(1) Open and Free Access to Web Content
The Internet had a major impact on the research community right from the beginning. It promoted the exchange of preprints and reprints and speeded up communication among researchers, referees and publishers. Its impact on education was slower. The World Wide Web protocols and the development of search engines triggered the generation of content on the network and its wide-spread sharing in the early nineties. The first decade of the twenty first century saw an enormous explosion of Web content, including what was designed to be available for open and free access.
The above-mentioned developments of new technology and paradigms for the creation, sharing and utilization of information and knowledge have to be viewed in a historical context. The ferment that has been created has been compared with the one created at the time of Renaissance when new paradigms, such as universities focused on creation and sharing of new knowledge, created an intellectual revolution.
While the focus of this book is on Asian developments, it is necessary to start with a broader look at the origin of a few major developments. Open Access Journal Publishing was one of the first efforts in the direction of open web content [Laakso 2011]. The Open Software movement [Opensource 2015] was another one. These two were soon followed by the Open Course Ware movement, and MIT’s OpenCourseWare effort was a pioneering effort in this area [Abelson 2007].The growth of the Wikipedia typifies the rise of free and open Web content that has high credibility. The creation of online forums for discussion starting with Usenet [Lueg 2003] was another development that supported learning over the Web. Workers in the field of information technology, as well as others in a variety of fields such as medicine, benefitted immensely from online discussion forums to gain knowledge and skills. The special feature of these forums was their putting “humans in the loop”, enabling learners to tap the knowledge of informed colleagues by asking questions. As an Asian example in content creation, India’s efforts in making a large collection of educational materials available for engineering education have been described elsewhere [Krishnan 2015].
The Internet had a major impact on the research community right from the beginning. It promoted the exchange of preprints and reprints and speeded up communication among researchers, referees and publishers. Its impact on education was slower. The World Wide Web protocols and the development of search engines triggered the generation of content on the network and its wide-spread sharing in the early nineties. The first decade of the twenty first century saw an enormous explosion of Web content, including what was designed to be available for open and free access.
The above-mentioned developments of new technology and paradigms for the creation, sharing and utilization of information and knowledge have to be viewed in a historical context. The ferment that has been created has been compared with the one created at the time of Renaissance when new paradigms, such as universities focused on creation and sharing of new knowledge, created an intellectual revolution.
While the focus of this book is on Asian developments, it is necessary to start with a broader look at the origin of a few major developments. Open Access Journal Publishing was one of the first efforts in the direction of open web content [Laakso 2011]. The Open Software movement [Opensource 2015] was another one. These two were soon followed by the Open Course Ware movement, and MIT’s OpenCourseWare effort was a pioneering effort in this area [Abelson 2007].The growth of the Wikipedia typifies the rise of free and open Web content that has high credibility. The creation of online forums for discussion starting with Usenet [Lueg 2003] was another development that supported learning over the Web. Workers in the field of information technology, as well as others in a variety of fields such as medicine, benefitted immensely from online discussion forums to gain knowledge and skills. The special feature of these forums was their putting “humans in the loop”, enabling learners to tap the knowledge of informed colleagues by asking questions. As an Asian example in content creation, India’s efforts in making a large collection of educational materials available for engineering education have been described elsewhere [Krishnan 2015].
(2) Early Work on Online Courses
It is also worth taking note of some developments related to online education that predated the Internet and the open knowledge movements. The Wikipedia article on the history of virtual learning environments [Wikipedia 2015] provides well-researched information and references.
It is also worth taking note of some developments related to online education that predated the Internet and the open knowledge movements. The Wikipedia article on the history of virtual learning environments [Wikipedia 2015] provides well-researched information and references.
(3) Development of Access Devices
Internet access by students requires the proliferation of low-cost and easy-to-use access devices. The One Laptop per Child (OLTP) project initiated at Media Labs, MIT raised a lot of hopes. Many education specialists including Warschauer and Morgan Ames have criticized it as an attempt to solve complex problems in education with a mainly technological approach [Warschauer 2010]. The tablet computer will easily turn out to be the long term winner as the practical access device for students though designers and manufacturers have usually thought of them as multi-purpose devices; not as devices with education s the primary purpose.
