TKP The Kavli Prize 2014: The Science Forum by Enzo Finger

REPORT THE KAVLI PRIZE SCIENCE FORUM

Higher education in the 21st century the technological revolution in open education The death of a traditional system or the next wave of democracy?

Old Festive Hall, September 8, 2014 University of Oslo

FOREWORD N i l s C h r. S t e n s e t h a n d R o b e r t W. C o n n

The Kavli Prize Science Forum is part of the Kavli Prize Week and is intended as a venue to discuss major topics in science and science policy. This was the third Kavli Prize Science Forum. The first, focusing on ‘International cooperation in the advancement of science’, was held in 2010, while the topic of the second was ‘Science and global health’. The topic of the 2014 Forum was ‘Higher education in the 21st century’, with a particular focus on the many facets of open learning and education in the digital age. This year’s Forum also celebrated the 200th anniversary of Norway’s constitution and the vital role of education in the growth of the country.

et Lettres (PSL), France; Mandla S. Makhanya, principal and vice chancellor of the University of South Africa; and Sanjay E. Sarma, director of digital learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA. The panel also addressed questions from the audience in Oslo and from a global audience that participated via a live webcast. The moderator was Vivienne Parry, a science writer and broadcaster who reports for news outlets including the BBC. Open online education offers opportunities in areas brick-and-mortar universities cannot reach in their current form. As innovators on this new education frontier, the Forum’s panellists provided keen insights into the reach of this remarkable platform and addressed the issue of how to educate very large numbers of people, far beyond what is possible in the traditional model. They also highlighted some of the challenges of making this model impactful in different regions of the world, where both cultural and

Participants included the Norwegian Minister of Education and Research, Mr Torbjørn Røe Isaksen and four leading international experts on open education: Martin G. Bean, vice-chancellor of The Open University, UK; Monique Canto-Sperber, president of the research university Paris Sciences

technological differences must be addressed. Nevertheless, the panellists concurred that online education, if undertaken with care, has the potential to encourage democracy by enabling the education of vast numbers of people across all segments of society. This report is a summary of the 2014 Forum. It includes the full text of the Minister’s opening speech and the opening remarks of the organisers. We would like to thank Julie Clayton for preparing this report and extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all the participants who made the Forum such a success.

Nils Chr. Stenseth President, The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters

Robert W. Conn President, The Kavli Foundation

Sanjay Sarma, Mandla S. Makhanya, Monique Canto-Sperber, Robert W. Conn, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Nils Chr. Stenseth, Vivienne Parry, Martin Bean (Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix)

NILS CHR. STENSETH President, The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters Opening remarks

Dear Minister of Education and Research; Dear Kavli Prize Laureates; Dear honourable panel members; Ladies & gentlemen.

tists and their work; and second, to foster international cooperation among scientists. The former is achieved largely through the broad publicity the Kavli Prizes receive – both nationally and internationally – thus reaching lay people in all corners of the world. The prize and the entire Kavli Prize Week highlight the importance of excellence in science. The latter mission of the Kavli Prize, fostering international cooperation among scientists, is also achieved by the global attention the Kavli Prize receives; this encourages scientists to work together, to achieve greatness.

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to this Kavli Prize Science Forum – indeed, to welcome you to the entire Kavli Prize Week. The Kavli Prizes in Astrophysics, Nanoscience and Neuroscience, which we are gathered here to celebrate today, were established in order to highlight the importance of excellence in science. Tomorrow nine Kavli Prize Laureates will receive their prizes from our King in Oslo Concert Hall. Earlier today, the laureates have given lectures on their research at the Blindern campus.

This afternoon we will discuss another dimension of science – more specifically, science education. The topic of this year’s Science Forum is: ‘The technological revolution of open education: the death of a traditional system or the next wave of democracy?’

The Kavli Prize has two missions, in addition to recognising outstanding scientific research and honouring highly creative scientists: first, to promote public understanding of scien-

I will not answer this question; that is a job for the panellists and the Minister. I will, however, remind all of us that the work we are highlighting through the Kavli Prizes are examples of excellence in science – excellence in basic and long-term curiositydriven research. If such excellence is to be achieved, we must provide our students with excellent science teaching at all levels.

very interested in the issue of quality control, both in science and at all levels of our education system. It is therefore my great pleasure to introduce our Minister of Education and Research. The floor is yours, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen.

Taking advantage of the Internet and modern technology, we might be able to provide excellent science training all over the world – also to less developed parts of the world. This process will help make science education highly democratic, which is, of course, fantastic. However, now the issue of quality control with regards to online teaching programmes becomes essential. As we all know, there is a great deal of information available on the Internet that does not meet our quality criteria. I know the minister is

TORBJØRN RØE ISAKSEN Minister of Education and Research Opening address

Dear laureates, ladies and gentlemen, dear friends. Welcome to Norway.

that long-distance learning failed. It succeeded in making education available to new groups in society. In Norway, we celebrated women’s right to vote last year, which came in 1913. And a very important part of liberating women in Norway was learning by mail. It was learning in a way that meant you did not have to leave your kitchen, you did not have to leave your kids, and you could learn even though you were still at home. Longdistance learning by mail was obviously important for democratisation, as any education is.

