Current and future possibilities in online learning
January 31st 2014, 10am-11:30am, room 56-114
This panel will bring together the expertise and experience of a variety of speakers knowledgeable in the field of online education. Topics will range from overviews of results of MIT's Future of Education Task force, other MIT initiatives from the Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, and online learning games from MIT's Education Arcade. Discussed as well will be the business side of MOOCs (Massive open online courses). We shall also hear about the student experience of taking MOOCs, which has often been hidden behind numbers in prior discussions, from a journalist who did a B.A.'s worth of online courses in a year.
Karen Willcox: Professor of Aeronautics & Astronautics at MIT
"Challenges and opportunities in the future of science and technology education"
Karen will summarize some of the work from the Working Group on MIT Education and Facilities for the Future she chaired for the Institute-wide Task Force on the Future of MIT Education and, time allowing, will also mention one of the educational projects she has ongoing.
M. S. Vijay Kumar: Senior Strategic Advisor for Digital Learning and Director, Office of Educational Innovation and Technology, MIT
"A New Landscape for Innovative Transformation of Education"
An emergent educational technology landscape, characterized by an abundance of information and interaction opportunities, as well as new connections between content, curriculum and community, is unleashing a wealth of possibilities that can impact the form and function of educational practice. This presentation will build on the aspirations and implications of educational initiatives at MIT (and elsewhere) to discuss opportunities and readiness for educational innovation and transformation.
Lee Rubenstein: Vice President of Business Development at edX
"edX and the MOOC business"
Lee joined edX to help the company develop and implement monetization strategies that would help edX become financially self-sustaining. Because edX is both a not-for-profit and open source company, it has both unique challenges and attributes. Currently, edX has been nimble and thoughtful as we analyze the market, the power of our brand, the needs of learners, and the desire of organizations beyond the xConsortium Partners to ‘get involved’ with edX because of their interest in the platform, education, and learning how new technologies can be used to improve learner outcomes.
"Taking MOOCs Seriously – My One Year MOOC BA"
Jonathan Haber’s One Year BA project involved taking to completion the number and type of free online courses required to earn the equivalent of a BA in philosophy. He documented his experience at his Degree of Freedom web site which also included analysis and interviews with leaders in the MOOC movement. His talk will discuss how his MOOC BA compares with a residential degree (as well as other forms of free learning) with a look towards possible futures for massive open online learning.
Louisa Rosenheck: Research Manager for MIT's Scheller Teacher Education Program
"Games and Simulations for Education"
Louisa will describe some of the basic ways in which games and simulations can be valuable and engaging learning experiences, and how to evaluate the educational value of a game. She will also show some examples of innovative learning games projects from MIT's Education Arcade.