Asian manufacturers such as Samsung and Lenovo have been active in manufacturing and marketing access devices such as tablet computers. [Wikipedia 2015d] mentions the introduction of the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, in September 2010. This should be compared with the introduction of the iPAD in April 2010 [Wikipedia 2015b]. Researchers in educational technology in Asia, for instance [So 2008], had carried out early work in using new developments in access devices for education.
The spread of the smart phone continues unabated. In many countries such as India, the number of users who can potentially access the Web through the cell phone is significantly larger than those who can use a landline for the purpose. However, it terms of usability as an Internet access device, particularly in education, the tablet or its small screen version called the phablet[1] appears to be superior to the smart phone. The rapidly declining price of the low-end tablets gives rise to the hope that device cost may not be a major problem in future. An interesting feature of tablets is that they usually depend upon a WiFi connection for Internet access. This raises the possibility that schools and public libraries can make WiFi access free on their premises for students.
Wireless solutions need not be limited to the school or classroom. A Nepali social entrepreneur has been very successful [Nepal 2015] in using the unlicensed part of the spectrum to create a backbone for some rural areas of his country. A similar wireless solution to providing access to the Internet in rural areas has been demonstrated in India earlier [Raman 2007].
Internet access by students requires the proliferation of low-cost and easy-to-use access devices. The One Laptop per Child (OLTP) project initiated at Media Labs, MIT raised a lot of hopes. Many education specialists including Warschauer and Morgan Ames have criticized it as an attempt to solve complex problems in education with a mainly technological approach [Warschauer 2010]. The tablet computer will easily turn out to be the long term winner as the practical access device for students though designers and manufacturers have usually thought of them as multi-purpose devices; not as devices with education s the primary purpose.
Asian manufacturers such as Samsung and Lenovo have been active in manufacturing and marketing access devices such as tablet computers. [Wikipedia 2015d] mentions the introduction of the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Tab, in September 2010. This should be compared with the introduction of the iPAD in April 2010 [Wikipedia 2015b]. Researchers in educational technology in Asia, for instance [So 2008], had carried out early work in using new developments in access devices for education.
The spread of the smart phone continues unabated. In many countries such as India, the number of users who can potentially access the Web through the cell phone is significantly larger than those who can use a landline for the purpose. However, it terms of usability as an Internet access device, particularly in education, the tablet or its small screen version called the phablet[1] appears to be superior to the smart phone. The rapidly declining price of the low-end tablets gives rise to the hope that device cost may not be a major problem in future. An interesting feature of tablets is that they usually depend upon a WiFi connection for Internet access. This raises the possibility that schools and public libraries can make WiFi access free on their premises for students.
Wireless solutions need not be limited to the school or classroom. A Nepali social entrepreneur has been very successful [Nepal 2015] in using the unlicensed part of the spectrum to create a backbone for some rural areas of his country. A similar wireless solution to providing access to the Internet in rural areas has been demonstrated in India earlier [Raman 2007].
(4) Language of the Web
A large fraction of the Web’s educational resources continue to be in English, despite the tremendous need of the vast majority of students in the world, particularly at the high school level. [W3Tech 2014] indicates that 55% of the websites on WWW are in English; no Indian language covers even 0.1% of the websites. Compare this with the need. Statistics on the readership of newspapers show that only 19.7 million out of 1222 million Indians read English newspapers. School statistics show government schools carry the main educational responsibility outside the big cities, and that they largely use regional languages (not English) as the medium of instruction. Therefore, almost all information a citizen finds necessary needs to be made available in Indian languages. However, a variety of problems have delayed the growth of adequate content in Indian languages for access over the Web. The author’s direct experience does not enable him to generalize these comments to the rest of Asia, but surely the problems are not uniquely Indian. A detailed discussion on the “Language of the Web” can be found in [Ramani 2015].
