“MOOC,” The Whirl Wind We Must Weather!

Introduction

The twenty-first century, that is now nineteen years old, came with the whizzing sound of digital clicks, which has weathered the landscape of our education system as we know it.  We find that our educational institutions that we have lead, and developed had to move with the turbulence in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT).  This has caused us to improve our levels of digital literacy so that we meet the demands of the learner and teachers to provide a differential style of learning to the classrooms.  As educational leaders, we should use our positions within our weather stations to watch the trends and the issues the turbulence brings and find ways and means in dealing with them.

Gratitude must be expressed to the Ministry of Education to stage this conference for Principals, Deans, and Heads of Department who are present from the various colleges and universities for them to become aware and reminded of changes the winds brought and still are bringing to education, and how to re-scope the landscape of our classrooms and teaching practice within our colleges and universities. This began with the building of Instructional Technology (IT) labs, installing internet and servers and the purchasing of equipment appropriate and sometimes not so appropriate for both our teachers and students to use.  That in itself came with another set of a whirlwind where a technology plan had to be developed and executed for the schools to help educational stakeholders to be digitally literate in order to improve on content delivery, student learning assessments and best practices in our “Classrooms.”  Now, our rafters are being shaken again with a different kind of wind, which we truly cannot ignore.  It is called Massive Open Online Classrooms (MOOCs).

Description

During the 1990s, the puffs of wind blew in the form of the Open Educational Resources (OER) which was viewed as the staring process of MOOCs (Gracia, 2015 ).  The name MOOC that was viewed as an online course format was finally developed and launched at the University of Manitoba under the heading, “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge (Liyanagunawardena, Adams and Williams, 2013).  Zawachi-Richer, et-al (2018) described MOOC as not an independent phenomenon from other areas of open and distant, but has the potential to develop lifelong learning. David Cormier was credited for this design when he and his team developed a twelve-week online course in Canada in 2008 (Garica, 2015).  They also saw that it provided more opportunities for persons to gain access to content and knowledge.  Educase (2011) describes MOOC as a platform for giving content for people to learn online to just about anyone who is desirous of learning new things.

According to Loechx, (2016) the society blew life into the MOOC movement by providing four pillars of existence: a) technology – mobile ubiquitous cloud, b) culture – digital natives, c) society – globalization, and d) economy – creative society.  These pillars help to form the turbulence that has been reshaping education by fully comprehending the movement of online distance learning and how it reshape the education process.  There are a few institutions that have taken on the MOOC course format and so far, they seemed to be successful.  Many times, we have seen their advertisements online whenever we surf the web.  They are Coursea, Khan Academy, Udacity, and edX (Garcia, 2015).  We have found that many of our administrative staff have signed on to at least one of these platforms, participated, and are now asking many our educational leaders to redesign our programmes to give others an opportunity for more persons to upgrade their skills and knowledge. 

The design of MOOCs is said to be offered on a weekly basis with an average offering of approximately six to ten weeks in duration.  With this comes short lecture videos, supplemental readings, and assignments that are problem-solving in nature (Garcia, 2015).  Garcia, also describes that there are forums where online discussions are had with the facilitators moderating them closely and responsively.  The beauty about this is that individuals are given the liberty to do their work in a timely fashion unlike the traditional system that we run and the learning atmosphere is relaxed, however, if one wants to complete the course, they must participate. Here is where the turbulence comes, because the traditional way of teaching in a face-to-face fashion becomes battered with the strong winds of MOOCs.  Chiecher and Donolo (2013) refer to the shift of traditional delivery as moving away from the traditional mode of teaching and questions whether or not certain “training needs” can truly be met. 

There is worry about the role of the facilitator in the MOOC storm.  Many lecturers have been approaching our leaders about their employment and expressed fear in using a new digital feature in teaching.  There are fears that their purpose will be reduced if our colleges and universities do embrace this breezy phenomenon in our institutions, but their role  will now become of a facilitator by collecting, analyzing, condensing and reflecting the actions of the learning participant when submissions are made (Garica, 2015).

There is one issue that the MOOC whirlwind brings, and that is copyright.  So much content that can be constructed by many persons and this is the topic of discussion from many of our educational leaders.  Our colleagues from the universities abroad who use MOOCs had initially voiced their concern.  However, the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) state that the professors who construct MOOC courses own the rights to the material and do modifications where it is necessary (Educase, 2013).  Instructional design and other resources are added to ensure quality and reliability.  This is one area our institutions can be part of the wind by ensuring that we form linkages with the universities who offer MOOCs and be brave to create courses that can attract audiences outside of the traditional face to face setting. 

