Recap on Coursera , FutureLearn

This is looking back at fairly recent posts as I am doing a MOOC on the Unbundled University and also there is a conference for Coursera next month in London.

My report after Learning Technologies has not got many views in LinkedIn as I messed up the upload, took a while to correct it. Probably I will do another version or two of the same story. Coursera is close to being viable and getting scale including degrees and microcredentials. In the UK Futurelearn could be compared, due for a rethink in how people look at it.

Peter Horrocks explained reasons for digital strategy and backing FutureLearn in lecture for Durham IAS. Includes remarks about the "Fortress University" .Available on YouTube.

Not much reporting on this till an interview with Peter Wilby in Guardian. This also included several quotes from academics working at the OU concerned about the funds diverted to FutureLearn. Then after more pressure Peter Horrocks resigned. My impression from Twitter that there was not much support for FutureLearn direction. ( Could have been "management speak" but how else to explain? )

Class Central has reported in shift of MOOC platforms to microcredentials and online degrees. They may have information or perhaps just speculate in a convincing manner. Time will tell.

UK Guardian has low opinion of the MOOC. Peter Scott has announced he will not write about them. (Also not much recently about Mode 1 and Mode 2 knowledge, no space for this now) . Guardian advertises many courses with experts if you are near London. Maybe online is not their priority. However Coursera conference is at Senate House, not too far from King's Cross. They may be able to report. My guess is that much UK opinion is unable to imagine a "UK Unicorn" but may begin a rethink if faced with actual numbers from somewhere else.

Meanwhile I think the Unbundled University MOOC is still open even though it has started.

Time warp around print

Something is shifting with print. It continues but as part of a digital scene. I think newspapers may be coming to an end as hard copy versions. Looking for diagrams I found a blog claiming that newspapers will vanish in 2020, that is next year.   The numbers do show this as possible. In Exeter I notice that WHSmith have gradually reduced display. There was a stand but moved away from the entrance. Then onto a shelf so the front pages harded to read. Now upside down so they must think few would see a front page and decide to buy. Possibly because the standard of content is dropping with the budgets. The headline may be most of what is interesting. There is still much negative reporting on Twitter etc but more people get news online. this may be obvious during 2019. When will telly or radio report on this? Seems to repeat newspaper news and views as if still with a significant following. Reputation of print still linked to news.

Now that IPEX has stopped the Print show is a guide to UK industry. Litho still major part of drupa but the UK show is now mostly digital. This could go further with more about data. Will check at NEC.

Meanwhile the London College of Printing is now the London College of Communication. Seems to have many courses around web and video but print is still in there. I do not have a clear idea of what they mean by "communication" . Print gone but nothing else much promoted. May be waiting for a new building. Somehow the University of the Arts London works on announcements to fit with buildings. Kings Cross has worked well. Next Stratford, sometime later the Elephant. So maybe what is happening with print and communication will clarify when this is open.

Possible day at Rapid MOOC, quality and learning as #mtwr

I am thinking about a possible day at Rapid MOOC, Ropemaker street in London. They were at both BETT and Learning Technologies this year, still very expensive but there is a day rate. It could be a way to move on with Management Theory at Work in Radio. This is a channel as part of my YouTube efforts. A channel should have more focus to build subscriptions but so far I ramble over too many topics. Production values need a boost also.

Have been using #mtwr as a tag. Follows on from Management Theory at Work conferences in Lancaster. I contributed on quality topics but main concerns more around learning and leadership. These things can work together, working out an agenda for the day would explore how coherent this is at this time.

Studio has space for about four people but there could be three or four sessions with people meeting somewhere else nearby. the sequence is probably a series of loops anyway. Slides or graphics are back projected so a presentation or discussion is in front of them. So slides need not be exclusive, probably already known but new comment on the day.

To raise the budget assume a crowd funder scheme. Top reward a set of DVDs with no edits. Some kind of time delay in release of content. But eventually most of it available as Creative Commons. Not sure if this would work but worth exploring.

Comments welcome.