Month: August 2023

Before considering new technologies, institutions should consider the ethics, security, and privacy surrounding the technology. The technology under consideration should be non-discriminatory and unbiased. To ensure the reputation and history of the provider are reliable, it is important to research the suppliers. Additionally, institutions should choose technologies that are accessible and promote diversity while supporting unique educational needs. This may include having audio, visual, and text aids.
Notably, institutions should set a budget when considering adopting new technologies as it can be more costly to invest in ethical practices and this ensures the institution does not go beyond its means. Investing in ethical technologies may influence accessibility and equitability needs as higher costs can mean that not every institution or student may have access.

Researchers have stated that the integration of technology should foster innovative pedagogy and prepare students for society and that this may be achieved by using novel and engaging technologies (Ng, 2015).

It may also be pertinent to review the new technologies’ compatibility with other technologies already utilized by the institution as well as its ease of use to ensure students will be successful using the new media and can develop skills.
When implementing new technology, instructors should consider the values of the school and the educational goals in place to ensure learning outcomes are met. The instructor should account for the demographics of the students to meet equity, accessibility, diversity, inclusivity, and individual learning style needs, as some students may require more support than others. This means everyone’s needs are met and learning can be enhanced.

Additionally, it is important to maintain the privacy and security of the students, thus the technology should be reliable, and approved by the institution.

Finally, for a student-centered approach, the instructor should consider implementing technology that is user-friendly and compatible with the student’s learning skills for their ease of use.
Researchers have found that technology implementation is maximally effective when it aligns with learning outcomes and the institutional environment (Lai & Bower, 2019).

Hidden motivations that may impact the adoption of new technologies are institution cost concerns, maintaining the institution’s reputation, lack of research, and many more aspects that have negative effects on educational outcomes. To reduce costs, institutions may implement technologies that lack accessibility, user-friendliness, diversity, inclusiveness, or other features. Oftentimes technology that is lower cost may not use ethical practices. Additionally, lower-cost technology may not have as effective teaching methods and thus compromise learning outcomes.

If institutions do not research the technology they are implementing they may end up investing in websites that do not inspire meaningful learning and only serve to boost superficial institutional reputations. Without proper research into technologies, institutions may face using technology with limitations on learning, such as limited access to certain features and teaching.
Overall, experts have found that it is important to consider every aspect of technology and that it is not only a valuable tool but a medium that can influence the culture of learning by enhancing social and educational development (Cloete, 2017).

I chose this activity because there are many important considerations to factor in when choosing which technologies may be the most beneficial to learning that I was not aware of. Thus this aligned with my learning goals of how to select what media and networks should be utilized to personalize my learning and additionally to help guide others in their digital learning. Through my research, I learned what to be aware of and what I value in online learning. I feel as though now after my research, I can critically think about my technology use and what my personal beliefs in media ethics are.

References

Cloete, A. L. (2017). Technology and education: Challenges and opportunities. HTS: Theological Studies, 73(3), 1-7.

Lai, J. W., & Bower, M. (2019). How is the use of technology in education evaluated? A systematic review. Computers & Education, 133, 27-42.

Ng, W. (2015). New digital technology in education. Switzerland: Springer.

