MOOCs & BYOD - Reflective Post #2

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

In the Educause video, MOOCs and Beyond, MOOCs are defined as a course where anyone can connect and participate in a global learning environment. While there are a number of higher education professionals supporting MOOCs, I found a two testimonies to be the most interesting.

Diana Oblinger (President and CEO of Educause) explained MOOCs as an alternative to enrolling in a traditional course at a college or university, basically people other than enrolled college students. She stated that MOOCs are primarily accessed by professionals learning new skills or people interested learning about a particular topic that interests them. Allan Gyorke (Chief Academic Technology Officer at the University of Miami) had a similar theory that MOOCs purpose may be more of an on-going professional development course to keep those who are enrolled up-to-date on changes in a given industry.

Adrien Basdevant in his article likens MOOCs to the open source, Creative Commons movements as learning content is freely given away. He also suggests that MOOCs may have been developed due to the "dissatisfaction with the way the courses are taught in higher education" as the quality is not keeping up with the inflation rate of tuition. However, MOOCs do not offer full degrees but certificates of completion which may be of little use.

While I'm not sure if MOOCs are here to stay, it is clear that these massive online courses are definitely making an impact. MOOC's are turning the traditional higher education model up-side-down by offering learning opportunities for free where colleges and universities market specialized programs at a premium. Some universities, perhaps as either a counter measure or a clever marketing scheme, have released recorded lectures to 100-level courses (such as Yale's Philosophy 176) on YouTube. If schools can offer these types of introductory courses to the world, for free and college credit, everyone could win.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)

In Peel Schools' video, Why BYOD?, a bring your own device model is supported by explaining the benefits to students and schools. A BYOD model would allow students to use devices in the classroom that would be more current than what the school would be able to provide. Students would bring in new devices each year where school-owned devices would be used until money can be made available for replacements which could take years rendering those devices obsolete. The video also suggests that BYOD also promotes a collaborative environment where social learning can take place. Students share what they know and experience with not only their fellow students but also their teachers. Since the students are using their own device, they will be able to access learning materials at anytime.

In contrast, Deborah McCallum's article raises the concerns and negative consequences of BYOD models. She addresses the concern that students who are able to use their own device in the classroom, are more likely to perform well than those who are without a device in essence putting children at a disadvantage if their family cannot afford a device. She also informs the reader that students living in poverty typically have lower test scores and are more likely to drop-out of school. Deborah shares that the Peel District School board created an opportunity for families to purchase tablets for $55 to close the gap between the "haves and the have-nots."

There are so many pros and cons around BYOD it's hard to make a judgement call. I believe with time it will be nearly impossible to keep student devices out of the classroom and schools may need some sort of plan for those students without a device. The $55 tablet opportunity that Deborah mentioned seems like a great attempt to get affordable technology in the hands of students.

As a technology specialist, one question worth asking is who is responsible for troubleshooting devices if and when something goes wrong? If you're allowing students to use Android devices, iPhones, iPads, Windows PCs, Mac laptops and/or Chromebooks--all at the same time--who is making sure that the content, or app, is available on that platform and version of the operating system? The teacher, the students, their parents or someone else?