Quote: ‘Higher education was on the verge of a revolution. A powerful new communications network totally changed the rules of the game. Education was no longer dependent on being present on old brick and mortar campuses, but available anywhere, at any time.’ This could be a description of the effect of massive open online courses (MOOCs), or any other highly advanced educational tool. In fact this is a description of the introduction of long-distance learning by mail in the United States, written more than one hundred years ago. At the time, the American historian, Frederick Jackson Turner, predicted that long-distance learning would empty campuses because everyone would prefer education at home.

It is tempting to claim that the introduction of the World Wide Web has led to the ultimate democratisation of knowledge. Today anyone with Internet has access to an overwhelming amount of information. I choose the word information, because information and knowledge are not the same. You can get a lot of information, but you do not necessarily get knowledge. Peer-reviewed articles,

As we know, campus education did not perish. But that does not mean

quality-assured research results and lectures are still, for the most part, guarded by subscription and tuition fees. But times are changing. We see that a very positive culture of sharing knowledge is on the rise, and increasingly more knowledge is being made available through Open Access and Open Educational Resources. And I believe we should see MOOCs, and similar education technologies, as part of this greater trend.

MOOCs now, but in my view the interesting debate is just starting. In 2012 Sebastian Thrun, one of the men behind the Artificial Intelligence MOOC, claimed that ‘in 50 years there would be only 10 great universities left in the world’, due to for example MOOCs. Not too different from Jackson Turner’s old claims. Bold claims make big headlines, but the trendlines are often different. Personally, I do not believe that the traditional university education will perish this time either. But still, MOOCs and similar technologies will surely change education as we know it. Just look at young people using technology.

Things are moving very fast when it comes to technological changes. It has been three years since the famous ‘Introduction to Artificial Intelligence’ MOOC, that attracted worldwide attention, and a whopping 160,000 students signed up. And it is already two years since The New York Times declared 2012 ‘the year of the MOOC’. In these few years MOOCs have already been through a sensational amount of hype: they have been declared dead and they have been resurrected. Some might claim it is a bit late to start discussing

The children growing up today give a whole new meaning to the term digital native. To them, using technological tools will be the normal way to learn. In 12 to 15 years this generation will be ready to attend university. And so the question we need to ask ourselves cannot be whether to use

MOOCs and similar technology in higher education, but rather how we can best make use of them.

give anyone full access to elite education without cost is a grand vision, but also a utopian one.

In June I received an ‘Official Norwegian Report’ advising both the Norwegian government and universities on how we should utilise MOOCs.

In late 2013 Sebastian Thrun, whom I mentioned as one of the creators behind the Artificial Intelligence (AI) MOOC and who is also a cofounder of the MOOC provider Udacity, called the first AI MOOC a ‘lousy product’. He said that while the MOOC made sensational headlines all over the world, he realised that it did not live up to their high expectations. First, the course had a drop-out rate of 86 per cent. Second, the overwhelming majority of the students already held a degree. Still, I believe it is worth noting that the 14 per cent that completed the course still adds up to 23,000 students. Maybe we should not be too quick to judge the drop-out rates by our normal standards.

Right now the report is subject to a broad public consultation until 20 October. I am looking forward to the upcoming debates, about the report, as well as the one here today. To me as a politician, the use of MOOCs and educational technology is not a goal in itself, but a means to reach greater political goals: providing the best possible quality of education, building good and resilient universities and making sure that education contributes towards a better world.

I am more worried about Thrun’s second point. That MOOCs, instead of spreading knowledge to new groups and areas, only provide even

What hopes ought we realistically to have for what the use of MOOCs can do? The vision that these courses can

more knowledge for those who already have a formal education.

in context between the camp and where the MOOC was made, in the US. I do not believe that one such research project is proof that MOOCs cannot be a viable solution in challenged areas. But I do believe it underlines the point that MOOCs, or other educational technologies, are no quick fix or cheap solution.

A year ago professor Barbara MoserMercer, from the University of Geneva, in collaboration with UNHCR and the MOOC provider Coursera, tested whether existing MOOCs could be an easy and realistic way to provide higher education in a refugee camp. Her project was carried out in a camp on the border between Somalia and Kenya. She chose two students for a short course in teaching. And they succeeded – but only after extensive work and resources from the organiser.

One of the underlying conflicts in the MOOCs debate is about whether it is a tool to make higher education better or a way for financially challenged universities to market themselves and save money. The two need not be mutually exclusive. While I argue that improving the quality in education must of course be our main objective, MOOCs can perhaps also contribute to giving students ‘more bang, or quality, for their buck’.

They experienced that even a quite simple MOOC require a better Internet connection and equipment than what they had available. And while many refugees have a mobile phone, very few have a smartphone. In the project Moser-Mercer also described problems linked to understanding the MOOC. Not just due to language, but also because of the great differences

One of the biggest myths about MOOCs is that they are free to produce. A good MOOC is much more than a taped lecture. Obviously such productions have a cost, which some-

one must pay. We also need to discuss what quality we should expect from a MOOC. Can students achieve the same learning outcome from a MOOC, as from a traditional course?

invest; for example a flipped classroom, where lectures can be watched at home, leaving the time in the classroom for discussions, questions and problem solving.

