Elisabeth Leonard on Libraries

MOOC fever

A great infographic on MOOC's from Top College.

 

MOOCs are hot, but is the sizzle about to fizzle?

A short history of distance learning: 
1890s: Correspondence Courses
1920: 4 million people took correspondence courses
1993: Jones International University becomes first online U. [in the world]
2006: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) coined in 2008 by Canadians Dave Cormier and Bryan Alexander

2012: The MOOC market explodes: 
5 million: number of students enrolled in Coursera. 325 courses offered.
$63 million: total amount of investment funding in Coursera
1.6 million students in 200 countries enrolled in Udacity. 26 courses offered.
370,000: first year enrollment in edX. Offers 94 courses
$60 million: funding amount for edX, an MIT and Harvard project

Some new MOOCs: : 
• San Francisco-based NovoEd is now offering courses directly from Stanford Business School.
• Berlin-based iversity is offering a wide range of courses from European educational institutions.
• Edraak, will be a MOOC portal for the Arab world
• In China – XuetangX
• France: Universite Numerique

Countries of origin: [where the MOOCs are coming from] : 
• U.S.: 28%
• U.K. 11%
• India: 4.6%
• Brazil: 4.5%
• Canada: 4%
• Spain: 3.9%
• Australia: 3.5%
• Greece: 2.2 %
• Russia: 1.9%
• Germany: 1.8%

Why all the investment interest? : 
• 2 billion potential learners around the world
• More than 70 percent of them cannot afford a college degree
• $400 billion: amount of money spent annually in U.S. on universities
• The $400 billion: more than the annual revenues of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Twitter combined.
• 10 million: number of students who have taken at least one MOOC

FACT: mooc.org: Google is teaming up with EdX, to create mooc.org — a You Tube for MOOCs. It will be open to everyone, including businesses, governments, and private individuals.
BUT: 30% of employers believe a MOOC course represents a valid completion – Even so, that’s a major achievement.

To MOOC: : 
• Most MOOCs are free or nearly free, a definite plus for the student.
• Provides a solution to overcrowding.
• Forces professors to improve lectures.
• Creates a dynamic archive.
• MOOCS are real college courses, complete with tests and grades.
• Brings people together from all over the world.
• Allows teachers to make the most of classroom time in blended classes. In a “flipped classroom,” teachers send students home with assignments to listen to or watch a recorded lecture

Or not to MOOC: 
• It’s not about you, it’s about Money, Money, honey
• The motivation behind MOOCs is corporate profiteering.
• It’s part of a cost-cutting agenda to privatize public higher education
• MOOCs are the leading edge of the Wal-Martification of higher education.
• MOOCs create a two-tier education system.
• A “real” education for those who can afford to pay
• A bargain basement education for those able to only afford online options
• MOOCs are inferior
• they lack interpersonal exchange
• MOOCs are mechanistic
• education’s core values reducing to a mechanistic information-delivery process
• MOOCs are suffering from innovation exhaustion
• The sizzle will fizzle
• 93: failure rate percentage of students enrolled in MOOCs
• 150,000 to 1. Student to teacher ratio. Is that any way to learn? Grading papers is impossible.

That is the question.
Universities (paid) fight back: 
Top 10 elite schools ALSO offer MOOCs
• Udemy: professors from universities like Dartmouth, the University of Virginia and Northwestern
• iTunes U: Apple’s free app “gives students access to all the materials for courses in a single place.
• Stanford:
• FACT: 160,000 students from 190 countries signed up to Stanford’s Introduction to AI” course, with 23,000 reportedly completing.
• UC Berkeley
• MIT
• Duke
• Harvard
• UCLA
• Open Yale
• Carnegie Mellon

And now there are
SPOCs: Small Private Online Courses : 
• New B-to-B concept: license online courses to a university or an organization or corporation.
• Colorado State Global Campus, first to offer SPOCs
• SPOCs have 17-25 students

Sources:

http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/five-myths-about-moocs
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/07/09/higher-ed-leaders-urge-slow-down-mooc-train
http://edf.stanford.edu/readings/mooc-marketplace-takes
http://www.edtechmagazine.com/higher/article/2013/02/11-enlightening-statistics-about-massive-open-online-courses
http://adulted.about.com/od/Adult-Education-in-the-U.S./a/The-Pros-And-Cons-Of-Moocs.htm

Leveraging what MTV knows about millennials

I have no idea what methodology MTV used or even how many people were included in their study, but according to a blog post in HBR today, MTV has some lessons to impart!  In a post called Millennials Are Playing With You, there are statements like Half of Millennials said "People my age see real life as a video game" and almost 6 out of 10 said "#winning is the slogan of my generation".