Usefulness of the MOOC to Institutions

Many systematic studies have gone into the research of this persistent turbulence of MOOC to find how useful this mode of teaching can be to our institutions that we lead.  Chen (2014) recognized that there are opportunities for participants and institutions for more persons to learn.   Zawacki-Richter, O., Bozkurt, A., Alturki, Aldraiweesh, A., (2018) thought that MOOC is a good way of making learning easier, creating equality amongst the participants and that knowledge is liberated to persons local and worldwide.  Although research has shown wherein the early stages MOOC was placed in one platform, due to the turbulence it caused,  it developed and still developing into a more formalized and financial potential for facilitators and institutions to gain diverse benefits. 

MOOC can become useful in our institutions where digitally literate instructors of various disciplines can design and produce instructional materials video clips/flip classrooms and additional resources for courses and online programmes that they offer as a high-quality package to their clients (Educause, 2013).   With that, the copyright concerns of content packages, especially when a person transfers to another institution or retires would have to be looked at.

 These are still strong questions asked, but with quality assurance teams in place within institutions, those legalities will be worked out just as other innovations that had come before us.  In addition, whenever third-party sources are used, that the requisite permissions have been gained and acknowledged so that our institutions do not fall into legal issues with original content writers. What is clear is that if the educational leaders plan carefully and collaborate with other stakeholders, our own MOOCs can be as popular is Coursera, edX, etc.

Conclusion and Recommendations

In this whirlwind of MOOC and its series of turbulence, we as educational leaders can either get blown away, watch our institutions become redundant and  irrelevant, or we  collaborate and ensure that we stay grounded and become part of the change in the way we teach and deliver our content.  With each decade comes with “disruptive innovations” (Christensen, 2013) where a new set of customers from a traditional dimension transfers into a new market and such is MOOC.  

Fears are natural when innovations happen quickly; however, with collaborations and training sessions with resource persons, the inclusion of MOOC into our institutions can increase the chances of student intake and good quality education gained.

The inclusions of social media plug-ins such as Twitter, wikis, etc, MOOC within our institutions can help to reshape and improve the two-way process of learning (Garcia 2015).

Continuous professional development must be done to ensure that a certain level of digital literacy must be maintained in an ever-evolving technology-filled world.  Today, a new device can be created, and within two years, it is no longer relevant.  Professional development will aid in our institutions be part of the cutting edge of digital learning and due to our leadership, we can become paid consultants to other establishments who would like to collaborate or partner with us.  It can even lead to us becoming content developers for private sector institutions where copyrighted materials can be uploaded for their MOOC platforms (Educause, 2013).

            Our institutions are facing the storms, we are adjusting to the weathering, we have a responsibility to the students who we are “remixing” our approaches in order for them to become beneficiaries of quality education.  In one shape or form, we ourselves have been exposed to the winds while we have pursued our studies, now, it has come to us in our educational weather stations.  Developing a good and ongoing quality assurance team amongst ourselves, and with the input of other stake-holders, our institutions will not become rubbles in education but beacons in the eyes of the world of students who are in the whirlwind of digital change.

Reference

Chen, Y. (2014). Investigating MOOCs through blog mining. The International Review of

Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 15(2), 85–106. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v15i2.1695

Chiecher, A., & Donolo, D. (2013). Trabajo grupal mediado por foros. Aportes para el análisis

            de la presencia social, cognitiva y didáctica en la comunicación asincrónica. In A. C.

            Chiecher, D. S. Donolo, & J. L. Córica (Eds.), Entornos virtuales y aprendizaje. Nuevas

            perspectivas de estudioe investigaciones (pp. 151-198). Mendoza, Argentina: Editorial

Christensen, C. M. (2013). The Innovator’s Dilemma. Brighton, MA: Harvard Business

            Publishing.

EDUCAUSE (2013, July 29). Copyright Challenges in a MOOC Environment. Retrieved

            from https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/PUB9014.pdf

EDUCAUSE (2011). 7 things you should know about MOOCs. EDUCAUSE Learning Initiative.