It is hard to give a short and precise definition of what high quality in education consists in. Is it just the books you read, your curriculum? I believe it is also the meeting between a student and a teacher. Or between a group of students and teachers. And I am not sure that this kind of contact can successfully be recreated online.

Second, as a very interesting improvement in flexible education, MOOCs can greatly improve accessibility for those unable to attend traditional education, for any sort of reason. MOOCs can for example help us achieve real lifelong learning. And thirdly, perhaps the greatest potential of MOOCs lies in the great opportunities they provide to offer high quality and flexibility in professional development. Today any business or state agency is dependent on the continued updating and further education of its workforce.

There is no reason that MOOCs should first and foremost be viewed as an alternative to traditional education; rather they are a very interesting supplement. I would like to emphasise three things.

I want to close with a remark on MOOCs and the global perspective. When we talk about MOOCs bringing education to the world, we (at least in Norway) seem to always talk about

First, MOOCs can be a way to improve higher education, giving students â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;more bang for the buckâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; we

European or American examples. The conversation can often continue to topics such as the dangers of western domination in education. These are of course not irrelevant points. But we should also remember that the world is changing. There is no reason why the most popular MOOCs in an African country should not be from the African continent. Or perhaps from universities in Brazil, India or China. We should also consider that in the future, the best and most popular MOOC in Norway might equally well be Chinese. It is an obvious truth, but still worth repeating, that none of us knows what the future holds. The best we can do to prepare is to ask good questions. And obviously try to find some even better answers. Thank you for your attention.

There is no reason that MOOCs should first and foremost be viewed as an alternative to traditional education; rather they are a very interesting supplement. Torbjørn Røe Isaksen

R O B E R T W. C O N N President and CEO, The Kavli Foundation Opening remarks

On behalf of The Kavli Foundation, it is a pleasure to welcome you to the Third Biennial Kavli Prize Science Forum. Mr Minister, thank you for taking time from what is surely a very busy schedule to be with us today. Your presence and remarks signal the importance that you place on both science and education as major parts of the foundation for the health and wellbeing of democracies, and indeed of modern societies around the globe.

anniversary of its Constitution. Our Norwegian partners in the Kavli Prize suggested that for this year, something different might be done. They suggested the topic of today’s Forum as an appropriate one both in celebration of democracy and as a way to look to its future. We agreed – it was a very simple decision. Education, free and open education, with as little bias and control of the content of the materials used and with as historically accurate material as possible, is central to any functioning democracy. This openness, which extends to freedoms of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of the right of citizens to petition their government, is among the features that distinguish democracies from all other forms of government.

The topic of the first Kavli Forum in 2010 was ‘The role of international cooperation in advancing science’ while in 2012, the topic was ‘Science and global health’. In both cases, science was clearly at the centre of the discussion. This year, the topic is ‘Higher education in the 21st century – the technological revolution in open education, and its role in developing democracy’. So why this topic, and why this year?

It has been said that a well-educated public is essential to a functioning democracy. The challenge in these revolutionary technological times is how this well-educated public will achieve that education. How shall we

Norway is a proud democracy, and this year it celebrates the two hundredth

separate the wheat from the chaff? How shall we measure and assure that students have absorbed and understood the content of courses? When courses are made available online by universities such as Harvard or MIT or Stanford or Cambridge, how will anyone know if the students have mastered the subjects? Who in fact will offer the courses? It will not be Harvard, MIT, Stanford or Cambridge except in very limited cases. So who will determine the grades? Will grades or evaluations be widely accepted by others, such as graduate schools? How will students best be offered help in online courses? And how will networking and group study, so crucial to student learning in an on-campus setting, occur in the online setting?

Online education, and innovations such as massive open online courses, or MOOCs, pose many difficult questions for the future of education, and therefore for the future of democracy. So today, we look forward to a most stimulating and animated discussion.

It has been said that a welleducated public is essential to a functioning democracy. The challenge in these revolutionary technological times is how this well-educated public will achieve that education. How shall we separate the wheat from the chaff? How shall we measure and assure that students have absorbed and understood the content of courses? Robert W. Conn

THE FORUM

I will, however, remind all of us that the work we are highlighting through the Kavli Prizes are examples of excellence in science â&#x20AC;&#x201C; excellence in basic and long-term curiosity-driven research. If such excellence is to be achieved, we must provide our students with excellent science teaching at all levels. Nils Chr. Stenseth

HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY – THE TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION IN OPEN EDUCATION By Julie Clayton

Vivienne Parry, Mandla Makhanya, Monique Canto-Sperber, Sanjay Sarma, Martin Bean (Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB scanpix)

(i) Introduction

tember 2014, attended by the Norwegian Minister of Education and Research, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen and other eminent scientists, academics, policy makers and journalists. Welcoming the panellists and audience members were Nils Christian Stenseth, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and Robert W. Conn, President and CEO of The Kavli Foundation. Science

The Kavli Prize Science Forum is an international forum that takes place every two years as part of Kavli Prize Week. The Forum brings together a panel of leading experts for a highlevel, global discussion on a single topic relating to science and science policy. The 2014 Forum took place in the ornate Old Festive Hall on 8 Sep-

journalist and author Vivienne Parry facilitated the 2014 Forum on the topic, ‘Higher education in the 21st century – The technological revolution in open education’.