A large fraction of the Web’s educational resources continue to be in English, despite the tremendous need of the vast majority of students in the world, particularly at the high school level. [W3Tech 2014] indicates that 55% of the websites on WWW are in English; no Indian language covers even 0.1% of the websites. Compare this with the need. Statistics on the readership of newspapers show that only 19.7 million out of 1222 million Indians read English newspapers. School statistics show government schools carry the main educational responsibility outside the big cities, and that they largely use regional languages (not English) as the medium of instruction. Therefore, almost all information a citizen finds necessary needs to be made available in Indian languages. However, a variety of problems have delayed the growth of adequate content in Indian languages for access over the Web. The author’s direct experience does not enable him to generalize these comments to the rest of Asia, but surely the problems are not uniquely Indian. A detailed discussion on the “Language of the Web” can be found in [Ramani 2015].
(5) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)
A course named “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge” led by George Siemens of Athabasca University and Stephen Downes of the National Research Council in 2008, has been recognized by the relevant Wikipedia article as the first MOOC run in the world [Wikipedia 2015c]. It was attended by 25 tuition-paying students in Extended Education at the University of Manitoba, as well as over 2200 online students from the general public who paid nothing.
It is appropriate to call MOOCs as a very promising development on the Internet scene. They have raised a lot of hopes and expectations, but it is too early to say if MOOCs will fulfil their promises in the form in which they are currently available. However, we should not under-estimate the probability that the MOOCs movement could cause an educational revolution. Online education will not replace all other education, but it will have its own place. It is worth discussing some of the key factors that are shaping the evolution of MOOCs.
A course named “Connectivism and Connective Knowledge” led by George Siemens of Athabasca University and Stephen Downes of the National Research Council in 2008, has been recognized by the relevant Wikipedia article as the first MOOC run in the world [Wikipedia 2015c]. It was attended by 25 tuition-paying students in Extended Education at the University of Manitoba, as well as over 2200 online students from the general public who paid nothing.
It is appropriate to call MOOCs as a very promising development on the Internet scene. They have raised a lot of hopes and expectations, but it is too early to say if MOOCs will fulfil their promises in the form in which they are currently available. However, we should not under-estimate the probability that the MOOCs movement could cause an educational revolution. Online education will not replace all other education, but it will have its own place. It is worth discussing some of the key factors that are shaping the evolution of MOOCs.
(6) Economics
Tying up education with full time commitment for something like four years, on-campus residence, etc. has made it expensive and beyond the reach of many. Technological developments could lower the cost of education and facilitate life-long learning, learning on demand and part-time learning. MOOCs are promising for this cost reduction and for providing greater flexibility in education. A MOOC does, however, cost a lot more to create and offer in comparison to one-time classroom instruction. In addition to the faculty and staff time that goes into the production of video and other course materials, a large team of teaching assistants are involved in grading assignments and tests. Significant professional effort goes into producing, operating and maintaining automatic grading systems to carry whatever evaluation load they can carry. Educational materials used in MOOCs are not permanent assets, and need to be updated fairly regularly. The saving grace is that the underlying technology makes it possible to distribute the costs over a large number of learners. Consider a MOOC that costs a million U. S. dollars a year to operate, but serves 20,000 students a year. The cost per student is remarkably low!
Tying up education with full time commitment for something like four years, on-campus residence, etc. has made it expensive and beyond the reach of many. Technological developments could lower the cost of education and facilitate life-long learning, learning on demand and part-time learning. MOOCs are promising for this cost reduction and for providing greater flexibility in education. A MOOC does, however, cost a lot more to create and offer in comparison to one-time classroom instruction. In addition to the faculty and staff time that goes into the production of video and other course materials, a large team of teaching assistants are involved in grading assignments and tests. Significant professional effort goes into producing, operating and maintaining automatic grading systems to carry whatever evaluation load they can carry. Educational materials used in MOOCs are not permanent assets, and need to be updated fairly regularly. The saving grace is that the underlying technology makes it possible to distribute the costs over a large number of learners. Consider a MOOC that costs a million U. S. dollars a year to operate, but serves 20,000 students a year. The cost per student is remarkably low!