Garcia, I., (2015).  Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): theoretical education and

            pedagogical foundation.  Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net

/publication/321360956_Massive_Open_Online_Courses_MOOCs_theoretical_education

_and_pedagogical_foundation_cafvir2015submission61

Liyanagunawardena, T., Adams, A., & Williams, S. (2013). MOOCs: A systematic study of the

            published literature 2008-2012. The International Review of Research in Open and

            Distributed Learning, 14(3), 202–227. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v14i3.1455

Loeckx, J., (2016).  Blurring Boundaries in Education: Context and Impact of MOOCs

International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2016, Vol.17(3),

p.92-121

Zawacki-Richter, O., Bozkurt, A., Alturki, Aldraiweesh, A., (2018). What Research Says about

            MOOCs--An Explorative Content Analysis.  International Review of Research in Open

            and Distance Learning 1492-3831 vol:19 iss:1 pg:242 -259

Assessment in Education: An evaluation tool or a weapon? (Jamaican Perspective)

Over the decades, Jamaica’s education system has undergone periods of development.  Many schools that started from the churches and evolved into government funded institutions.  Teachers’ colleges opened and trained teachers to educate the masses in various disciplined suited for the nation’s majority.  Then, various types standardization of our education system were  established  producing students who were exposed to college trained teachers who taught from specifically designed curriculum. 

Who still remember “Common Entrance Examinations?” This was viewed as a period of stress because the results were placed in the various printing presses at the time and if your name was not published, it felt like your life was over! This caused much embarrassment for many students. Since then, much has changed and so in 1999 the Ministry of Education changed this national assessment tool to Grade Six Achievement Test (GSAT).  Though a good tool of assessment, which tested knowledge, skill and content application of students, many of the results were misused.  While many students were placed in the schools of choice, others were placed in under resourced schools that could not cater to their needs.

Therefore, the question is asked about the purpose of assessment? Is it to give both students and teachers a better view of what is taught, skills acquired and design approaches, revision and update of content and improve on formative and summative assessments or is it now just for students and teachers to boast that the students that they teach are capable of passing and exam with their guidance?  Whatever the answer, many of our students do not see assessment in a positive light.   In my interviews with students at the secondary and undergrad levels over the years, many students see assessment as a stress mechanism for them to dislike learning.  Many expressed the desire to leave the institutions and some have left, while others harden their hearts from the joy of learning something new. They become anxious to leave the institutions and  do not focus on mastery and push mainly quantity of content.

Many times students express fear of being in classes taught by some lecturers where it was once boasted that if success is achieved from them in the first examination, that the students is regarded as brilliant.  But, why were those teachers/lecturers allowed to teach with such low success rates?  Unfortunately, this still exists today in the 21^st century.

Suggestions to improve assessment: Revision of the syllabus, course outlines to make it more relevant and teacher/learner friendly; revision of content produced at the teachers’ colleges/universities; improve the learning environment (class setting, furniture and technology); acquire better teaching resources; dialogue with public and private sector in which employs the “educated” graduates; face-to-face listening session with the students; and improve the areas of assessment with the aid of curriculum specialist from both MOE and universities.  Our education system is considered to be the best.  This is evident in the acceptance of our students and teachers in institutions outside our shores.  Let us not make assessment feels like a weapon of mental destruction, but a tool of placement for our students to fit into the 21^st century work space. 

Does 'Math' Count?

The question is constantly asked on a daily basis as to the relevance of mathematics in certain professions. Everyone needs to know how to compute numbers. According to Norris, 2012, maths is needed not because it is needed for the sciences, but it also provides access to undergraduate courses in, for example, engineering, psychology, sciences and social sciences (Norris, 2012). Persons would also like to add that this subject is needed in everyday life.

In places of the society, different levels of mathematics are required. Therefore, looking at what our society is asking of its members, persons may view maths in three sectors:

1. job related maths: This type, one must have maths to be able to fulfill high level mathematical computations, e.g. teaching/lecturing in classrooms, seminars, workshops, etc.
2. occupational maths: This type requires the use of measurements, e.g. basic level – baking, sewing, woodwork or joining; Middle level – nursing, medical practitioner, medical, business owners, technologist, etc. and higher level – construction, engineering, etc.
3. operational maths: This one is general for all persons to have basic computation skills for every day life; like everyday people.

Maths count, it is agreed, but it is the believe that there should be various levels of maths that person should choose according to one’s chosen profession. If there is an occasion where one needs to make a change in profession, then there should be a maths competency exam that one should take to qualify in order to  make the transition.

The high school diploma maths should be a good base for many persons to take on. Also, HEART, along with the Ministry of Education (MOE) can provide operational mathematics which can be recognized world wide. The second level, can be offered between CXC and the MOE and naturally for the first level should be provided at the CSEC level.