The MOOC I signed up for was an Introduction to Food and Health offered by Stanford University and found on Coursera. The course covers global nutrition and health crises, promotes healthful eating, encourages cooking at home, and teaches individuals how to optimize their eating for their health.
The course materials for each week are organized in one tab, and you can add notes and participate in discussion forums to communicate with your classmates and mentors.
Each module has a series of short videos available for your learning and then a quiz at the end of the module to test your knowledge, with unlimited attempts and time allowed. The course has four quizzes in total, each worth 25%, with a required minimum score of 50%.
The tools the course offers to keep you on track with your learning are a pop-up tab that allows you to set a weekly goal surrounding your studying, a schedule tracker that tells you when you started the course and your expected finish date, reminders of upcoming due dates, and messages about course updates from the provider.
Comparing this course to a ‘traditional’ course, it felt significantly more flexible while still having structure. Because the MOOC is completed remotely, I was able to work on it whenever I had time, no matter where I was. I would work on it during my break at work, on the bus, and in many other scenarios that would not be possible with a ‘traditional’ course. Because I saved time in commuting, I completed the course on a faster timeline instead of having to wait for synchronous meeting times. This proved beneficial because I could keep up with my job while ensuring I was learning without compromising my work or education.
As for legitimacy, this course does provide a valid certificate upon completion from Stanford University, however, the certificate costs around $60, thus slightly compromising accessibility. Because I was only trying out the course to gain further insights into MOOCs, I did not pay for the certificate and thus have no proof of my acquired knowledge. ‘Traditional’ courses are also costly, and generally a significant amount more than $6o, thus the MOOC was shown to be a more accessible and economical option.
The difference in certification between a ‘traditional’ course and a MOOC is that a ‘traditional’ course generally helps you achieve a degree whereas MOOCs can provide supplemental knowledge in specific areas without working towards a degree. Both options are beneficial and it would depend on what kind of education the individual was seeking.
As for autonomy, MOOCs provide more freedom and flexibility as they are completed online and asynchronously. This means less time spent on commuting, and additionally, the flexibility to work on the course at any time of day. This may be particularly helpful because it allows an individual to pursue further commitments such as hobbies, jobs, volunteering, and more while still being educated. Because of the lack of structure in a MOOC, this may encourage the student to develop skills in setting goals, developing a routine and schedule, and forming productive habits. In a ‘traditional’ course, there is less autonomy surrounding your schedule, however, having structure is sometimes necessary for individuals, and thus sacrificing some independence may satisfy learning needs.
Regarding connections with my instructor and peers, I found it very difficult to feel connected to other individuals enrolled in the MOOC. It is quite impersonal as many individuals only displayed their first name with no photos attached, thus concealing their identity. Additionally, the instructor sent a mass email that felt impersonal and many peers did not use the discussion forum to communicate. This course felt somewhat isolated as there was no sense of connection to other learners. In ‘traditional’ courses, I find it easier to form connections with my peers and the instructor because I can put a face to a name, speak with those around me, and often have the opportunity to meet with instructors around class time.
The assessment and evaluation methods for MOOCs and ‘traditional’ courses are very similar. Since the covid-19 pandemic, many instructors have opted for online, open-book assessments thus there are no significant discrepancies between the two course formats in this aspect. However, some ‘traditional’ courses still do use in-person assessments and this usually requires more memory retention skills, whereas online assessments are generally more concept-focused and thus require critical thinking skills. Both memory retention and critical thinking skills are valuable meaning the two different course formats will increase your learning skills.
I prefer a ‘traditional’ course over a MOOC for my learning because I feel more motivated towards the course when I feel connected with my peers and instructor. However, a benefit of learning from a MOOC is that all of the course information is available in one place online so you always have a reference point to go back to if you forget or miss something an instructor said.
Overall, there are advantages and disadvantages to both course formats. I believe the greatest asset for an in-person class is the connectedness that inspires interest and motivation, and for a MOOC it is the fact that it provides in-depth information with the ability to revisit course concepts.
I would consider the introductory nutrition course to be an xMOOC rather than a cMOOC as an instructor is providing all of the course material, assessments, and evaluations rather than student contributions. In the course, students can share what they have learned and discuss it in the discussion forum, however, the core concepts and expected knowledge outcomes are provided by the instructor as a ‘traditional’ course would be, further supporting its evaluation as an xMOOC.
This course would likely not be considered an ‘open’ course because Open Educational Resources (OERs) include the ability to retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute content (Bliss & Smith, 2017). This course is the property of Stanford University and thus can not be revised, remixed, or redistributed, however, knowledge acquired may be retained and reused in the future by the student without directly using course materials. Because this course does not fully satisfy what it means to be an Open Educational Resource it cannot be considered as such.
I chose to do this particular activity because I do not have much experience with MOOCs, thus I wanted to do an in-depth comparison of the benefits of a MOOC and a ‘traditional’ course. My interest in this was geared towards finding out how to optimize my learning by discovering which aspects of a course I find to be the most effective. In the future, I can personalize my learning to get the most out of a course because I now possess the knowledge about what learning methods work for me. Additionally, I can help guide peers toward what learning style may suit them as now I now know the differences between ‘traditional’ courses and MOOCs.
This activity aligned with my learning goals because I have expanded my knowledge of the educational tools that are available to myself and my peers, as well as learning the advantages of online learning.
Through my critical review of MOOCs, I am now aware of the accessibility MOOCs provide because they can be completed remotely and at lower costs, the flexibility and autonomy you get as you decide your schedule, and the added benefit of increasing your critical thinking skills. In the future, I would take MOOCs to supplement the knowledge from my ‘traditional’ courses or to gain new knowledge altogether.

References

Bliss, T. J. & Smith, M. (2017). A Brief History of Open Educational Resources. In R.S Jhangiani & R. Biswas-Diener (Eds.) Open: The Philosophy and Practices that are Revolutionizing Education and Science. (pp. 9–27). London: Ubiquity Press. Accessed from https://www.ubiquitypress.com/site/chapters/e/10.5334/bbc.b/

Adam, M. (n. d.). Standford Introduction to Food and Health [MOOC]. Coursera. https://www.coursera.org/learn/food-and-health/home/week/1