Online Courses (MOOCs) by leading universities has begun expanding the range and reach of online education. The key feature of MOOCs is that they can be accessed freely by anyone, anywhere, with an Internet connection. There is no need for qualifications or even tutors, as evaluation can be done through automated multiplechoice tests. The number of students who can learn from a MOOC and their location is, in theory, limitless. It also means that the balance between on-campus versus distance learning could shift dramatically in the near future as students log-on from around the world.

Higher education is usually regarded as a key step in equipping students with detailed knowledge and skills for future employment. But until recently, higher education was largely restricted by entrance requirements and the need to attend a university or other higher education institution (HEI) campus in person, as well as pay tuition fees. This situation is now changing, however, as universities and other HEIs take advantage of online communication tools to widen access and deliver education in new and innovative ways.

At the 2014 Kavli Prize Forum, experts in higher education discussed the potential impact of online open education, particularly MOOCs, on higher education and on society. MOOCs were unlikely to reduce demand for traditional bricks and mortar HEIs; rather, they were likely to have a very positive influence both off- and on-campus in curriculum

Online education has grown significantly in the past decade, using the Internet to deliver educational materials and to provide a medium for tuition beyond the classroom. Since 2012, the launch of Massive Open

design and delivery. There were also questions over the quality of online versus campus education. Could online teaching ever replace lectures and small group tutorials? Would universities and employers recognise MOOCs as credits and qualifications? It was clear from the ensuing debate the panellists believe the benefits of MOOCs should outweigh the potential disadvantages. Moreover, the panel agreed that MOOCs offer an unrivalled opportunity for taking higher education to a greater diversity of people. Despite their optimism however, there remain some key challenges, particularly for students in developing countries.

•

of South Africa  Sanjay E. Sarma, Director of Digital Learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.

Moderator: Vivienne Parry, science journalist and author

(ii) Summary of opening address and remarks Opening address: Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research For Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, Norwegian Minister of Education and Research, the opening address was a moment to reflect on a key historical moment in higher education, more than a century ago, when long-distance education by mail was launched in the United States. He quoted historian Frederick Jackson Turner: ‘Higher education was on the verge of a revolution. A powerful new communica-

Panellists: • Martin G. Bean, Vice-Chancellor, The Open University, United Kingdom  • Monique Canto-Sperber, Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL Research University) • Mandla S. Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor, University

tions network totally changed the rules of the game. Education was no longer dependent on the presence of old bricks and mortar campuses but available anywhere, at any time.’

Similarly the development of online education tools including MOOCs, are less a threat to traditional university campuses, and more an opportunity to deliver distance education more effectively than before. Isaksen cautioned, however, that, ‘the vision that these courses can give anyone in the world complete access to elite education without cost is a very grand

Isaksen noted that distance learning did not, of course, lead to the demise of bricks and mortar campuses; instead, it revolutionised access to

‘Higher education was on the verge of a revolution. A powerful new communications network totally changed the rules of the game. Education was no longer dependent on the presence of old bricks and mortar campuses but available anywhere, at any time.’ Frederick Jackson Turner education for those who could not attend traditional universities. Women, for example, who had been confined by social convention to the home, were among the early main beneficiaries of this type of distance education.

vision but it’s also probably a very utopian vision.’ He cited a recent experiment in Somalia by researchers at the University of Geneva that tested the usability of MOOCs by students living in a refugee camp in Somalia. Along with the challenge of

poor Internet connectivity, the students struggled with the language and context in which the course materials were created. ‘I’m still concerned that MOOC spreading knowledge provides more only for those who already have formal education,’ Isaksen said.

Opening remarks: Nils Stenseth, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, and Robert W. Conn, President and CEO of The Kavli Foundation In his earlier welcoming remarks, Nils Stenseth, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters, also emphasised that in order to promote excellence in science and long-term curiosity, it was important to ensure that there is excellence in science education and teaching. The Internet, he said, was a powerful tool for helping to deliver educational materials, including in less developed parts of world but, he warned, ‘as we all know much information on the Internet fails quality control.’

Another concern was the quality of education achievable through MOOCs. Looking ahead, however, Isaksen was optimistic about the development of more diverse sources of quality online education than the existing mainly European and North American examples. ‘There’s no reason why the most popular online courses used in Africa should not be from the African continent – or local to other regions. The future best and most popular MOOC in Norway could be from China or South Africa.’