Now, while I rage against stereotypes, as I rarely feel like the stereotypes about MY generation fit ME, I think it is still worth contemplating if there are any generalizions that may be useful.  If it is true that "They see the workplace as a multiplayer game where power players can find the back door to the top floor; cell phone contracts are riddled with exploitable loopholes; and navigating the car purchasing experience is akin to advancing levels, with 'experience points' gained along the way."...should libraries and publishers talk to milennials differently?  Does it mean that we shouldn't engage with these students in a way that has them feeling that others see them as novices?  Alternately, does entering the scholarly game as a novice make students work harder...or do they just look for the easter eggs?  I admit that when I play games, if there is a tough game, I buy the guide that includes mapping out the levels AND provides the loopholes!  If that is common with millennials, than shouldn't we all do more to create meaningful guides, guides that acknowledge the oddities of our game and that then provide a way for students to engage differently...to engage meaningfully and without having the perception of "cheating"?

 

Come on in Keith...the water is fine!
Keith Richards has recently indicated an interest in librarianship:
SHHH! Keith Richards, the grizzled veteran of rock’n’roll excess, has confessed to a secret longing: to be a librarian. After decades spent partying in a haze of alcohol and drugs, Richards will tell in his forthcoming autobiography that he has been quietly nurturing his inner bookworm.

Honestly, I cannot quite imagine him at the reference desk, but I CAN imagine how Keith as a librarian could be a mind altering experience for everyone who thinks librarians are quiet, staid, rule bound individuals.  Just having Keith make his interest known could be great for us all!  Not only does Richards' image change that impression, Richards gets that the public library is "the great equalizer" ...a statement that when spoken from a rock star may resonate more with some in the general public than when they hear it from the academy (in higher ed, that is).

What do you think?  Shall we find a library school for Keith?

Twitter, redux

I have mentioned Twitter as a means for marketing before, but I have been shocked at how in the last month it seems like EVERYONE in TV-land has suddenly become part of the Twitterati.  From Oprah, Barbara Walters to CNN and Ashton Kucher, being on Twitter has suddenly become mainstream.  While I hope that means that more library patrons will also be on Twitter, I worry about what this sudden attention may mean...will libraries jump onto Twitter because they believe that if everyone else is there, they should be there too...without thinking first about WHY they should be there (and maybe WHY NOT?).

Personally, I like it best when I get to follow the CEO, CIO, CMO and hear about changes the company is making, how the company is thinking about its products/services.  A couple folks to follow (if you want to see what I mean):
Jeffrey Hayzlett (Kodak)
Barry Judge (BestBuy)
Tony Hsieh (Zappos -- the online shoe company and perhaps my favorite of the people listed -- he really talks about HIMSELF a lot, which is kinda fun)

Here's what I think libraries forget: going into a social medium, like Twitter, requires that you have a purpose and a personality!  Twitter only gives you 140 characters..and people expect you to update regularly (and sometimes to either be witty or to be relevant).  It's something that I see individual librarians do well, but not something I see libraries as organizations do well. 

Odds and Ends

I was struck today by 2 pieces of news: Facebook is up to 150 million users (half of whom use Facebook daily!) and in other news, a guy is being sued for suggesting on a website that his chiropractor sucks (my word, not his).  Now, these two pieces of news may seem dissimilar, but for me, they both illustrate how use of the web has become part of our daily lives.  We post things online that we regularly would have said in person to friends -- and we are spending A LOT of time online doing casual things like using Facebook and telling the world what we think of our doctors.  How we use the web has become seamless to us, so much so that I bet the guy that is getting sued was shocked by the news (I imagine he didn't think the chiropractor would ever know what he wrote, believing that his use was both casual and hidden by the massive amount of other bits and pieces of information on the web).

When librarians think about how we talk to our patrons about the web, we should keep in mind what they currently use it for -- and remember that they are entagled in that web....and so are we!

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An update: the original post about the chiropractor appears to have been removed from Yelp.  Now, what remains:

A misunderstanding between both parties led us to act out of hand. I chose to ignore Dr. Biegel's initial request to discuss my posting. In hindsight, I should have remained open to his concerns. Both Dr. Biegel and I strongly believe in a person's right to express their opinions in a public forum.

We both encourage the internet community to act responsibly.  From: http://www.yelp.com/biz/advanced-chiropractic-center-san-francisco 
Maybe part of the settlement?

What's your voice?

The very best thing about the last couple years is that I have had been able to take the time to really consider my point of view and to share my voice.  I don't want to sound like I am whining -- no employer has ever tried to stifle my voice -- but I'm not sure I really knew what it was until recently.  I am finding that my passion for libraries is much deeper than I had thought and that it is often something I feel deepest when I am thinking as a reader, rather than as a librarian!  Now, I love being a librarian, I just sometimes feel that my voice isn't heard within libraries, but that is one that is shared by many of my fellow readers.  Since I now know my voice, I have been speaking -- sometimes softly, sometimes loudly.  And to my surprise, my voice is welcomed more than I had expected!  Not always shared, but welcomed...well....one step at a time, right? 

