Educational shift
Educational reformists claim that education is ultimately heading for a dramatic shift by 2020 (Carter, 2016). To date, online training providers have been described as ‘disrupting the current traditional business education models of business schools across the world and reshaping the business education market’ (Horn & Christensen, 2013). However, recent research clearly demonstrates that anytime, anywhere ubiquitous mobile learning incurs low-cost access to personalised digital resources.
The following article will I suggest afford educationalists an opportunity to review the merits of adopting the online learning platform Lynda.com within third level education. Recent research by Xiong and Suen (2018) depict this type of self-help tutorial service as a ‘quasi-Mooc’, comparing it to accessing embedded educational resources, than the more traditional type of online course. Studies by Brown and Sedeyn (2017) even suggest that Lynda’s distance learning model offers numerous affordances from a professional development perspective to both staff and students alike, with Adams and Connally (2018) describing how lessons are analysed and incorporated into assignments, typically achieved by the adoption of playlists and pre-built customised widgets.
Case Studies
Following a successful pilot, Georgetown University in 2012 had invested in a Campus wide version of the service to all staff and students. The core mission of the adoption was to provide resources to help people teach, learn and research. For students Lynda provided an opportunity to extend projects beyond the classroom, while furthermore adopting the service as a career development tool. Faculty members adopted the service for their own professional development, whilst supporting a flipped-classroom learning model. Similar pilots at Columbia, Indiana, Lafayette, Louisiana, West Virginia alongside Vassar and Oberlin College, each highlighted the cost-effectiveness and supplemental nature of the service to provide professional extended support to those unable to attend instructor-led and lab-based training (Bentley et al., 2012).
The Future
The future of education is dependent upon removing the great disparities experienced by students from different social and economic backgrounds. In May of 2018, it was announced that over one million post-secondary students, faculty and staff from 44 Universities and College’s in Ontario Canada can benefit today from using Lynda. This collaboration will focus on supporting faculty development, enable a more engaging flipped classroom, support existing teaching and learning and they believe help prepare students for the jobs of the future.
Bibliography
Adams, T., & Connally, I. (2018). Introduction to Information Systems (GSU).
Bentley, C., Fletcher, K., Fust, C., Klein, R., Rhodes, C., Sanders, C., . . . Wagnon, E. (2012). Shaking Up Traditional Training With Lynda. com.
Brown, D., & Sedeyn, R. (2017). Proposal to Develop an hMOOC for Professional Development Courses for Education Professionals Throughout the United States.
Carter, J. (2016). Experts say education headed for dramatic shift by 2020. Education Dive.
Horn, M., & Christensen, C. (2013). Beyond the buzz, where are MOOCs really going. Opinión, Wired.
Xiong, Y., & Suen, H. K. (2018). Assessment approaches in massive open online courses: Possibilities, challenges and future directions. International Review of Education, 64(2), 241-263.
Topics: Continuing Professional Development , Topics: Digital Identities and Literacies
