ulster.ac.uk

Open Learning a Digital Channel for

Higher Education

Dr Brian Murphy – Director Access, Digital and Distributed Learning

www.addl.ulster.ac.uk

b.murphy1@ulster.ac.uk

Digital – an educational perspectivea world of rapid change

“The pace of change is quickening every day. New technologies are transforming how we think, work, play and relate to each other. The problem is that many of our established ways of doing things in business, in government and in education, are rooted in the old ways of thinking.”

Professor Sir Ken Robinson

Out of Our Minds, Learning to be Creative, Capstone, 2011.

Digital – a technical perspective

“We are currently experiencing the biggest fundamental change the world has seen since the initial development of the Internet as people, processes, data, and things become increasingly connected. We call this the Internet of Everything (IoE), and it is having a profound impact on individuals, businesses, communities, and countries.”

John Chambers, CEO, Cisco Systems

http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GlobalInformationTechnology_Report_2014.pdf

a world of rapid change

Distributed Learning

Changes in Pedagogy and Academic Practice

Adapted from N Morris, http://www.slideshare.net/NeilMorris2/presentations CC:BY 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Sector Trends: modules – digital learning

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

2003 2014

Digital

- optional

Digital req’d

- content

Digital req’d

- comms.

Digital req’d

- cont/commsDigital req’d

- fully online

UCISA 2014

SHERPA/JULIET - Research funders' open access policies

http://www.sherpa.ac.uk/juliet/stats.php

Funding Body Drivers

Spectrum of Content: Audience - Channel - Connection

Dedicated CHANNELS; not accessible to most Open CHANNELS - platforms accessible to all

CONNECTIVITY

CONTENT - Objects of Learning or Research

Opportunities - Connected Learning; Connected Research

VLE

MOOC

UIR

Adapted from N Morris, http://www.slideshare.net/NeilMorris2/presentations CC:BY 2.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

the OER continuumMOOCs are a form of OER

'teaching, learning, and research resources that reside in

the public domain or have been released under an

intellectual property licence that permits their free use and

re-purposing by others. OERs include full courses, course

materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos, tests,

software, and any other tools, materials, or techniques used

to support access to knowledge'.

http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/open-

educational-resources [Accessed April 2015]

MOOCs: an Open phenomenon?2012-2015 – the incubation years

MOOCs – the evidenceGrowth of MOOCs

https://www.class-central.com/report/moocs-stats-and-trends-2014/ [Accessed April 2015]

MOOC Literature2012-2015

MOOCs - learner behavioursNovelty or Surety?

The Maturing of the MOOC: Literature Review of Massive Open Online Courses and other forms of Online Distance Learning, Department for

Business Innovation and Skills, HMG, UK 2013

MOOCs - CourseraHorses for Courses

https://www.class-central.com/report/moocs-stats-and-trends-2014/ [Accessed April 2015]

MOOCs - edXLearning or Lurking?

HarvardX and MITx: the First Year of Open Online Courses, 2015; and, HarvardX and MITx: the First Two Years of Open Online Courses, 2015http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/harvard-mit-mooc-392/[Accessed April 2015]

MOOCs - edXAccess or Success?

• 1,700,000 registered, of which 1,000,000 were unique (2015)

• 300,000 unique participants (2015 update)

• 300,000 registered in a year never engaged content (2014)

• 43,000 certificates in the first year

• 36,000 without certification explored >half the course (2014)

• >4,000 more than one certificate

• 70% are declared as male (2015); 31% male and over 26

• 30% female (2015)

• 39% teachers or former; 20% in subject (2015)

• 69% are degree educated (2015)

• 3% have IP of United Nations least developed countries

HarvardX and MITx: the First Year of Open Online Courses, 2015; and, HarvardX and MITx: the First Two Years of Open Online Courses, 2015http://www.ecampusnews.com/top-news/harvard-mit-mooc-392/[Accessed April 2015]

The maturing MOOC‘hypened’ or enlightened?

An institutional perspective

• MOOCs are not always open

• There must be a business model (what’s in it for me?)

• Security of niche (research)

• Lure of a compelling story (expertise)

• Distinctiveness of quality (content, production and delivery)

• Other open platforms (measured approach/cultural change)

• Partnership to share risk.

MOOCs – a key that turns both directions

To MOOC or not to MOOCPros and Cons

Channel- Connecting Audience with Content

Research Excellence Framework – Impact

public engagement

“In addition to our broadcasting work, we share our

research findings through platforms such as

YouTube and Facebook, as well as iTunes U (to

date over 40 million downloads of OU content,

much of it research-driven).”