Robert W. Conn, President and CEO of The Kavli Foundation, highlighted the relevance of education to democracy, which was fitting for the 2014 Forum in that Norway was also celebrating its bicentenary as a democracy. He noted, ‘Free and open

education with as little bias in the content of the materials as possible and with as historically accurate material as possible is really central to any functioning democracy.’ Conn also raised fundamental questions regarding the use and value of MOOCs, including how universities will assess the understanding and knowledge gained by students, and whether their completion of a MOOC will count towards a university degree. Most importantly, can an online education help forge the lifelong professional networks that universities can facilitate?

reduce job prospects for university teachers? Will this new means of broadening access to education be a boost for democracy or is that just wishful thinking? These questions were among the topics raised during the 2014 Kavli Prize Science Forum on 8 September 2014, ‘Higher education in the 21st century – the technological revolution in open education: the death of a traditional system or the next wave of democracy?’ The Forum debated the benefits and limitations of online open education: in particular, addressing the differences in quality and value of MOOCs compared with a university education, and the potential for online education to benefit consumers around the globe.

(iii) The forum The world of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and other forms of online education is blossoming; but can a virtual classroom deliver the same quality of education as bricks and mortar universities? Will the boom in online education lead to the demise of traditional institutions and

Moderator Vivienne Parry opened the Forum by inviting each of the four panellists to state their respective positions regarding the potential impact of online education, particularly MOOCs. In his opening

remarks, Martin Bean, Vice-Chancellor of the UK’s Open University (OU), noted how 18 of the top 20 ranked north American institutions started giving courses for free in 2012 – for example with the launch of OpenCourseWare by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – followed by the launch of MITx, Udacity, Coursera and edX. The OU launched OpenLearn in 2012, and FutureLearn in 2013. ‘We started to see the beginning of us, our institutions, being able to open ourselves up and have a dramatic impact on the world for good.’

Bean stated his conviction, however, that quality was not compromised by the online medium. ‘Quality is not synonymous with mode. It’s not defined by brick and mortar or online. Quality is click and mortar: you can have great and lousy teaching face-to-face or online.’ In a time when anyone can have a ‘weapon of mass distraction’ in their pocket, the real challenge in using today’s technology is ‘to help our students transform information into meaningful knowledge.’ Sanjay Sarma, Director of Digital Learning at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, U.S.A., began his introductory remarks by describing the surprising popularity of the first MOOC from MIT – a course on artificial intelligence. Computer scientists worked ‘day and night’ for three months to create the MOOC, hoping for between 5,000 and 10,000 online users in the first month of going live, and were staggered to see the numbers skyrocketed to 155,000 within weeks

According to Bean, the MOOCs entail vastly different technologies to those of the 1970s when the OU first championed distance learning in the UK, broadcasting lectures via BBC television to students in their own homes – some of whom even had a colour TV set. OpenLearn already has an impressive 5 million visitors per year, with 278,000 accessing the OU’s business entrepreneur course alone.

of the launch in March 2012. From that time, ‘they knew they were onto something big,’ said Sarma. Founded initially by MIT and Harvard, today the edX platform delivers MOOCs produced by more than 50 partnership members, reaching 95 countries and almost 3 million enrollees worldwide. ‘It’s an extraordinary story of sheer engineering courage and delivery with an open mentality.’

we can get to work doing what we do best – building things, starting companies and testing things, field research, changing the world.’ Already, more than 60 courses at MIT have used the edX software for oncampus teaching. Mandla Makhanya, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the Open University of South Africa (UNISA), stressed in his introductory remarks that in Africa, there is also considerable demand for distance learning. Until now this has been largely catered for by UNISA, the Open University of South Africa, which has over 400,000 students across the African continent. Makhanya believes the availability of MOOCs could certainly change teaching ideas and practice, and in that sense ‘we are to a certain extent witnessing the death of the traditional system’ of higher education, he noted. But in its place, Makhanya envisaged ‘a new structure of distance education being shaped and defined by technology access and uptake.’

Sarma went on to explain that beyond the benefits to students off-campus, MOOCs were transforming the oncampus learning experience. The two key components of education – the transmission of information and knowledge to a student, and the subsequent transformation of the student’s understanding of the topic – can be improved by using online tools to place lecture material outside of the classroom. This permits tutors to maximize the opportunity for interactive discussion and debate in the classroom. ‘When students come in

The implications for democracy will depend on ‘whose version of democracy’ is being considered, according to Makhanya. With Internet access still a challenge in developing countries, ‘the scales are tipped on the side of the pitfalls rather than the potential,’ he said. Despite this, African educators were aiming to contribute as ‘conceptualisers and crafters of our open education identities, models, practices and expression’ and in doing so add ‘another long overdue dimension and debate around the death of the traditional system or the next wave of democracy.’ Forum panelist Monique Canto-Sperber, philosopher and President of the Paris Science et Lettres, remarked on the process of intellectual transformation, which should follow acquiring information and knowledge. This transformation, she said, is a gradual process where the student ‘takes full possession of [the knowledge], integrates it and challenges it’ so as to create the necessary ‘personal assets

in support of one’s thoughts and actions.’ She stated her belief that, with information in abundance on the Internet, the value of a university education will depend on its effectiveness in transforming people into being able to critically evaluate and apply knowledge.

