{"id":92239,"date":"2018-11-21T11:59:57","date_gmt":"2018-11-21T10:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=92239"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:23:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:23:09","slug":"every-eur-student-should-follow-this-mooc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/11\/21\/every-eur-student-should-follow-this-mooc\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Every EUR student should follow this MOOC’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Away with the traditional lecture! These days you study via MOOCs \u2013 Massive Open Online Courses<\/em>. How does such an online lecture series come into being? And are they largely expensive advertising videos, or do they actually contribute to better education? Erasmus Magazine<\/em> watched the preparation of a new MOOC.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe\u2019re going to set a world record for creating a MOOC,\u201d laughs Kris Stabel, the university\u2019s online education project leader. \u201cNormally it takes about a year to complete a MOOC. Now we\u2019ll do it in two months.\u201d The online Philosophy of Science lecture series is scheduled to go live on 7 January. \u201cThat\u2019s a pretty tight lead time,\u201d university lecturer in Theoretical Philosophy Tim De Mey notes with a touch of understatement.<\/p>\n\t

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A\u00a0MOOC<\/em>? Yes, that\u2019s a Massive Open Online Course<\/em>, an online lecture series with videos, assignments and discussion forums. It can be followed remotely, is accessible to everyone and is largely free of charge \u2013 often you only pay for an official certificate. Since Stanford University put its first MOOC online in 2011, a lecture series on artificial intelligence in which 160,000 students from 190 countries eventually participated, growing numbers of universities are offering education this way. Erasmus University now has fourteen MOOCs on Coursera, a kind of Netflix for online education<\/a>, and another thirteen are in production.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Post-its<\/h2>

Still, they think this one\u2019s certainly going to work, because this isn\u2019t the first time Stabel and De Mey have created a MOOC. De Mey already produced two and also has a good number of them in the pipeline: \u201cIn fact, they call me the moocie monster.\u201d They\u2019re also able to use the raw images from The Mind of the Universe<\/em><\/a>, an interview series from Dutch broadcaster VPRO, where the complete interviews are freely available. <\/p>\n

On the tables in the middle of the room lies an enormous sheet of paper with a whole host of coloured Post-its. This sheet is the design for the MOOC Philosophy of Science, the subject De Mey has been teaching since January. Educational advisor Romy van Leeuwen has also been appointed alongside Stabel and De Mey. In two days, the three of them will fill the sheet of paper with Post-its until there\u2019s a complete storyboard. Blue for the weekly title, yellow for the title of the video, green for the accompanying literature or other additional material, pink for the assignment, light pink for the learning objective and red for the final objective: at the end of this MOOC, every student must be able to draw up a sharp definition of a problem.<\/p>\n

During this second \u2018storyboarding session\u2019, those present will devise and discuss each Post-it on the basis of their own expertise. De Mey bears most responsibility for the content. He regularly waves a book around (\u201cThis is my new hero!\u201d), launches into an anecdote (\u201cDo you know how blood circulation was discovered?\u201d) or brings up a film or theatre scene he wants to use as an example (\u201cTim Roth in Tom Stoppard\u2019s Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead<\/em> has to be included!\u201d). Van Leeuwen and Stabel keep a tight rein on the learning goals, provide didactic support and occasionally point out technical possibilities or limitations (\u201cWhy don\u2019t we do a FaceTime interview with this class instead of literature?\u201d).<\/p>\n

Tunnel<\/h2>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018You can\u2019t immediately expect students to understand how you learn through online education\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The lecture series lasts eight weeks, with three videos, assignments and additional literature or extra images every week. Students learn about the history of the philosophy of science in the first two weeks. \u201cThe title of the first video is Abduction and theory-ladenness,<\/em>\u201d says De Mey. \u201cIt\u2019s about theorising and on the other side of the coin, about being stuck in a tunnel by the assumptions you have as a researcher.\u201d Van Leeuwen asks what assignment students should do after watching the video. De Mey: \u201cI want students to think about an example of abduction or theory-ladenness<\/em> within their own discipline.\u201d Adds Van Leeuwen: \u201cYou could also get them to provide an example from everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deliberately start with an easy task like this,\u201d explains Stabel, while De Mey and Van Leeuwen discuss the next video. \u201cYou can\u2019t immediately expect students to understand how you learn through online education.\u201d He compares it to the first day in a large lecture hall. \u201cAs a student, you look around a bit anxiously there too. The assignment isn\u2019t threatening if you give them an example from everyday life. Students don\u2019t have to enter into discussion with each other immediately, or deliver a critique; what\u2019s most important is that they get to know the learning environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advertising<\/h2>
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Why does the university actually produce MOOCs? To a cynical outsider, it sometimes seems as if a great deal of time and effort is put into extensive advertising videos for universities. \u201cFor many MOOCs it is indeed the case that they\u2019re not educational products, but a kind of showcase for a study programme or research group,\u201d explains Stabel. \u201cThat\u2019s changing: growing numbers of people are considering just how this can improve regular education.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some time I also regarded it as a kind of showcase for your own expertise or that of the university,\u201d concedes De Mey during the coffee break. \u201cBut I\u2019ve taken a very different view since I\u2019ve worked with it in my own teaching.\u201d Since then he\u2019s caught the bug, although he\u2019s not sure if it\u2019s right for every teacher. You do certainly need something of an urge for educational innovation, and a feel for the camera. \u201cI had long been looking for ways to improve my teaching. And I have a bit of theatre experience, so I enjoy working with the camera.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018For many MOOCs it is indeed the case that they\u2019re not educational products, but a kind of showcase for a study programme or research group\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Ideal form<\/h2>

