help students we will need a group of instructional designers to work with those creating courses...that works well for us. As a content expert with some instructional design expertise, I decide what students need to learn then the instructional designer helps me make it so. I think there might be some volunteers out there who would rather help with course designs than direct student contact. Rewards are still an issue...karma points, free graduate classes?...something we could barter. I like the idea of keeping all of this inexpensive.
• We will have to find a way to convince partners that donating designer time is not just for altruism but could actually save time or at least piggy back on what is already being done.