This is my keynote presentation for the 2013 iMoot. The presentation covers the role of Moodle - and by extension other Learning Management Systems - in a world of open teaching and learning.

1. Moodle in the World of
MOOCs: What Might the Future
Look Like?
Dr. Iain Doherty
Associate Professor
Director eLearning Pedagogical Support Unit
Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning
24th May 2013
The University of Hong Kong

2. Overview
• Massive Open Online Courses
• Standard Learning Theories
• Standard Technologies
• Connectivism
• Moodle in a Massively Open World

3. An Story about a 15 Year Old Girl

4. Massive Open Online Courses
• Massive Open Online Courses are
arguably the most talked about – and
potentially most disruptive –
phenomenon in the current educational
landscape.
• They provide an impetus for institutions to reflect upon their teaching
and learning and to reflect upon their eLearning practices.
• Compared with the past many institutions may well be forced into doing
this in order to survive e.g. look at the Open University in the U.K.
(Weller and Anderson, 2013).

5. Massive Open Online Courses
• Thinking about MOOCs, higher education institutions
can reflect on what the LMS – any LMS but let’s say
Moodle – has meant for their teaching and learning.
• This process will be much more productive if our
institutions understand the different sorts of MOOCs.
• Contrary to current designations I am going to suggest
that there are three different types of MOOCs –
cMOOCs, sMOOCs and xMOOCs.

6. cMOOCs
• cMOOCs are grounded in the Connectivist learning theory first
proposed by George Siemens.
• Learning is a networked process and course content is generated by
teachers, students and other “nodes” in the network.
• cMOOCs employ multiple technologies – 12 in the first MOOC
offered by Siemens (Fini, 2009) – and the
LMS is one in a range of technologies.

7. sMOOCs
• Standard MOOCs or sMOOCs are grounded in
traditional pedagogies – predominantly
Behaviorist with a smattering of Cognitivism and
Constructivism.
• The MOOC platform operates as a massive LMS
and learning is process of working through
transmitted material, engaging in multiple choice
quizzes and being assessed by peers.
• Use of additional technologies is limited.

8. xMOOCs
• Excellent, exploratory, expansive” (Rodrick & Sun, 2012) MOOCs
or xMOOCs aspire to innovating in pedagogical practices / use of
technologies for teaching and learning.
• MOOC platform still seems to operate as a large scale LMS but the
trajectory for these MOOC is one of innovation.
• Use of technologies still seems to be somewhat limited but there are
signs that this will change.

9. The MOOC As Vehicle
• It is time to take a stand with respect to teaching and technologies.
• The most innovative MOOCs are in fact the cMOOCs run by Siemens
and others.
• We can learn a lot from these MOOCs in terms of teaching approach
and aligned use of technologies.
• This will require a massive eLearning
re-think on the part of most institutions.
for Reflection

10. Learning Theories
• Education has operated for decades in terms of three
learning theories:
– Behaviorism (drill and practice)
– Cognitivism (mental structures)
– Constructivism (making meaning)
• Technologies have been integrated into teaching on
the basis of these three learning theories (Mergel
1998).
• We need a change because the world has changed!

11. Standard LMS Usage is Poor
• The LMS is predominantly used for text transmission (Coates et al,
2005, Mott, 2010).
• Limited use of other functions such as discussion forums as a nod
to Cognitivism and Constructivism.

12. The Nature of
“Understanding knowledge in a particular era is important in
ensuring that we have aligned our spaces and structures with the
nature of knowledge” (Siemens, 2006).
Are we teaching in a way that aligns with the nature of
knowledge acquisition in contemporary society?
Knowledge as Driver

13. As a learner (Oblinger, 2005) the fifteen year old is:
– Always connected to something or someone;
– Accessing multiple sources of information;
– Learning socially with her friends;
– Adept with multiple technologies;
– Highly creative and inventive;
– Fascinated by certain things; and
– Intermittently engaged with learning.
The Nature of
Students as Driver

14. “The rapid development of information . . . requires a model that
sees learning less as a product (filling a learner with knowledge)
and more of a process of continually staying current and
connected (learning as a process of exploration, dialogue, and
interaction)” (Siemens, 2006).
• Information is increasing exponentially so for Siemens
knowing how / where is more important than being able to
store knowledge in our heads.
Connectivism as
Pedagogical Approach