The videos the philosophy teacher produces are not just intended for students from outside the university. His own students must also follow the MOOC in preparation for the regular lectures. \u201cFor me this is the ideal way to structure my teaching,\u201d says De Mey. \u201cI normally deliver rather questing lectures, too chaotic for some students. MOOCs force me to structure much more clearly, and to think about the sequence, the assignments and the learning objectives. This gives students a better handle. They can always go back to last week\u2019s videos.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe nice thing about this form is that students have already had all the theory before the lecture. This lets you go into more depth during lectures,\u201d continues De Mey. He also thinks that well-made videos are a valuable addition to regular literature. During the storyboarding session, they regularly discuss how to hold students\u2019 attention as long as possible by playing with the length and design of the video. The order of the coloured Post-its is changed several times. \u201cStop, stop, stop!\u201d exclaims De Mey at one such moment. \u201cThis is actually part of the previous topic.\u201d And then Stabel and Van Leeuwen can resume working on the puzzle.<\/p>\n

But do students really learn better? \u201cNot necessarily,\u201d admits Stabel. \u201cAt least they don\u2019t learn any worse, according to research.\u201d And he points out an example from Wageningen, where a number of master programmes were conducted both online and offline. The examination results of those students who only followed the programme online were better.<\/p>\n

Online proctoring<\/h2>

Meanwhile they\u2019re discussing how the assignments are assessed. Part can be done via peer review, where the students assess each other\u2019s work. \u201cI think that\u2019s an important part of the learning process,\u201d says De Mey. \u201cPeople do find it annoying that they sometimes have to wait indefinitely for their fellow students on Coursera,\u201d Van Leeuwen objects. \u201cAnd lots of external learners drop out during MOOCs. So perhaps we should get tutors to give feedback if a student misses the deadline because someone else is late in assessing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe could use online proctoring for the final examination,\u201d Van Leeuwen suggests. \u201cOnline what<\/em>?\u201d asks De Mey. \u201cThat\u2019s software that makes it possible to take an exam at a different time or place,\u201d she explains. \u201cIn fact you\u2019re simply monitored remotely via your computer. For example, the software registers that someone is behind you, and then the teacher or tutor can take a look to check that no one is whispering the answers.\u201d<\/p>\n

For fun<\/h2>
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De Mey and Stabel are both great advocates of the \u2018modularisation\u2019 of education. They\u2019d like to see students have more freedom of choice in which subjects they take and when. They believe online lecture series are ideal for this, not being tied to place or time. Examinations and supervision need not be an objection. \u201cI do want there to be some form of personal guidance,\u201d says De Mey as the sheet of paper has almost been filled with Post-its. \u201cThat\u2019s because one of the problems with online-only MOOCs is that lots of people drop out. You can prevent that by providing personal feedback.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can also use student assistants or tutors for this in the months when the course isn\u2019t offered offline,\u201d says Stabel, throwing all the dead Post-its into the waste bin. \u201cOr we ask if Coursera has anyone willing to take on the practical guidance.\u201d He offers the Econometrics MOOC (from the ESE) as an example, with its 80,000 participants. It\u2019s only supervised a few months of the year by EUR people. \u201cFor the rest of the year there\u2019s a German who is in charge of guidance on a purely voluntary basis, just for fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

24 scripts<\/h2>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018Actually every EUR student should follow this MOOC before writing a thesis\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

They think the Philosophy of Science MOOC they\u2019re creating now would especially fit perfectly into an educational model in which students choose their own way more. \u201cActually, this lecture series is only about how to ask good scientific questions and make a sharp definition of a problem,\u201d points out De Mey. \u201cThat makes it ideal for students who have to write a thesis.\u201d Adds Stabel: \u201cActually every EUR student should follow this MOOC before writing a thesis.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a day and a half of storyboarding, all the Post-its are in the right place. But the MOOC still isn\u2019t ready. In the next six weeks they will have to write 24 scripts for videos lasting five to ten minutes, record the videos in the new Education Lab, devise the corresponding assignments, questions and quizzes, find literature, describe the learning objectives and the various videos, select interview clips and \u2018build\u2019 the MOOC on Coursera. De Mey doesn\u2019t do this alone. He writes the scripts and ultimately stands in front of the lens. In the meantime, alongside the educationalists, a designer, cameraman and people from the new studio are also involved in creating the MOOC. And fortunately there\u2019s a PhD student for the drudge work: \u201cHe should really have been here today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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