OERu Session 3: Micro-credentials

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Irwin DeVries -
Number of replies: 5

I think there's room for both - i.e. one based more on an institutional sharing or repository approach - which has been around for a while now - and the other, more recently, on co-development in a collaborative environment with a larger shared objective toward credentials as in the OERu. Also, from an organizational perspective I'm thinking about what may work in a more formal educational enterprise such as a university, and what may be more successful in a.volunteer community such as the OERu.

That being said, I'm sure I'm not the only one here who cringes slightly when we find ourselves compelled to focus our discussions on learning in terms of courses, credits, contact hours and other such terms. It feels like trying to parcel out learning by the kilogram with the idea that somehow when we have filled up the bag we now have an educated student.... Nevertheless this work needs to be done so that we can offer coherent learning opportunities that also can gain the recognition of post-secondary institutions open to recognition of learning through the OERu.

In reply to Irwin DeVries

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Rory McGreal -

Irwin 

There are are also some in the OERu camp who openly and with pride support courses, credits, contact hour equivalents, self study packets etc. Some believe that parceling out learning can be (has been and continues to be) a very effective way of teaching and there are many years of experience to back this up. We have many educated students who have learnt many thiings from the parcelling of learning. Most of us included. These parcels provide effective coherent learning opportunities.

Not to say that there aren't other alternatives (most unproven) that should be explored like personal learning environments, connectivism, micro credentialing etc. etc. As you quite aptly noted, there is room for both in the OERu camp.

In reply to Irwin DeVries

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Joyce McKnight -

You said: That being said, I'm sure I'm not the only one here who cringes slightly when we find ourselves compelled to focus our discussions on learning in terms of courses, credits, contact hours and other such terms. It feels like trying to parcel out learning by the kilogram with the idea that somehow when we have filled up the bag we now have an educated student.... Nevertheless this work needs to be done so that we can offer coherent learning opportunities that also can gain the recognition of post-secondary institutions open to recognition of learning through the OERu.    I certainly concur with this.  My doctorate is in Adult Education and my masters is in Counseling so every fiber of my professional being shouts independent, self-direction, self-structured learning etc.   On the other hand, about thirty years in and around higher education administration says that the reality is credits, credentials, and some way of measuring them in terms of both depth and breadth (thus credits, approximate hours etc.)  

I also think that OERu is a bit of a hybrid...for instance, I am both a volunteer in the OERu and a full time professor for one of the partners...and the more I can do to make the two coincide the better...thus, if I can design materials that benefit our matriculated (translate "paying") students and share them with the other Anchor Partners (and possibly directly with learners) I can afford to do it.  If I am "only" doing something on a volunteer basis then it is likely to go to the bottom of the "to do" list.   I am not sure if such time constraints affect open software developers as well but I am fairly sure I speak for others here...many of us would be glad to share as long as we get "credit" here...this is especially true of some our most creative professors who are still working their way through the tenure process and first and foremost have to show this institution that they are valuable contributors.

I get a bit concerned when we (OERu) counts too much on volunteers...as a person who is approaching retirement age and battles health issues I am afraid that there is not going to be much of me left to use in retirement...it is probably best to figure out how to get double mileage out of me in the here and now...and that means somehow taking institutional realities into consideration.

In reply to Joyce McKnight

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Wayne Mackintosh -

Joyce wrote:

I am not sure if such time constraints affect open software developers as well but I am fairly sure I speak for others here...many of us would be glad to share as long as we get "credit" here...this is especially true of some our most creative professors who are still working their way through the tenure process and first and foremost have to show this institution that they are valuable contributors.


Having spent the majority of my career working at universities and trying to forward the open agenda I understand the challenges -- we can share battlescars in BC. When all is said and done, the OERu is making steady progress.

Out of interest, the majority of open source software developers are in full-time employment working in companies which understand the benefits of the open source development model. When I first moved to New Zealand, a little more than a decade ago, there were no open source learning management systems used as enterprise systems. Today, 70% of New Zealand's tertiary education providers use open source learning management systems.  A few committed individuals can make a huge difference, even on a national level.

OERu is making steady progress -  one small step at a time. Our OERu anchor partners agree to allocating a 0.2 Full time equivalent (FTE) staff member to work on their OERu contributions. Some insitutions allocate more time -- for example, Otago Polytechnic has the equivalent of about 3 FTE staff working full time on the OERu.  I appreciate that at some instituions the executive signoff doesn't always filter through to the operational level in terms of recognition -- but we will get there.  

One initiative to consider OERu and related discussions at the senior leadership level is the establishment of the OERu Coucil of Chief Executive Officers. The inaugural meeting will be hosted at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on 5 November 2013 after the anchor partner meeting. We have a good turnout currently with 11 senior executives attending this meeting and I anticipate that the number will grow by the RSVP date 0f 30 September. Another step in the right direction to help forward the integration of the OERu model on the campuses of many of our partner institutions.

Keep the faith -- were past the tipping point :-)

 

In reply to Irwin DeVries

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Haydn Blackey -

Hi Irwin.

You make a good point

I'm sure I'm not the only one here who cringes slightly when we find ourselves compelled to focus our discussions on learning in terms of courses, credits, contact hours and other such terms.

but in a world where Government's, national and provincial, what standards and evidence of achievement - and particularly when we want to develop qualifications that can be made up of content from multiple partners - we are stuck with the language of courses and credit. It is not as engaging as planning and supporting the learner in their learning; so if we were only looking at adult CPD or upskilling it would not be an issue, but as we are looking at undergraduate studies we need to speak both a local and international language - however annoying it is at times :-)

Cheers,

Haydn

 

In reply to Haydn Blackey

Re: Are there any organisational benefits for adopting mOOCs

by Irwin DeVries -

Hi Hayden,

I certainly understand, and I myself have worked in that environment most of my life. I guess I just hope that as we continue to plan the future of the OERu, we remain open to, and maybe continue to press the boundaries of, traditional ways of assessing and recognizing learning toward credible credentials. And I think in the OERu are doing that already. I see this as part of the potential for institutional tranformation through the engagement of partners and others with open initiatives such as the OERu.