(7) Subsidies
The low cost/student ratio of MOOCs very often triggers a government response, in the form of paying for the whole cost of MOOC related projects. This results in the student having no “skin in the game” and leads to high drop-out rates. Subsidies do have a place, particularly when public goods are created, but they have to be used judiciously.
The low cost/student ratio of MOOCs very often triggers a government response, in the form of paying for the whole cost of MOOC related projects. This results in the student having no “skin in the game” and leads to high drop-out rates. Subsidies do have a place, particularly when public goods are created, but they have to be used judiciously.
(8) Evaluation
Evaluation is essential to all serious learning. The learner needs it more than anyone else, to have a sense of progress in a course. The technology of graders is, therefore, a significant contributor of value in the context of MOOCs. It enables thousands to take online tests and know the results immediately, and to get information on what they did right and where they went wrong. However, many academics prefer not to limit themselves to fully automated evaluations. Some use peer evaluation, for example requiring the course participant to evaluate three others’ submissions immediately after submitting his own.
Evaluation is essential to all serious learning. The learner needs it more than anyone else, to have a sense of progress in a course. The technology of graders is, therefore, a significant contributor of value in the context of MOOCs. It enables thousands to take online tests and know the results immediately, and to get information on what they did right and where they went wrong. However, many academics prefer not to limit themselves to fully automated evaluations. Some use peer evaluation, for example requiring the course participant to evaluate three others’ submissions immediately after submitting his own.
(9) Certification
A degree is usually a ticket to a job. Employers rarely have the time and expertise to evaluate applicants thoroughly and are, therefore, dependent on degrees from Universities. MOOCs cannot easily offer certification, particularly at the level of university degrees. They rarely employ proctored evaluations that lead to confidence in certification; instead they depend on honor codes and issue certificates which are less valuable as a result [Times 2013]. Combining MOOCs with proctored evaluation is not impossible as an Indian experiment [NPTEL 2015] demonstrates.
A degree is usually a ticket to a job. Employers rarely have the time and expertise to evaluate applicants thoroughly and are, therefore, dependent on degrees from Universities. MOOCs cannot easily offer certification, particularly at the level of university degrees. They rarely employ proctored evaluations that lead to confidence in certification; instead they depend on honor codes and issue certificates which are less valuable as a result [Times 2013]. Combining MOOCs with proctored evaluation is not impossible as an Indian experiment [NPTEL 2015] demonstrates.
(10) The Honor Code
It is known that institutions that use an honor code system do promote a greater level of academic integrity among their students [McCabe 2002]. However, the use of honor codes in the context of MOOCs presents us with an entirely different context. An interesting research question deals, therefore, with the possible use of technology to promote adherence to an honor code in online learning. Algorithmic comparison of the results of an online test taken under the honor code with the results from a proctored test is possible. This makes the use of a mix of proctored tests and simple online tests a highly desirable mode of evaluation. It could even give credit to the inferred adherence to an honor code. The significance of such techniques could go beyond the improvement of online education!
It is known that institutions that use an honor code system do promote a greater level of academic integrity among their students [McCabe 2002]. However, the use of honor codes in the context of MOOCs presents us with an entirely different context. An interesting research question deals, therefore, with the possible use of technology to promote adherence to an honor code in online learning. Algorithmic comparison of the results of an online test taken under the honor code with the results from a proctored test is possible. This makes the use of a mix of proctored tests and simple online tests a highly desirable mode of evaluation. It could even give credit to the inferred adherence to an honor code. The significance of such techniques could go beyond the improvement of online education!
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