It’s Friday, it’s half-term (for some), it’s lunch, so inspired by the MOOCs posting, I fancy musing.

 

Teaching is, as mentioned, a very particular set of skills. Skills that are a nightmare to explain to people who have never actually delivered education. “How do you do it?” “I don’t know…I just do!” The sheer variety and type of audiences that museum educators see, coupled to the fact that we have to deliver a ‘day out’ experience that will be remembered every time we teach, means we’re some of the best educators in the country, or at least should be. Thus I always find anything that attempts to remove teachers from the equation, to be insulting to our trade.

 

So should we view MOOCs as a threat?

 

I imagine decision makers are seeing MOOCs as a way of saving costs and spreading knowledge without having to pay educators to deliver it. The logical extreme is this model ultimately leading to teachers becoming seen as mere facilitators of learning, tech support to the digital classroom and the person who says “Ok, what have we found out today? Marvellous. See you tomorrow!” after the computers have powered down.

 

Museums may suffer if teachers, stung by the paperwork burden and the ludicrous prices charged by coach companies, discover a world of digital content and actually learn how to use the SMARTboards they all have in their classrooms these days. Why have a day trip to the tiny museum with 2 toilets and a broken coat rail, when a ‘Big National’ has been able to fork out £50k+ to have a third party develop some awesome learning applications and MOOC content?

 

I personally feel that they’ll end up being a way for those who cannot teach, to judge those who can in a biased way. “Your session cannot compete against all these whizz-bang graphics and interactives! So why even try?” Well, the cinema reel, then the radio, then the TV were all supposed to replace aspects of teaching but have failed to replace the teacher entirely. Try getting a class to watch educational TV shows on a daily basis. The novelty runs out pretty quickly…People would rather listen to people, it’s probably hard wired in us.

 

So there will always be a need for somebody to stand in front of the audience, be it personally or virtually, and interpret what is being said. These people will be seen potentially millions of times, running through their session…But they’d only need to be paid once. Imagine a Michael Wood show (80s vintage) presented by a disinterested and bored individual. It simply wouldn’t have the legs to hold attention. So if you’re an engaging and articulate educator, there should still be a need for you.

 

Or are MOOCs an opportunity?

 

We live on a finite planet with ever decreasing resources, I can certainly see the benefits of undertaking these kind of courses re: increasing productivity and allowing access to information without the need to travel. So opposing them on principal seems, somehow, wrong.

 

These courses allow people to validate their knowledge. You may be fantastically gifted with computers and ICT in general, and so never needed to study it since you are a hobbyist. A nasty HR person will simply throw your application in the bin if you do not have proof of your learning these days.

 

Speaking constructively, MOOCs are an opportunity for museums to get out there. Invest in a video camera, film your sessions, have passionate people talking about the objects they love…Objects that spend 99% of their time sat in a dark cupboard. Compile a short module about something e.g. 5 lessons concerning the Saxon burials of Dunstable. Add in some SMART board apps, or PowerPoints, assignments etc. Share the wealth, share the hidden aspects of our collections, design a professional looking certificate that people can download upon completing your module and away you go.

 

The tools are all out there to ensure that once you’ve created the resource, it is self maintaining e.g. Adobe Captivate or Articulate will automatically grade quizzes for you and either open the pass page (completed with .pdf certificate) or the Try again page. No failure in the modern world remember…¬_¬

 

Just some thoughts. Lunchtime is now over.

 

 

Dave Graves
Learning Officer (Projects)
Wardown Park Museum

Tel: 01582 546693