MOOCs - Points for further consideration for European higher education

EUA has published its second Occasional Paper on the topic of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
Authored by Michael Gaebel, Director of the Higher Education Policy Unit at EUA, it also looks in detail at a number of issues related to the development of MOOCs that are directly relevant for universities.
The full paper can be downloaded here.
MOOCs - Points for further consideration for European higher education
I. Evolution of MOOCs
- Europe has witnessed a rapid increase in MOOCs over the last year. First experiences – in Europe and elsewhere – suggest that MOOCs may take different shapes and serve different purposes that vary considerably by country and institution, as has been demonstrated above in some examples.
- As there is no “one definition” of what MOOCs are, and deviation from the core concept will continue, it is important to continue observing and analysing their development, their purposes and the opportunities they may offer for European higher education institutions.
- The importance of this development goes far beyond the actual MOOCs, as it has to take into consideration a wider range of issues, with regard to online learning, learning and teaching in general, but also the emerging open science movement which helps to imagine and discuss processes of institutional change. Given the response to MOOCs in different parts of the world, this offers yet another opportunity for international exchanges on the future of higher education.
II. The evolution of higher education: Avalanche, disruption or transformation?
- The assumptions that have been made on the impact of MOOCs often concern expectations of economic returns and are based on the potential impact of technologies that are still not fully developed (e.g. adaptive learning):
o MOOCs are occasionally presented as a remedy for addressing all the challenges of mass higher education (access for everybody at low cost). But presently there is no convincing evidence that moving en masse to online provision would be more effective than the more conventional classroom. In particular at Bachelor level (replace undergraduate teaching through MOOCs) the consensus appears to be that direct interaction between teachers and learners is of the essence. There may also be a danger, in more competitive environments, of a two-tier higher education system emerging, with MOOCs and other forms of e-learning being seen as education offered to economically disadvantaged learners. This would be a contradiction to the values underpinning the European Higher Education Area.
o An assumption has been made that MOOCs are the centrepiece for major transformations in higher education around the world, due to the economic and technical innovations they bring. These “avalanche” scenarios assume that MOOCs are superior to learning and teaching in conventional universities in a number of aspects (lower price, flexible course delivery, better quality of teaching and course materials, international reputation of providers).
- However, so far, the indication is that MOOCs will complement existing provision rather than replace higher education institutions. Any other scenario would imply open markets for higher education and in Europe a decrease in public responsibility and a corresponding liberalisation of higher education sectors. Such developments could, indeed, challenge the very existence of public and private non-profit universities, and would most likely mean disadvantages for students and society at large with regard to quality, social equality, costs and sustainability. In this regard it will be important to monitor carefully the further development of national legal frameworks for higher education across Europe as well as the European internal market and international trade agreements presently being revised.
- But MOOCs are one among a wide range of options that e-learning offers to higher education institutions, and likely one of the elements that may contribute to an ongoing process of change and transformation in teaching and learning in European higher education.
III. One piece in the puzzle of technology-enhanced education
- It appears evident that e-learning will be of growing importance for European universities, given also the growing use of the internet and digitally-based scientific cooperation, as well as the ubiquitous presence of portable digital devices.105 While universities may, of course, develop and implement e-learning without becoming involved in MOOCs, it is evident that over the past months, MOOCs have been useful in raising awareness and interest, and stimulating a debate on the broader use of e-learning.
- An important issue to which MOOCs have drawn attention concerns the additional opportunities for universities to reach out to learners and partners outside the institution.
- There are certainly opportunities for enhancing the quality and accessibility of higher education. But neither MOOCs nor e-learning as such guarantee improved course delivery and pedagogical approaches.
- Considered reflection and the commitment of higher education staff and institutional leadership will be needed to ensure that MOOCs reach their potential for promoting innovation in learning and teaching. This will require analysis and assessment of practice at institutional level in working with MOOCs.
IV. Potential benefits
- Higher education institutions that engage in MOOCs will have to explore their actual and potential benefits for students and other groups of learners, for institutions, systems and for society at large. In the European context it should be further investigated whether and how MOOCs could:
o Enhance internationalisation, by presenting Europe’s higher education offer externally and by introducing European learners to universities in other parts of the world, and thus contribute to the reputation of European higher education and its connectivity with partners around the world.
o Become a strategic means for knowledge dissemination and enhanced collaboration promoting truly global exchanges, including north-south partnerships, based on common principles such as research ethics and good governance.
o Contribute to research and research cooperation among universities, as well as to promoting partnerships with individuals and organisations outside of higher education.
o Support the future development of the European Higher Education and Research Area through facilitating teaching collaboration, enabling joint curricula and fostering virtual exchanges of staff and students and also providing opportunities for making further use of open educational resources (OER) which have been developed at many European institutions but have not yet gained the visibility and formal acknowledgement of the higher education community.
o Offer greater opportunities for broader groups of learners interested in lifelong learning and in accessing informal educational opportunities, for professional or personal reasons, thus also reaching out to society, including potential students and employers looking for opportunities for training their employees.
V. The responsibility of the university
- The positive response of many European universities in such a short period of time to the emergence of MOOCs shows that they have the capability, responsiveness and flexibility, required to embrace new developments in a rapidly changing global environment.
- Rather than MOOCs making universities obsolete, universities are making MOOCs possible: most MOOCs are produced by higher education institutions and people working in them. This also means that universities must assume responsibility for the quality of all their learning
activities, including MOOCs.
- Each institution will have to assess whether and how it wants to use MOOCs, rather than, or in addition to, other forms of e-learning. This requires the development of strategic approaches, developed in line with institutional profile and mission, and in the wider context of the changing nature of learning and teaching and the growing role of e-learning.
- It will be important for universities to explore proactively the further use of e-learning, taking into account the resulting changes for staff, students and for their governance and management approaches. They will also have to consider learners and partners outside universities being addressed through MOOCs. As in other areas of activity, this will require strategic approaches to implementation if these new developments are to impact significantly on the “regular” teaching process and course provision.
VI Broader Strategic Considerations
- Financing MOOCs: there is much discussion of the business models for MOOCs. So far the production and maintenance costs are mainly with higher education institutions while the various platforms are looking to generate revenue. The situation is in flux, with different Anglo-Saxon and European models and motivations emerging. Reflecting the consensus on the public responsibility for higher education in Europe there is also discussion of possible investment of public funds in MOOCs. In particular in times of economic crisis this would require clear evidence of benefit to universities and learners.
- Positioning Europe: Beyond a common platform launched by the Open Universities and the European MOOCs summits, there has been little strategic debate on their added value in the European context. EUA invites its members to contribute, through the knowledge and experience they have gained with MOOCs, to a broader European discussion on the possibilities that MOOCs open up, and how best to achieve synergies with existing structures and instruments of European higher education. Download the full paper here.