Low-cost MOOC Development

Brian MulliganInstitute of Technology Sligo, Ireland.

moocs4all.eu

Cost is an access issue!

RUMBEK, 13 June 2010 (Gurtong) - The students were protesting against the severe shortage of classrooms, teachers and lack of foodstuff.

The cost of MOOCs

• Survey of 27 UK universities– £29,356 average (€40,485)– Times Higher Ed. http://goo.gl/1kQE2V

• What about niche courses?– Small target audiences– Higher levels– Minority languages– Changing technologies

Why do universities spend so much on MOOCs?

• Reputation?• Quality of Learning?

Is the Coursera xMOOC pedagogy sophisticated?

Do people learn?

“I got exactly what I wanted from it and more….. a most enjoyable and educational course”

If an online course is good enough for 30 students,

is it good enough for 3000 students?

Are high production values required for a Youtube video to be successful?

A simple online course

• 12 x Weekly 1-hour lectures• Additional readings and recordings• Weekly quizzes• Tuition and Peer support via fora.• 2 or 3 assignments• Final examination• €6,000 to develop and deliver

30 x 15-minute recordings

optionalPeer-assessed

• Funded research into low-cost methods.• Four MOOCs in coding for young people

– Web development, Mobile Games, Multiplayer games, Roboslam

• Started September 2014• 3 pilots in Spring 2015• Going live Autumn 2015

Intel CodeMakers

moocs4all.eu

• Collection and dissemination of low-cost methods– Started 1 Feb 2015

• Website and Community Forum• MOOC: “Making MOOCs on a Budget”• Pilot: edge.edx.org June 2015 The Team

Institute of Technology, Sligo, IrelandTechnical University of Delft, HollandFachhochschule Bielefeld, Germany

University of Girona, SpainBath Spa University, UK

LoCoMoTion Project