15. Personal
Learning
Network
Node
Node
Node
Node
Connectivism as
Pedagogical Approach

16. “Connecting with people and content is a constant, ongoing,
daily activity . . . Learning is a continual, network-forming
process . . . As we encounter new resources (knowledge,
people, and technology nodes), we may choose to actively
connect and create our personal learning network”
(Siemens, 2006).
• The network forming process in a Connectivist MOOC
occurs in terms of multiple technologies -12 in the first
MOOC offered by Siemens.
Connectivism as
Technology Use

17. Connectivism
• FaceBook
• Bebo
• Blogs
• LinkedIn
• Yammer
• YouTube
• iTunes U
• Skype
• Messenger

18. Remember the Fifteen Year Old Girl
• We can look at our students and say
that they are “learning” when they
connect to multiple sources of
information in order to complete
learning activities.
• But what place for Moodle in a
Connectivist MOOC?

19. Connectivism
We want to see,
“ . . . A shift away from the model
in which students consume
information through independent
channels such as the library, a
text book or an LMS, moving
instead to a model where
students draw connections from
a growing matrix of resources
that they select and organize”
(Mott, 2010)

20. Siemens says no to the LMS:
“ . . . we are repeating the ‘instructor/school controls’ hierarchy
online. Linear, one-way, managed knowledge flow doesn't work
well in a information overload society. Networks do work . . .”
(Siemens, 2004).
• We can avoid this with relative ease and deliver rich, engaging
and rewarding learning experiences.
LMS: The Wrong Place
to Start Learning?

21. • If there is an issue then it is this; the
LMS needs to be employed in the
service of student learning.
• This means thinking pedagogically in
the first instance and then determining
whether the LMS has the features and
affordances to meet pedagogical needs.
LMS: Not Really
The Wrong Place to Start

22. Some Guiding Thoughts
• It is not clear that Connectivism is a learning theory and there is no
empirical evidence for its efficacy.
• But Connectivism is saying something important about the 21st
Century epistemological framework.
• It is also saying something
important about the ubiquitous
nature of technologies / living
in a networked world.
• Can we navigate to a
balanced picture of
teaching / technology use?

23. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
“What if course portals, typically little more than
gateways to course activities and materials, became
instead course catalysts: open, dynamic representations
of “engagement streams” that demonstrate and encourage
deep learning?” (Campbell, 2009).

24. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
• Sage on the Stage or teacher as source of knowledge (King, 1993)
– Aligns with Behaviorism and Cognitivism
• Guide on the Side or teacher as facilitator (King, 1993)
– Aligns with Constructivism and its variants
• Meddler in the Middle described as a “usefully ignorant co-worker”
(McWilliam 2008)
– Aligns with the central tenants of Connectivism

25. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
• Project based learning
• Experiential learning
• Case based learning
• Problem based learning
• Guided discovery learning
• Student led teaching
• Student presentations
• Interactive teaching sessions

26. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
• From a technological perspective the LMS is one node in the
network (Masters & Qaboos, 2011) with learners’ personal
spaces and technologies – 12 different technologies on
Siemens’ and Downs first MOOC (Fini, 2009) – defining
additional nodes in the network (Rodriguez, 2012).
• It is an important node as research into Siemens first MOOC
shows (Mackness et al., 2010). Moodle was favored by a
significant number of participants.
• Because if offered structure / was manageable?

27. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
Siemens says (2004) that an LMS needs to offer:
– A place for learner expression (blog/portfolio);
– A place for content interaction;
– A place to connect with other learners;
– A place to connect the thoughts of other learners in a personal,
meaningful way - i.e. using RSS and then brought back into
the "learner expression tool“;
– A place to dialogue with the instructor (email, VoIP, etc.)

28. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
– A place to dialogue with gurus (apprentice) - the heart
of online communities is the mess of varying skills and
expertise. Gurus are people currently in industry or
established practitioners of the organizing theme of the
community.
– A place for learning artifacts of those who've gone
before - i.e. content management capabilities accessible
and managed by the learner. Tools like Furl, del.icio.us
are examples of personal knowledge management
(PKM) tools.