So this is my challenge to all of you -- find your voice and speak with it.  I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Comic book sales

Not only are profits good, comic books are proving that interest in reading PRINT and in shopping PHYSICALLY is also alive and well!

As many librarians could tell you, comic books and graphic novels are alive -- not only are sales in that "archaic" format, the bookstore up, I have rarely seen both librarians and patrons so interested in comic books!  Tour the vendor aisle at ALA and you now see a graphic novels area!  It used to be just one or two booths! 

I don't know too many libraries that tout their comic collection though, and that's something I hope will change.  While an exhibit inside the library might help increase use for those patrons who are already inside, I wonder if we would get NEW patrons if we were willing to promote comic books.  Does anyone else remember the study that showed that literacy increased for boys who were taught using comic books? 

Spoiler alert: Comic books are alive and kicking - Oct. 13, 2008.

At Marvel Entertainment (MVL), the industry's largest player, revenues for its print wares have been growing in double digits for the past three years and profit margins have been running at close to 40%.

Thinking about the community read

According to the LOC, "The "One Book" movement began in 1998 when Nancy Pearl, executive director of the Washington Center for the Book in the Seattle Public Library, initiated "If All Seattle Read the Same Book." With funding from the Lila Wallace Reader's Digest Fund and several local sponsors, she invited members of the public to read the novel "The Sweet Hereafter" by Russell Banks, and brought the author to Seattle for three days in December to discuss his book in a series of free public programs." (http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0601/cfb.html)
In the last 10 years, that movement has really taken hold in cities and on college campuses.  What I wonder: how involved are libraries AND how much do libraries involve their communities in the planning?  It seems like on many college campuses, the library plays a minor role.  The book is chosen by faculty or by students, the events are hosted around campus, with the library maybe involved by providing circulating copies of the chosen book.
Alternately, in some public libraries, the book is chosen by the librarians, without consulting anyone in the community about the book.  Are the books selected because the event organizer has a favorite?  Because it is written by a local author?  Because it speaks to an issue the community should discuss?  I worry that in our haste to jump on board the One Book train, we aren't thinking strategically about why we are offering up the book.  No, really, WHY?  There doesn't need to be ONE answer to the One Book movement, but I fear that libraries cannot offer a plan, something that shows they have considered their desired outcomes before they planned and hosted the event.  For me, this gets to a certain panic -- a feeling that we need to find ways now to connect with our communities.  Certainly we need to always offer relevant products and services...but that's no excuse for taking the time to think about what we do strategically.  And then, once we know that, to offer up a real marketing plan for all our services, including the One Book events (should they be found to be useful -- which may vary from library to library).
What do you think?  Have you participated in a One Book event?  Have you thought about it?  Who was involved in the decision making??

A word to the wise

I read adAge weekly.  Many weeks, there is nothing that captures my attention, but this morning, I read the following paragraph:
The Pitfalls of Megabranding - Advertising Age - Al Ries

A declining category means that consumers are leaving the market. Some consumers who used to drink cola are now drinking water and other beverages. How can "more choice" bring them back to cola? What Coca-Cola needs to do is to promote "cola," not choice.

Leaving the declining category aside (as I am not convinced that libraries are a declining category, although ready reference may be), wee need to answer what type of message are we sending and what should it be?  As much as librarians worry about patrons using the internet and bookstores, we have been torn between alienating our patrons by sending a message that is anti-internet and anti-bookstore (you won't find what you need there, come to us) or sending a message that ignores the competition (we're useful -- with an implied still at the end of we're useful...still).

Ries goes on to discuss how the brand becomes meaningless when it becomes a megabrand, with line extensions that take the brand into products that don't represent the original brand, muddying the original message.  He also quotes Steve Jobs, who said: "Everything just got simpler. That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity." 

This all reminds me of the newest OCLC report, From Awareness to Funding, that states that the library is a superbrand.  People know what the library is and what it stands for.  We don't need campaigns that promote books; books are circulating just fine.  We do need campaigns that promote the transformational impact of libraries, that highlight the results of having a library, results that we have that our competitors do not.  You don't hear Google talking about literacy.  Borders doesn't champion intellectual enlightenment.  When was the last time you saw a library campaign that talked about: all libraries are forums for information and ideas?

Liaison responsibilties

Last week, the CODES Liaison with Users committee presented the results of the national survey on liaison responsibilties in public and academic libraries, with Ridie Ghezzi rounding up the tak with information on the liaison workshop at Dartmouth.

My part of the panel was to present the results of the academic library survey.  In case y'all are interested, here it is!  For me, the most interesting results are that there is no real difference in what liaisons in public and academic libraries do and that everyone in the library is now involved as a liaison, regardless of department.  I wish I had asked if everyone has an MLS so I could present data that illustrates that as well (I know in some libraries that support staff with advanced degrees serve as liaisons, but have never seen research showing how common/uncommon that is).

The slideshow is available below, but you can also download the pdf.

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