MOR Associates Leadership Conference Takeaways

MOR Associates Leadership Conference Takeaways Watch the following in order: http://epic2020.org/

"No matter the good or evil (of MOOCs) they are here!" - Israel Ruiz Executive Vice President and Treasurer of MIT.

We do need a “rush to clarity” - Kevin Morooney CIO at Penn State. "Sooner is better than better,” says Ted Dodd’s CIO and Vice President of Cornell. Our collective IT units, the Big 10, the CIC and others need to position themselves as their own massive community to create results that matter. Just on MOOCs alone the statement is clear, "No matter the good or evil [of MOOCs) they are here!" - Israel Ruiz Executive Vice President and Treasurer of MIT.

In summary Israel pointed out that MOOCs were out-of-the-bag and we are witnessing a plethora of teaching and learning options being distributed across the globe. Soon there will be a weeding out of the top performers, delivering the content and results the clients need.

This statement could be applied to any of the change challenges we are facing today in our local IT units as well and the broader Penn State IT community.

I have to admit, from an IT perspective, we are living in a world of tsunami events in IT. While my ear is tuned to emerging or evolutionary trends, like the tide going out, the threats don’t seem immediate. In the meantime all our fingers and toes are actively engaged in leak prevention. The conference provided a balcony view of the emerging MOOC.orgs, online learning initiatives in business, corporate, K-12 and higher education. These organizations are all seeking the next opportunities tied to open access and serving out massive amounts of data.

How we react to change, how we adapt to change, how we embrace change is perhaps how we will then define our own success in the midst of change.

We need clarity on: 1. What is the sustainable business model? (MOOCs?) 2. Where are the best practices, do we copy or innovate? 3. How and when do we engage?

We are in a hybridization stage at so many levels (head, heart, hands, wallet). 1. Head: Will the thinkers and planners get it right? 2. Heart: Will we reach those who want and desire learning? 3. Hands: Can we build it fast enough and be best of breed? 4. Wallet: Can we maintain, sustain, cope it out, and still make budget?

It will take some leadership!

Reflections from Dr. Kyle Peck

“I HOPE that we will distinguish ourselves (speaking about Penn State) by being the first (or at least among the first) to redesign whole academic programs, by:

1. Putting parts that can be learned independently and with peer support into free, MOOCs or MOOC-like containers, for which learners can get credit through prior learning assessments; 2. Placing other aspects of the degree that require significant interaction with a professor or PSU employee but don't require synchronous interaction into World Campus Courses; 3. Offer the remaining topics that require synchronous interaction but do not require being in the same room via synchronous courses (hopefully in much smaller units than an 18 week semester) that use both face-to-face options and Google Hangout/Adobe Connect/ Skype style video connections; 4. Doing an excellent job of defining and assessing what learners need to know; and using open badges to certify skills at a much more refined level than grades allow.

He asks: Is that too much to expect? If we don't do it, will others? Others outside the current set of higher ed institutions? (I suspect so.)”

Penn State Resources

1. Yammer: https://www.yammer.com/psu.edu/ - /threads/inGroup? type=in_group&feedId=1126728 2. MOOCs at PSU Public Group [email protected] 3. COIL and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs)

A few others (Penn State is engaged with Coursera)

1. https://www.coursera.org/ 2. https://www.udacity.com/ 3. http://www.mitx.org/ 4. https://www.edx.org/ 5. http://www.khanacademy.org/ 6. List of 98+: https://www.coursera.org/partners (When I wrote this is was 26+)

Poster Session: Expand on Video thoughts Questions and feedback if we have time