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MOOCs and the Older Learner

MOOCs and the Older Learner. Chelsea Crown Graduate Researcher & MSW/MPH Candidate Osher Lifelong Learning Institute University of California, Berkeley August 13, 2014. OLLI @Berkeley. Year-round program for adults age 50+ non-credit courses lectures special events interest circles

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MOOCs and the Older Learner

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  1. MOOCs and the Older Learner Chelsea Crown Graduate Researcher & MSW/MPH Candidate Osher Lifelong Learning Institute University of California, Berkeley August 13, 2014

  2. OLLI @Berkeley Year-round program for adults age 50+ • non-credit courses • lectures • special events • interest circles • research

  3. Why You Should Pay Attention to Older Learners: • MOOCs-as-intervention • Demographics • Risk factors • Homebound seniors • Neurocognitive advantages

  4. Who We Studied • Group 1: n=7, age 80+ • Group 2: n=6, age 50+ Profile • Highly educated • Highly motivated • Relatively tech-savvy • Equal gender ratio

  5. MOOCs and the Over 80 Learner • Part of “Fourth Age Salon” programming • Four 90-minute Salons during Fall 2013 • Blended Learning • Coursera: “What A Plant Knows” • Tel Aviv University • Professor Daniel Chamovitz

  6. MOOCs and the Over 50 Learner • Part of a Winter 2014 course • Five 90-minute classroom discussions • Blended Learning: • Coursera: “The History and Future of (Mostly) Higher Education” • Duke University • Professor Cathy Davidson

  7. Main Takeaways • Barriers of aging • Barriers of comfort with technology • Benefits • Drop-outs • Blended learning and social support • Content

  8. Case Example • Over-80 learner with profound hearing loss • “MOOCs are not made for people like me.” • Increasing stigma and distraction  drop-out K. Patricia Cross UC Berkeley Professor Emeritus

  9. Universal Design Principles • Consistent design and appearance • Pay attention to contrast levels (high contrast) • Dark background, light text • Make sites navigable by keyboard • Clear and large text on slides • Camera with a clear view of instructor’s mouth • Include an “accessibility statement” • Design the platform and test each MOOC for maximum usability Adapted from University of Washington: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html

  10. Engage and Retain Older Adults • Improve demos and help sections • Virtual MOOC assistant • MOOCpeer guide program • Educate professors on pedagogy for diverse audience when designing slides

  11. Tailoring the MOOC Experience • Build a short quiz into the registration process: • Level of comfort/experience with technology or MOOCs • Internet connection • Language-proficiency level • Hearing/vision/physical difficulties • Would you prefer to always have captions turned on? • Would you prefer a high-contrast visual experience? • Do you need an increased text size? • Would you prefer to navigate the site using only your keyboard? • Then the quiz tailors the individual user interface to the unique needs of the user

  12. The Future of MOOCs at OLLI @Berkeley • Fall 2014 • EdX course, “The Science of Happiness,” UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center • 2015 • Developing a MOOC on Healthy Aging • Presenting “MOOCs and the Older Learner” at the American Society on Aging Conference

  13. Thank you! Chelsea Crown Graduate Researcher chelseacrown@berkeley.edu Susan Hoffman Executive Director shoffman@berkeley.edu OLLI @Berkeley University of California, Berkeley www.olli.berkeley.edu

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