VBL & MOOCs
(Massive Online Open Courses)
What are MOOCs?
History of MOOCs
Originating from the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement that began in the late '90's and early 2000's, the MOOC (massive online open courses) trend was catapulted to fame in 2011 when two Stanford professors offered a free online course on Artificial Intelligence which enrolled 160,000 students from 190 countries. 2012 was declared the year of the MOOC by Time Magazine.
Today, MOOC platforms like EdX, Udacity, Coursera, FutureLearn (UK), Khan Academy, iversity (EU) offer thousands of programs taught by professors from universities like Harvard, MIT, and Stanford and hundreds of others. Some MOOCs are also beginning to host corporate training developed by Google, IBM, and other corporations.
MOOC Development Timeline
MOOCs gained widespread attention in 2012 as several platforms were launched
Overview of MOOCs
Main Distinctions of MOOCs
Millions of people are enrolled
Available to anyone on the internet
University-level courses are free of charge
Most do not offer credit (though some offer certificates at a cost)
Most are for-profit (edX, iversity, and Khan Academy, are exceptions)
Main Challenges of MOOC's
MOOC's have a 5% completion rate, showing a lack of motivation for students to complete courses after enrolling
There is minimal opportunity for students to collaborate with each other or interact with the instructor
Most MOOCs use lecture-style videos that mimic the traditional lecture hall and don't take advantage of its many affordances (Hansh, 2015)
Students must have access to technology - the educated are getting more educated (Hollands, 2014)
Fiona Hollands, Associate Director at the Center for Benefit-Cost Studies of Education at Teachers College, assesses the current state of MOOCs to determine their potential impact on higher education.
Video-Based Learning (VBL) in MOOCs
Video is the main form of content delivery for MOOCs, mostly in the form of lectures recorded in a classroom or a teacher’s office for asynchronous viewing (Hansch et al. 2015, Chorianopoulos 2019, Brame 2015).
This traditional style is presented in various ways, ranging from:
Direct recording of classroom teaching with a stationary camera
Writing-board screencasts with voice-over
More elaborate picture-in-picture or edited videos
Comparison of Video Lecture Styles in MOOC's
Professor at blackboard delivering lecture. A static shot is less engaging.
White board with instructor's hand and voice. Continuous visual flow is engaging.
Talking head of instructor creates social presence.
Screencasting with instructor on greenscreen. Showing the instructor onscreen can be helpful.
Khan-style tablet with instructor's continuous writing and explanation is more engaging than slides.
Talking head of instructor with a white board. Having instructor presence and the motion of handwriting is more engaging.
Asynchronous and Synchronous Use of Video
Asynchronous
In asynchronous learning, videos are pre-recorded. Recorded video is helpful for reflecting on complex issues and better supports cognitive participation because the student has control over it's pace by using the play and pause controls.
Video can also be used to increase teacher and student social presence, even in an asynchronous setting, and facilitate the understanding of the subject matter. (Hrastinski 2008 ).
Ways to use video in asynchronous learning:
To introduce the instructor to the class
Record instructor lectures (Kay 2014)
Instructors give how-to instructions for assignments (Kovach, et al, 2010)
Instructors show and/or explain how to work through a problem (Kay 2014)
Offer supplementary material to extend knowledge, which could be made or found on sites like YouTube or TeacherTube (Kay 2014)
Instructor response to student discussion posts (Rose, et al, 2015)
Instructor feedback on assignments (Kovach, et al, 2010)
Instructors or students can interview experts and share with class (Kovach, et al 2010)
Students can use video to respond to assignments, for presentations, and in projects
Synchronous
The benefit of video in synchronous environments is that live streaming can be used to increase the social presence of teachers and students, which leads to less isolation and more student engagement. Use video to get acquainted with each other and to discuss less complex issues and planning tasks. (Hansh, et al, 2015, Hrastinski 2008 )
Live streaming with platforms such as Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, and others makes this very easy and should be encouraged in any synchronous online class.
[Note: the asynchronous examples above can also be used in a synchronous learning environment.]
Ways to use live streamed video in synchronous learning:
Teacher-led class discussions to stimulate student engagement (Kovach, et al, 2010)
Some platforms allow students to break out into groups (Hansh, et al, 2015)
Students can collaborate on problems or plan and discuss group projects (Kovach, et al, 2010)
Instructors can provide virtual office hours
Structure of Video in MOOCs
Assessments
Formative quizzes, or ones that provide feedback to answers, follow a video (graded or not)
Integrate quiz questions or discussion or writing prompts within a video (Brame 2016)
Disscusion Forums
To increase affective learning with videos, MOOCs use a comment function or threaded discussion
These functions can be used on YouTube or with software that allows learners to annotate the video such as HapYak.
Length
Videos tend to be cut into short segments under 10-minutes long, separated by quizzes and readings
Navigation
Most videos come with basic micro-level navigation controls such as play and pause
These features are important to give the learning the ability to control the pace of a video and go back and review information
Accessibility
Video streaming requires good internet access
Offline course and video download may be available but videos have large file sizes
Video captions and transcripts are required and make the video content accessible for everyone
Keyboard shortcuts (like space bar for pause, etc.) are required for ADA compliance
Audio descriptions (another caption track) help visually impaired people know what's being shown
Video players should support standard Audio Description (AD) and text descriptions of critical non-verbal information
edX player.pngAccessibility in the form of keyboard shortcuts, transcripts, captions, and other devices make videos easier to watch for all
The 3-Step Video Production Process in MOOCs
How the Video Production Process in MOOCs is Unique
Every MOOC has its own production standards, some more stringent than others. For example, Khan Academy has a specific template to use (the on-camera drawing tablet with instructor's voice), but edX videos contain a variety of styles from various institutions. But all should pay special attention to these tasks during certain phases of production to ensure better learning outcomes.
Pre-production
Invest the time in pre-production lesson planning to keep videos shorter than 6 minutes. (Guo, et al, 2014)
Production
Videos with a more personal feel may be more engaging than videos with high-production value. Try recording instructors in an office or home setting.
High-definition production is correlated to effectiveness (ten Hove and van der Meij, 2015). This suggests that planning and organizing in the pre-production phase and the use of hi-def cameras and sound recording equipment during the production phase are worth the investment.
Post-production
If creating a slide presentation, invest in post-production editing to show the instructor at opportune times, or as a picture within the slide presentation. (Guo, et al, 2014)
More editing can create fast-pacing, add text highlights, still images and animations (ten Hove and van der Meij, 2015).
Delivery
Videos are embedded within each course which is delivered to learners through MOOCs, which are essentially learning management systems
Please click below for a list of video production equipment and their prices.
USE CASES
Khan Academy's Tablet-Style Videos
Khan Academy has developed their own video style (KSVs) which has been proven to be more engaging due to a number of techniques including handwriting on the screen, the use of color, constant motion, and the speaker's enthusiasm.
In this video, the instructor explains why KSVs work and are effective at reaching viewers and helpful for instructors in articulating their knowledge. I love how this video ends!
Coursera's "Learning How to Learn" Course
Trumpeted as the world's most popular online course, Barbara Oakley credits the creative (and inexpensive) use of video as the "secret sauce" to her success. Read this blog article about the 7 "ingredients" on how to make better instructional videos, including timing, planning ahead,