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CITATION Boxall, S. 2014. The oceanography classroom. How to run amok—Or is it a MOOC? Oceanography 27(4):175–176, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.101.

DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.101

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How to Run Amok—Or Is It a MOOC?

By Simon Boxall

n email comes through from my past two years, and a wealth of providers students to catch up if they miss a week, A Head of Department: “Simon, is producing material in many different but shortly after the course is completed, are you getting involved in the Exploring languages across the world. The provid- the whole course goes offline. Students Our Ocean MOOC this year? You don’t ers work with universities and research are expected to spend about three hours want to miss out!” I try to figure out institutions that produce the intellec- a week studying their chosen subject to whether this is a typo and also what it tual input—the academic content—and fully benefit from the course. As with all is that I don’t want to miss out on. Has the providers then enable webinars, pro- MOOCs, there is a mix of video, text, her cap-lock key got stuck? What let- duce short films, and develop exercises activities, and assessment, and the over- ters are close to M, O, and C that she for MOOC students to view and partic- all appearance is engaging. The video clips actually meant to type? Another email ipate in. This is not a passive information do, at times, have a feel about them of the grabs my attention, and I decide I have tool like Wikipedia; it is an online learn- Open University television programs of too much to do to worry about decod- ing facility, a complete package, aimed at the 1980s (for our US readers, think pub- ing an email, which is either mistyped students of all ages and all backgrounds. lic information films of the 1980s), but or in a hitherto unseen language. A week What is even more impressive is that it is they are good learning resources. At the later as I walk down the corridor, there free at point of delivery—you can regis- end, students can, if they wish, purchase it is again. A bright and engaging poster ter for a MOOC (or many MOOCs) and a certificate to show that they participated with images of the deep ocean proclaims: learn all you ever wanted to know for free. in the course—everyone likes a certificate. “The University of Southampton MOOC The MOOC differs in many ways from The other big benefit of a MOOC com- on Exploring Our Ocean goes live in other online learning experiences, and pared to browsing other online resources October 2014, register today—don’t each organization’s MOOC is itself dif- or books are the mentors, webinars, and miss out!” As I study the poster, a pass- ferent from the next. In the United States, chat rooms. Students taking the same ing student asks if I am starring in the for example, one provider, the World course can ask each other questions and MOOC this time around—he was sur- Mentoring Academy (WMA), collabo- have access to mentors to help explain prised I wasn’t involved in last year’s. Last rates with Open Courseware from MIT, areas they find difficult. In addition, aca- year’s? I suddenly feel like someone who UC Berkley, UCLA, Yale, and many other demics and postgrads will do live Q&A fell asleep in the 1980s comfortable with leading US universities to produce courses sessions on a regular basis to deal with the fax, VHS tapes, and a mobile phone that students study at their own pace, with FAQs at intervals throughout the course. that occasionally made phone calls, and online resources, blogs, and course exams. For all of that, it is still hard to iden- woke up 20 years later to discover emails, At the successful completion of the course tify exactly what a MOOC is, who it tar- online movies, and the iPhone. module, the credits can go partway toward gets, and most importantly why produce Rushing back to my office in a state of a bachelor’s degree, though for those cred- them—what are the benefits to my depart- confused panic, I type in MOOC on the its to count, there is then a fee…it is not a ment or university? While in some coun- search tool to discover a new world of free pathway to a degree, I’m afraid. tries you can use the courses as partial online learning, that a MOOC is a Massive In the UK, the Open University runs credits toward a degree, this is not, at pres- Open Online Course, and the resources Future Learn, which works with a num- ent, the main purpose of a MOOC. They out there are indeed massive. Just take a ber of universities in both Britain and are at a halfway point between a distance look at www.mooc-list.com, which offers abroad as well as the British Museum and learning degree and the classic adult learn- a directory of just about every MOOC the British Library. These courses dif- ing “evening class.” It is learning for fun, to across the globe. You can do a MOOC fer from WMA in so far as they have a extend the mind, to do something outside in any subject you can imagine, from start and a finish date. The whole course your daytime career. It is a truism that an marine biology to oncology, from gaming is not online from day one, and you work educated populace is both a prosperous animation to Shakespeare’s Hamlet. This your way through it as it builds up week and healthy one—look at Sweden where quiet revolution in how we learn and edu- by week. The material stays live through- education is free to all, right through to cate ourselves has grown rapidly in the out the course once it is posted, allowing degree level. It is a chance to expand your