During the open discussion, the panellists agreed one of the intended consequences of broadening access to higher education is the empowering of disadvantaged communities through the dissemination of greater knowledge and skills. It would mean too that, in theory, users did not need any prerequisite qualifications. Sarma admitted, however, in practice this may not be the case. For example, most users of edX are already highly

‘Will the value be focused on content or will it be translated into what surrounds content – that means interac-

‘We have a lot of work to do to make sure that underprivileged child or adult is taking the MOOC.’ Sanjay Sarma

tion, experience, interactivity with the students, [and the] intellectual training that enables a person to use content in the best circumstances and with a real sense of adaptability?’ Canto-Sperber asked.

educated and the courses have not yet reached – or perhaps appealed to – the wider masses. ‘For all the great work we’re doing, our gender diversity is rather abysmal right now, and a lot of the people taking our courses are very well educated people or the children of very well educated people,’ he said. ‘So we have a lot of work

Issue 1: Broadening access

to do to make sure that underprivileged child or adult is taking the MOOC.’ he said.

society so we have to be aware that the missions of modern universities have completely changed.’

Moreover, in Africa online education remains out of reach for many too poor to have access to computers and the Internet. ‘Our biggest challenge is a lack of access of the majority of students to these particular instruments,’ Makhanya said. UNISA is therefore continuing to invest in building facilities where students from poor family backgrounds can ‘at least have an environment where they can access the university.’

Language was also a factor in the accessibility of MOOCs, according to Canto-Sperber. She noted that Paris Science et Lettres is pioneering French language MOOCs for the benefit of French-speaking users in north and west Africa, but many MOOCs are in English. Another aspect of broadening access is the question of appeal and relevance, especially for people whose cultural backgrounds are different to the main producers of current MOOCs. For this reason, UNISA, for example, is advancing its own agenda regarding the dissemination of African-derived knowledge. ‘What we’ve done of late in the last two years is introduce what we refer to as signature courses, which is, in a sense, a MOOC from the South,’ he said. UNISA would be making further investment in this area.

Ironically, the goal of taking education to the masses was far from the intentions of Europe’s first universities, according to Canto-Sperber. Referring to examples such as Oxford and the Sorbonne, Canto-Sperber pointed to their originally small size and deliberate isolation by focusing on just a small group of students and teachers. ‘The very first historical missions of universities was not at all open to

Issue 2: Maintaining quality and value The Forum also focused on the issue of quality – particularly whether MOOCs can truly have the ‘transformative’ impact on students without the daily ‘real world’ interactions familiar on a traditional university campus. As Makhanya noted, while the quality of the content of MOOCs

was extremely important, so was optimising the value of education by having some kind of mediated system where there is interaction between tutors and students – in other words, to provide ‘a better environment’ for education. Bean agreed, stating that it was ‘the overall learning experience that translates to the overall quality of the student [rather] than …the lecture

notes that you have in a filing cabinet for the last 15 years.’

transformative potential of online education. The OU’s FutureLearn and edX are designed to encourage conversation and feedback between users online, the results of which can be stimulating and useful, and can itself

Canto-Sperber predicted that the qualities of adaptability and resourcefulness were likely to be the most

‘We talk about “drop-out” rates. But wouldn’t it be better to think of “drop-in” rates and the people who access higher education who would not otherwise. … [It’s] much better that you can reach a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise attend.’ important for the workplace of the future, and that these depended upon an education that promoted critical thinking and the ability to apply knowledge. She doubted, however, that online education alone could achieve this. ‘Computers in my view anyway, are a long way from replacing teachers in instructing students. In the best cases they will provide individual tutoring in the basics,’ she said. Other panel members argued for the

provide a different, high quality experience, according to Bean. But even if MOOCs do not match the quality of a campus-based education, they may still be the best option for some communities. ‘The world simply cannot build enough universities to satisfy demand of those in emerging economies who have a right to higher education,’ he said. ‘We simply cannot scale the models that many of us were used to. So my

objective is, let’s scale the best possible model we can.’ As an indication of quality, some MOOCs providers may in the future move towards a system of evaluation and accreditation, awarding university level credits to students. Currently, however, while many MOOCs have built-in evaluation and certificates for completion, these are not yet equivalent to university-level credits. ‘It’s still in the realm of bit coins – it’s not dollars,’ said Sarma.

between enrollment and examination, which according to traditional criteria could be viewed negatively. (Although of the 345 who took the final exam, about 90% passed.) ‘Should we be worried about that?’ Parry asked the panel. Bean indicated not, suggesting that judging a course according to its drop-out rate was a misguided approach. ‘Every single person that we manage to engage at whatever level in higher education through alternative means, we should celebrate,’ he asserted. If a student were to undertake just one piece of the Duke course this should be regarded positively. ‘How do we get out of the mindset that it’s about pass and fail, and more about participation? Because our society demands more people actively participating.’