29. Heading towards a Balanced Picture
• Moodle can provide a structured environment for innovative
teaching following the Meddler in the Middle model using a
variety of teaching approaches.
• In addition students need to be given the option of using a
variety of other tools to organize a personal learning
environment.
• This brings about the best of both worlds and achieves a
balance between structure for “knowing what” and
Connectivism for generating knowledge.

30. Closing Comments
• We do need to re-think the learning theories that we are using;
• We do need to re-think the technologies that we are using in
teaching;
• Despite the LMS nay sayers, Moodle has clear utility as one
technology in a Connectivist environment.
• The issue lies with teaching and learning commitment and
MOOCs will likely make institutes focus on their teaching /
technology use.

31. The Fifteen Year Old Girl
Has an Epiphany

33. References
• Campbell, G. (2009). A Personal Cyber Infrastructure.
Educause Review, 44(5), 58–59. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/personal-
cyberinfrastructure
• Fini, A. (2009). The Technological Dimension of a
Massive Open Online Course: The Case of the CCK08
Course Tools. International Review of Research in Open
and Distance Learning, 10(5). Retrieved from
http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/643/1410

34. References
• King, A. (1993). From Sage on the Stage to Guide on
the Side. College Teaching, 41(1), 30–35. Retrieved
from http://www.jstor.org/stable/27558571
• Mackness, J., Fai, S., Mak, J., & Williams, R. (2010).
The Ideals and Reality of Participating in a MOOC. In
Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on
Networked Learning 2010 (pp. 266–274). Retrieved
from
http://www.lancs.ac.uk/fss/organisations/netlc/past/nlc2
010/abstracts/PDFs/Mackness.pdf

35. References
• Masters, K., & Qaboos, S. (2011). A Brief Guide To
Understanding MOOCs. The Internet Journal of Medical
Education, 1(2), 2–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.5580/1f21
• McWilliam, E. (2008). Unlearning How To Teach.
Innovations in Education and Teaching International,
45(3), 263–269.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14703290802176147

36. References
• Mergel, B. (1998). Instructional Design and Learning
Theory. Retrieved from
http://www.usask.ca/education/coursework/802papers/m
ergel/brenda.htm
• Mott, J. (2010). Envisioning the Post-LMS Era : The
Open Learning Network. Educause Quarterly, 33(1), 1–8.
Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/envisioning-post-
lms-era-open-learning-network

37. References
• Oblinger, D. G., & Oblinger, J. L. (2005). Educating the
Net Generation. (D. G. Oblinger & J. L. Oblinger,
Eds.)Educating the Net Generation (p. 264). Boulder,
CO: Educause. Retrieved from
http://www.educause.edu/educatingthenetgen/5989
• Rodrick, D., & Sun, K. (2012). EdX: Harvard’s New
Domain. The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved May 1, 2013,
from http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2012/10/4/edx-
scrutiny-online-learning/?page=single

38. References
• Rodriguez, C. O. (2012). MOOCs and the AI-Stanford
like Courses: Two Successful and Distinct Course
Formats for Massive Open Online Courses. European
Journal of Open, Distance and E-Learning back,
05.07.2012, 1–13. Retrieved from
http://www.eurodl.org/?p=current&article&article=516

39. References
• Siemens, George. (2005). Connectivism: A Learning
Theory for the Digital Age. Retrieved from
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm
• Siemens, G. (2006). Knowing Knowledge. Retrieved from
http://www.elearnspace.org/KnowingKnowledge_LowRes.
pdf

40. References
• Siemens, S. (2004). Learning Management Systems :
The Wrong Place to Start Learning. elearningspace.
Retrieved September 17, 2012, from
http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/lms.htm
• Weller, M., & Anderson, T. (2013). Digital Resilience in
Higher Education. European Journal of Open, Distance
and E-Learning, 16(1), 53–66. Retrieved from
http://www.eurodl.org/?article=559

41. Contact
• Email: idoherty@hku.hk
• Web: http://www.iaindoherty.com
• Linkedin: http://hk.linkedin.com/in/iaindoherty
• SlideShare: http://www.slideshare.net/iaindoherty