Oceanography | December 2014 175 knowledge in your own area of expertise reasonable shelf life. With minor essen- So—am I getting involved in the to cover some of the peripheral issues; as tial updates, the initial investment of MOOC, and is it an opportunity I don’t oceanographers, we might consider inter- resources could continue to pay off for a want to miss? I did an online webinar, or national marine law or social impacts of number of years, with ongoing support more correctly a “live Google hangout,” climate change. But it is also about trying and input from mentors. linked into the University’s Exploring out a subject you have never experienced As mentioned, WMA in the United Our Ocean course that has run for three before, and this aspect of MOOCS, in par- States offers the option of counting some months. A panel consisting of myself and ticular, appeals to school-aged learners. A of the modules as credits toward a degree. three colleagues chatted around a selec- student in high school gets little exposure Is this the way forward for education and tion of questions put forward by the stu- to a subject like oceanography and is often MOOCs? If we were to use this along- dents taking the course, from how tides inclined to remain with familiar subjects side the growing use and development work and why is the ocean salty, to what when choosing a degree. A MOOC pro- of AUVs (autonomous underwater vehi- do oceanographers do when they grad- vides an opportunity to explore and try cles), could we see a new generation of uate. Rather disconcertingly, as we hud- new subjects before committing to three armchair oceanographers? dled around a screen-top camera for the to five years of expensive and intensive At the National Oceanography Centre, hour-long event, we could see thumbs-up undergraduate study. Most MOOCs pro- Southampton, the Marine Autonomous or thumbs-down icons appear along the vide guidance on what career paths a and Robotic Systems (MARS) facility is bottom of the screen as viewers gave live degree subject offers as well as the high in the midst of a major expansion and is feedback as to how they felt we were deal- school qualifications needed for taking a one clear direction our industry is heading with their questions—not something particular course. ing. MARS personnel have recently com- I now plan to introduce to my live lec- A MOOC is not just about attract- pleted a major exercise called MASSMO, tures. For the current course, we have over ing future students. The European which involved a fleet of seven AUVs 8,000 global participants ages eight to 82, Space Agency (ESA) has just commis- heading off into the Atlantic to the south- over a third of whom are coming up to sioned Imperative Space, a media and west of the UK. The ops room was along decision time as to what and where they communications company, to create a the corridor from my office, and the scene want to study for their university degrees. major MOOC that will provide learn- did resemble a group of teenage game- Chatting with some of them, they don’t ing resources around the extensive work sters huddled round their Xboxes. It was just see the MOOC as an opportunity to on Earth observation that ESA under- a very different approach to observational try a subject before committing to it, they takes. Such PR for a publicly funded body oceanography, and while AUVs are a long also see it as exciting and as a useful addi- is important in raising awareness as to way from replacing our research fleets, tion to their CVs when they do eventually where tax dollars are used and the import- the concept of a MOOC group following apply for their degree courses. ant science that comes out of such work. and maybe even controlling an AUV is an I have also had some very small input So a MOOC is edutainment for the par- interesting one. to the ESA MOOC due to go live in 2015. ticipant and an important shop window Will the MOOC replace the university The hard work is done by the produc- for the contributors—the MOOC now course as we know it? There is some great tion company, and the effort by the aca- starts to make sense, very good sense. A benefit to be had from a well-designed demics and scientists is relatively easy. MOOC needs investment in time and MOOC, and as a part of a traditional uni- The material produced can even be used resources. It needs to be multimedia, with versity course, a MOOC could enhance in your existing courses as stand-alone good film footage, exciting and engaging the learning experience. Students in items. I have also signed up to be a stu- written material, and exercises that are Southampton could, for example, learn dent on a course that is not oceanogra- not only very relevant to the topic but are about tropical ecology from a MOOC phy, and I am really enjoying it. Many of also self-contained. Few members of the designed by the Bermuda Institute of you will be reading this wondering how public have their own research vessel, let Ocean Sciences. However, the lack of can anyone have missed the MOOC con- alone a stretch of ocean to play with. It is hands-on practical experience and the cept for so long? But for those who, like important that online help is always avail- ability to interact directly with staff and me, wondered what was MOOC, you are able and that students can discuss top- fellow students face to face does take now, I hope, slightly the wiser. If you want ics with mentors and each other, much something away from the whole educa- to delve deeper, there is even a MOOC the same as they would in the physical tional experience. And while exercises about MOOCs! classroom environment. A poor MOOC such as MASSMO show the potential for would do more damage than no MOOC working remotely, when they graduate, Simon Boxall ([email protected]) is Associate Fellow, University of Southampton, to a person’s perception of a subject. Once few students will be able to continue their National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, produced, a good MOOC does have a professions from their home computers. United Kingdom.

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