Issue 3: Recruitment and retention – drop-in versus drop-out The third key issue was whether educators should be concerned about the low completion rates of students enrolled with MOOCs. Moderator Vivienne Parry cited an online course on bioelectricity from Duke University, where 12,725 enrolled, 7,761 watched the course online but only 345 entered the final exam. This meant a massive drop-out rate

Recognising the importance of catering to the needs of ‘drop-outs’, MIT is developing MOOCs with a short modular design rather than a commitment to a 13-week semester – reminiscent of traditional university

curricula. ‘There are some things you can do in two or three weeks and if a working parent takes the class and their kid falls ill they’re going to drop out of the MOOC but if it’s a module they can pass it and move on,’ said Sarma.

Issue 4: Impact of MOOCs on traditional education The Forum panellists dismissed the idea that MOOCs would cause traditional university-based education to perish; still, they did see the possibility of MOOCs changing dramatically the nature of education both on- and off-campus, and discussed the issues this would raise.

The Forum panellists agreed wholeheartedly with an audience member from the BI Norwegian Business School that judging the success of MOOCs would require different criteria compared to traditional universitybased education. The audience member asked, ‘We talk about “dropout” rates. But wouldn’t it be better to think of “drop-in” rates and the people who access higher education who would not otherwise. …[It’s] much better that you can reach a lot of people who wouldn’t otherwise attend.’ ‘I love the idea of drop-in – I’m going to use that,’ replied Bean. Students of online education should, he said, be able to ‘continue that journey as far as they want to go. So yes, we should be celebrating “drop-in”.’

On-campus at MIT, for example, the availability of MOOCs has prompted a rethinking of the undergraduate experience. Sarma cited the teaching methods of MIT physicist Karl Weilman, one of the most active proponents of online education, who deconstructed his lecture room experience. He placed lectures online and asked all students to complete an online assessment before coming to his lectures. He then reconstructed the classroom experience as interactive question and answer sessions and debate. Students became more enthused and attended subsequent

laboratory sessions in significantly greater numbers than before. ‘In my mind too many universities are talking about new buildings, different types of rooms, and investing in sophisticated new technology, when actually it’s more about instructional

work and there is definitely conflict,’ commented Sarma. Persuasion may be necessary, but research professors can soon realise the benefits of adapting to online education technology. At MIT, some students who are no longer tied to a lecture-based curriculum

‘The institutions that will wreck academic careers are those that expect their academic community will somehow magically be transformed from what it is today to where they’re going.’ Sanjay Sarma

design. More about just using the tools that we have available today, to redesign the teaching experience to make it relevant,’ said Sarma.

become more active in undergraduate research, generating useful data and fresh ideas, and so becoming valuable members of a research team, according to Sarma.

A major concern is that MOOCs can place university academics under considerable pressure to devote valuable research time to developing online courses. ‘When you’re creating digital learning content it’s a lot of

Even if professors are willing to adopt new online teaching methods, they need support from above. ‘The institutions that will wreck academic careers are those that expect their

academic community will somehow magically be transformed from what it is today to where they’re going,’ said Bean. He added, ‘if you are going to expect the academic community to move in these ways for the good of the institution you need the leadership and you need the investment in the professional development.’

trust in universities as credible sources of information. Universities, he said, bring ‘the collective wisdoms of our institutions and have the courage and freedom to be able to speak what’s on our minds.’ Again, it was up to university leadership to ensure job security for teachers. ‘If a university president says “I’ll hire a bunch of [temporary] adjuncts because who needs professors because of MOOCs,” they’re missing the point. At MIT, because we value research so much and because we want our students to learn to do research, that would never be the case,’ commented Sarma.

A related issue was whether putting teaching resources online would undermine the need for permanent employment of professors. As raised by an audience member from the University of Arizona, lack of job security could in turn threaten academic freedom of speech, thus undermining the role of universities in promoting democracy.

Issue 5: Universities as businesses

The importance of universities as bastions of free speech certainly resonated with the panel. ‘In many developing countries it is actually the universities that will stand up to the injustices,’ noted Makhanya. Furthermore, according to Bean, people place

The considerable cost of developing online teaching tools, including MOOCs, has to be incorporated into a university’s business model, whether publicly funded or private. Although universities may be deterred by the expense involved, they could profit in

the long term through charging fees for evaluation and certification for those completing a course, for licensing content to other institutions, and through the advertising and brand recognition that MOOCs provide. As Cantor-Sperber suggested, the best universities could use MOOCs to advertise the quality of their teaching.

so rich, that if you’re only doing it for the marketing – if there isn’t an intrinsic value – then it isn’t going to last for very long.’ To Bean, marketing was an inevitable feature of the online medium and should not be regarded negatively. Rather, it put the onus back on universities to ensure product quality. ‘In the world of the web, anything you do, actually, generates both positive and negative marketing attributes. So ultimately those universities that provide a terrific rich experience for the

Parry posed the critique that developing MOOCs had more to do with marketing than provision of education. To Sarma, the answer was no.

‘In the world of the web, anything you do, actually, generates both positive and negative marketing attributes.’ Martin G. Bean ‘[I]t is usually a matter of a deeprooted desire to spread knowledge’ rather than marketing, and even if marketing were a driver for some universities it was more of a shortterm issue. ‘The digital landscape is

students that consume their open education events will have really positive brand outcomes of that and I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that because that’s synonymous with having done a good job.’