REF (2014) Impact template (REF3a)

Channel – connecting audience with content

‘Academics -platform to disseminate research to wider research community.

Practitioners -learn from patients experience and have access to recent research.

Patients - get access to knowledge.’

Examples of open outputs aligned to research

Ulster MOOC and Open Learning Working Group

Enterprise – timely, thematic, public facing

BBC Collaboration with 4 UK institutions on WW1 MOOC

• ‘Changing Faces of Heroism since the First World War’

(Leeds/FutureLearn, 3-week block),

• Aligned to the Legacies of War project at Leeds.

• BBC as content partner enhancing research with audio visual

and multi-media packages.

• Academic research in public domain.

http://arts.leeds.ac.uk/legaciesofwar/

Dissemination – Opportunities

M&S-Leeds University

• M&S corporate archive at Leeds University

• Strategic partnership Leeds and M&S

• FutureLearn course titled – ‘The Key to Business Success’

Benefits

• Value of the archive in the wider business, academic and research communities

• Connects theory and practice to demonstrate the importance of innovation in growing and sustaining business

• Growth of business connections and engagements globally

• Conversion opportunities

Innovation – leveraging partnerships; sharing risk

Enterprise - Nothing is free, so where’s the product?

- co-branding and association benefits

Examples of open outputs aligned to research

Scaling-Up – Institutional Profile (iTunesU)

iTunesU: global active user base: 6x108)

CommentsAn Open R&I presence – risks and benefits?

Benefits?

• Institutional, group and individual profile

• Global field for innovative research projects or enterprise

• Opportunities for impact and dissemination

• Public involvement with research

• Business engagement

• Leveraging partnerships and brand

• Conversions to CPD or Short Courses?

• More accessible and flexible research-based teaching on campus?

Challenges?

• Time, effort, resource, shelf-life, support, selection criteria…

Open Learning – An institutional VisionUlster University : Open@Ulster

Open Vision

To research is to discover; to educate is to share discovery;

to share openly is to shape futures.

Open Aim

To enable open publication and exchange of high quality

research collections and educational materials that enrich

the teaching, learning and research experience at the

University of Ulster and to enhance impact nationally and

internationally through open sharing.

Sector Trends: barriers to DL by rankUCISA 2014

http://addl.ulster.ac.uk/feedback

Open@UlsterOpen Objective 1 (vision: to research is to discover)

1.1 To enable open dissemination of collections of the

highest quality materials produced in collaboration with

the research institutes and other aspects of niche and high

impact research at Ulster.

1.2 To facilitate and measure outreach and public engagement

with publicly funded research.

1.3 To repurpose research materials as rich interactive teaching

resources.

1.4 To enable staff and students as collaborators in the co-

creation of knowledge.

Open@UlsterOpen Objective 2 (vision: to educate is to share)

2.1 To enable open showcasing of collections of the highest

quality learning materials within each faculty.

2.2 To facilitate and measure educational outreach regionally

and nationally.

2.3 To enable more flexible and accessible provision of

education both on- and off-campus.

2.4 To enrich and expand the repertoire of educational resources

available to mainstream taught provision

2.5 To enable staff and students as co-creators of

educational resources.

2.6 To contribute to and measure enhancement of the student

experience in taught provision

Open@UlsterOpen Objective 3 (vision: to share openly is to shape futures

3.1 To enable and measure the discovery of high quality, high impact and open online publications and OERs of the University in a manner that ensures that our reputation is enhanced, our opportunities are optimised, and our contribution to individual, society and the economy is widely disseminated.

3.2 Through the open agenda at Ulster, enhance the graduate qualities of our students and their prospects in employability, further study and future careers.

4. BlueprintThemes for Digital and Distributed Learning

Expectations high

Innovation released

Distance dissolved

Online common

BlueprintStages of a Digital Learning Strategy

Blended norm

Digital ubiquitous

Seven Principles For Good Practice in Undergraduate Education

Chickering and Gamson

1. Encourages contact between students and faculty.

2. Develops reciprocity and cooperation among students.

3. Encourages active learning.

4. Gives prompt feedback.

5. Emphasizes time on task.

6. Communicates high expectations.

7. Respects diverse talents and ways of learning.

American Association of Higher Education Bulletin, 1987, vol.39 no.7 pp.3-7

Ubiquitous connection

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