It is time that mathematics make sense.  Make Maths Count!

INVESTING IN ICT AND THE BENEFITS

Many years ago, I missed the boat by not getting admitted at an institution that offered computer technology.  I applied multiple times from in my late teens to mid twenties.  This was in the glorious mid-eighties to mid 1990’s. However, when Bill Gates introduced Windows 1995, it gave me a chance to get back into my dream, well, somewhat!  I went to classes that were held by a computer technology teacher, and was able to use what I had learned into university later in life.

However, it was not until I purchased my own computer in 2000 when i felt like I have truly reached somewhere.  It might not have been where I really wanted to be professionally, I was a primary school teacher by then, but what I found was that I became the geek at the school where I worked.  I could assemble, replace, add computer parts.  I was able to utilize graphic programmes to make cards, and designs. But most of all, I was able to prepare letterheads, test items, time tables, etc. That I found was exciting!

Now that I have reached half of a century, I am still in the game! Not only that I can do the above named things, but I am actually ahead of my juniors, both in staff and students.  I find myself being able to utilize little tricks to insert media from various platform whether it be music or graphics into word document and to integrate many of the stuff into the classroom.  Social media, has it’s good and bad, but I focus on the positives.

I get a kick out of it when my students see that I am more versed with short cut prompts and social media inclusions. I even get down with the the text language, but the greatest thing for me is to see when students acquire something new and I in turn acquire knowledge from them. The willingness that they show me, because a teacher actually asks them for help in understanding a new “gig.” Also, my students feel good when they see that I show them respect after receiving the information and re-use it in their learning.  I guess it boils down to critical thinking, reasoning and not being afraid to try something new.  If I do not know, I ask, I search and I research and apply what I have learned to make the learning environment productive.

According to Green & Henriquez-Green, 2005, the basic moves of teaching are (a) having the classroom in a healthy, productive learning environment; (b) having the knowledge and the skill to set up an environment which includes being asked meaningful questions; and (c) knowing how to use assessment to ensure that learning has taken place.

So, no regrets for me, longer road to get there, I am happy with what I have acquired, but most of all, what I have given to my students is even better.

A Teen's Last Words to His Mother: Its Time to Go!

Music Teacher Lyssette Hawthorne lost her son to suicide earlier this year and wants parents to watch out for the obvious and not so obvious cries for help.

“I am a teacher and the mother of the young teen [Ruddy R], who hung himself on January 8, 2016. He was 15 years old, handsome, intelligent and talented. He was my first-born and although various interventions were put in place to prevent this outcome, he hung himself in a guinep tree,” Ms. Hawthorne told Loop News.

(Hawthorne — who appears to still be in deep mourning — asked that Loop News use the alias Ruddy R for her son in this story although she gave permission for his image to be used.)

He was a grade 10 student at a prominent high school, was exposed to the usual high school ups and downs.

“However, when I realized how deep in depression he was, I began to listen to what he had to say. One day, he firmly told me that there was no hope for him and so when he is gone, I am to remember what he went through upon entering high school and help others like him who are ‘stronger’ to make it through school. My son pointed out to me the stages that he went through until the point of his death:

“Stage one: Telling the story of a boy being teased to insanity by both classmates and several teachers.  Speaking about a classmate who was teased or heckled is sometimes a cover up of his own encounters about what happened in school.

“Stage two: Complaining about everything and being angry and becoming angry at siblings and or family members.  Not being patient, snappish in response and walk out of simple discussions at home or church. Some persons resort to stealing, self-mutilation (cutting), bullying and gang association.

“Stage three: Smiles are gone. Sometimes, silent tears fall from the eyes (sad eyes). The child sits in isolation and removed himself from his friends both from school and church. At times he played games, and locked himself away from the world and did not want to get out. When questions were asked, they were about death. Sometimes the child felt lost, expresses feeling of not belonging anywhere.

“Stage four: The stage of acceptance. Sometimes, the person sends the final signal that he is planning on leaving this unfair world behind. Sometimes drawings, death or dark drawings are seen. There are the online games that are linked to deep conquest. Then posts are made on posts that highlight the deepest darkest thoughts. The child expresses that there is no hope and wants to leave the torment behind. When gifts are given to the child, they are meaningless. This is a clear sign.

“Stage five: The act. This time the individual decides on the day of death. If he knows that he is being watched, he will be selective on the day in which he does this last act of finding peace. The act may take a few days after the decision, a week, a month or many months.”

