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Interactive Breakout Session OPN01

Who Killed the MOOC? Join the Jury

Date Thursday, Dec 1  Time   –    Room Charlottenburg I

In December 2016, OEB will call a range of witnesses to the stage in order to resolve doubt and solve a problem around a specific issue in the realm of learning and technology. You, the audience, are asked to provide a final verdict on the case which holds the global education sector in suspense under the headline: Who Killed The MOOC.

A few weeks ago a body was found in a locked apartment in London. Fingerprint, dental and DNA identification turned up no matches. The police were initially mystified but a more detailed search revealed a scrap of paper tucked in a corner of the room, which looked like it had come from a conference badge, with the letter T and the word “Mooc” just about visible. Was there a letter k after the c? Some said yes, most felt no. The body, tall and thin, was dressed in an unflattering combination of casual and business clothes which would not have won any prizes at a fashion or style event.

There were not many people in London whose surnames were Mooc or Moock. None of them were missing. Enquiries were made of the landlord - but all he could say was that the apartment was rented to a company with the ambitious name of “Global Universal Learning Free” registered in Panama City. Of course the owners could not be identified.

Because of that Panama link, the body’s build and the way the body was dressed, rumours began to surface that the body was that of the mysterious person called “The MOOC”. Many around the world had heard this character or seen The MOOC at a distance or online but few had met The MOOC face to face. Those few told contradictory stories. Some said that The MOOC was talkative, some said taciturn. Others said that The MOOC had often spoken to them about soon becoming very rich, but had always asked them to buy the coffee or food. On a few occasions The MOOC gave away free books on interesting topics, but mostly The MOOC tried to sell them. Did The MOOC have lots of friends or was The MOOC very lonely? Or maybe even had enemies? No one could agree.

The one thing that most agreed on was that The MOOC often slipped away when they were not paying attention, only to turn up days or weeks later in a different city.

The purpose of this coroner’s court of inquiry is first to determine what was the cause of death of the body believed to be The MOOC. Was The MOOC murdered or did The MOOC die of natural causes? Or was the body not that of The MOOC but of somebody else who just happened to look and dress a bit similarly? In that case, where in this world (or another?) was the real The MOOC?

The coroner, Paul Bacsich, will question pre-selected members of the audience known to have views on the issue. After each witness has answered the coroner’s questions, the audience (all deemed to be interested parties) can ask each a few questions. At the end of this inquiry at OEB 2016, based on the evidence and questions we will ask your vote.

OEB speaker Wolfram Laaser

Wolfram Laaser

Akademischer Direktor i.R., Akademischer Direktor i.R., Fernuniversität in Hagen, Germany

OEB speaker Brian Mulligan

Brian Mulligan

Programme Manager (Development), Centre for Online Learning, Institute of Technology Sligo, Ireland

OEB speaker Melissa Highton

Melissa Highton

Assistant Principal for Online Learning; Director of Learning, Teaching & Web, University of Edinburgh, UK

OEB speaker Pieter de Vries

Pieter de Vries

Researcher, Lecturer, Advisor, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands

OEB speaker Jeanny Wildi-Yune

Jeanny Wildi-Yune

Senior Manager, KPMG AG Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft, Germany

OEB speaker Sean Coughlan

Sean Coughlan

Education Correspondent, BBC News, UK

Moderator

OEB speaker Paul Bacsich

Paul Bacsich

Senior Consultant, Sero Consulting Ltd, UK