It was three months from when he informed his mother of his depression that he committed suicide.

“He asked me to listen to what he had to say. He gave me his gratitude in being a good teacher, mom and a listener. He thanked me for trying but it was time for him to go. He said there was no stopping him; it was just a matter of time,” said the 48-year-old teacher.

She said she begged him to hold on, which he did, and although various methods of interventions were pursued, he made his choice to die.

“I have been called names, so were the rest of my family. We have been discussed, abused both spiritually and emotionally but only the ones who knew the journey understood the struggles,” she added.

Her hope is to bring a dimension to the growing problem of depression in Jamaica and especially to teachers.

She added: “My child showed signs of depression and was misread by the highest authority in Jamaica. I hope this will help teachers whose children experience prolonged depression to seek or provide methods of intervention for them. I miss my son very deeply. I still hear his last, ‘Goodbye!’’’

Music and the Classroom

The classroom should be considered as a safe place to learn.  It is the center of information that can be attained form and informally.  It is the wisdom of a good teacher who can regulate what information is relevant but also she needs to have an open mind to other subjects of which she does not teach.

Music is one of those subjects that gets mistreated on a daily basis.  Music should be taught to students who need or desire it, not to be forced because the teachers of the other subjects cannot manage disorderly ones.   Many schools with music programmes have  not been given a breathing space to grow because of the following:
1.  heads of department without performing arts experience developing a programme without solid input of the music specialist.
2. lack of support  from top management for the growth and development of the music programme.
3. poor perception and lack of understanding of parents of interested music students.
4. members of staff who dissuade science based students to pursue music as a subject.





It is unfortunate that the benefits of music are not respected or understood by parents and members of staff thus contributing in the direction  Jamaica is going to the point that many persons are not happy with.  The lyrics and the musical arrangement of many of the "Dance Hall" music are nothing short of advertisements for  an amusement park for "dry sex". Though I have not seen recent research has on the effects a faulty music programme has on the development on the Jamaican musical culture, one must realize that aspects of Jamaican music has spiraled into darkness.

Still, music must be taught because from my experience, it is a beautiful escape from the stress of the world and home and the best tool to release their creative energy.  Also, it is an opportunity for the genesis of beautiful music to be developed and channeled correctly in the right direction.  In the end, music can become receptive to for students to better learn concepts and skills that can enable them to become good musically competent practitioners.   Therefore, teachers of the other subjects should be more selective in "sending" students to do music and spend more time supporting the music programme like any other programme that receives  "harmonic" support from various educational stakeholders.

It is Hard Being a Teacher!

The teaching profession has become very hard to be in these last days.  The expectations are unrealistically high.  Teachers have to be reinventing themselves to fulfill the high expectations of the ministry without additional funding.  To add insult to injury, they mop teachers on the floor of the media to make teachers feel that they are under the microscope with the hope that teachers can become more accountable.  Many of the teachers feel demoralized and disrespected by public figures with some form of accreditation and the teachers union was accused of protecting lazy teachers. Lately when one speaks to teacher, the response is that of demoralization, lack of motivation and depression.

Here are some of the things that have face the Jamaican teachers,
a. frozen salaries for five years only to get a meager increase
b. reduced funding for the department
c. parents who have a perception that teachers are time wasters and not stimulators and facilitators
d. badmouth them in PTA meetings or attack them verbally in public or on the school compound.
e. Condescending attitude from some educational supervisors.

There are more but I think one understands what is happening therefore, it should be no surprise that the Jamaican teachers have decided to take their practice elsewhere. Good teachers began the exodus three years ago and because of the remarkable work they have done to schools abroad, they are being sought after by agencies of schools that have heard and witnessed the Jamaican teachers at work.  Last year, approximately 40 teachers did not return to their jobs the beginning of the new academic year and more are expected to go as the recruiting agencies have traveled to the island to conduct interviews to teachers who are willing to walk away from the battle field of the local classroom to better situations.

 

It seems that the education system in Jamaica is forced to make serious decisions.  The Science, Mathematics and English teachers are the set of trained teachers that are in demand. Educational institutions have become concerned that they will not find teachers returning to their jobs each month.  The schools are left in an atmosphere of uncertainty and so is the education ministry.  The harsh tones that were spoken to teachers have become soft and compassionate.  The economics of the times persuade decisions of workers so that they can attain and provide a quality of life for the their children. 

It is hard being a teacher in the Jamaican system.  The choice has to be made to be loyal or to be wise.  Can a teacher's job be made easier?