‘The initial fascination has been replaced by a much more realistic view as to what the technologies could possibly bring us… [T]his gives me reason for optimism.’ Ole Petter Ottersen Overall, it seems that attitudes towards MOOCs are maturing, according to audience member Ole Petter Ottersen, Rector of the University of Oslo. ‘The initial fascination has been replaced by a much more realistic view as to what the technologies could possibly bring us… [T]his gives me reason for optimism.’ Ottersen felt, however, that the jury was still out when it came to the extent to which MOOCs would support the development of the critical attitudes needed to underpin the future of democracy.

Remarks from the audience The Forum audience expressed enthusiasm for the arrival of MOOCs. Christine Lindstrøm, associate professor at Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, said MOOCs had a particular relevance for those wishing to improve their employment prospects. ‘If you can show that you have learned something from a MOOC, regardless of whether you did the final assignment or not, or whether you went to Harvard or some other university, if you have the skills and knowledge that somebody else is after, that is going to count more and more.’

(iv) Summary In summary, the Forum provided

several insights into some of the key issues surrounding online education:

experiences. Teaching staff may require some initial persuasion to get involved in developing MOOCs, and university leadership is required to provide the investment in resources and enable teachers to view MOOCs as an opportunity rather than a burden.

Broadening access â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the rapid growth of online learning technologies has the potential to make education less elitist and more democratic by reaching more people than currently access higher education, regardless of socioeconomic status or qualifications. In reality, there is still a way to go, however, before Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can reach diverse societies around the world. Challenges include the need to ensure relevance to a wide range of cultures and availability of tools for accessing the Internet.

Quality and value in education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; recognising that MOOCs vary in quality, panellists concurred that higher education in any form should encourage critical thinking and resourcefulness. Even if MOOCs could not precisely match the experience of a campusbased education, MOOCs providers contend that with interactive elements built-in, encouraging online discussion and feedback, MOOCs could provide a highly stimulating educational experience that, unlike traditional campus education, can be scaled-up to reach mass audiences.

Impact on traditional campus education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; online education technology has the potential to revolutionise the teaching of undergraduates on-campus, allowing university teachers to deconstruct and reconstruct the classroom experience, placing lecture materials online and using face-toface gatherings for more interactive

Overall, the Forum provided compelling reasons for why the technological revolution in higher education is

THE PANEL

Martin G. Bean

Monique Canto-Sperber

Martin G. Bean is Vice Chancellor of The

Monique Canto-Sperber is a president of

Open University, the UK’s largest academic

Paris Sciences et Lettres (PSL), a Research

institution and a global leader in the provision

University that groups 20 prestigious aca-

of flexible and inspiring learning. Before

demic institutions in Paris. She was the

joining The Open University in October

director of the Ecole normale supérieure

2009, he was general manager of Microsoft’s

from 2005 to 2012, and has been the vice-

Worldwide Education Products Group where

president of the Comité consultatif national

he focused on developing solutions to help

d’éthique (French national council of ethics)

the global education community address its

and the president of the Commission of

challenges. In this role he was responsible

philosophy at the Centre National des Lettres.

for product management, business develop-

She is the producer of a weekly radio pro-

ment and marketing. As well as commercial

gramme on ethical issues on France Culture

roles spanning from Europe to Asia Pacific to

(French national radio station): Questions

North America, he is heavily involved in

d’éthique. A philosopher, her scholarly work

shaping education in the developed and

has mostly focused on moral philosophy,

developing world and is currently a member

ethics and contemporary philosophy. She

of the British Council’s board of trustees and

also investigates the social and ethical aspects

the Commonwealth of Learning’s board of

of contemporary sciences, and has worked on

governors. In 2012 Martin announced the

various issues of practical philosophy.

launch of Futurelearn, the UK’s first at-scale

Monique Canto-Sperber has been granted the

provider of massive open online courses.

highest national distinctions in France: Légion d’honneur, Officier de l’ordre du Mérite, Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres, Associate member of the Academy.

Mandla S. Makhanya

Sanjay E. Sarma

Mandla S. Makhanya is Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of South Africa. Appointed in 2011, he is a driving force in higher education leadership and advocacy and an executive member of Higher Education South Africa (HESA), which is the voice of the higher education vice chancellors and institutions. He is also treasurer of the African Council for Distance Education (ACDE) and an executive member of the International Council for Distance Education (ICDE). A deputy chair of the South African National Commission for UNESCO and chair of the Culture Sector of the South African National Commission for UNESCO, Dr. Makhanya holds a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in industrial sociology from the University of Natal (now the University of KwaZulu Natal), and a DPhil from the University of Pretoria and a DTE from Unisa. In 2007 the University of Athabasca in Canada conferred upon him a PhD (Honoris Causa) in recognition of his outstanding leadership at Unisa and his contribution as a distinguished scholar in distance education.

Sanjay E. Sarma is the Fred Fort Flowers and Daniel Fort Flowers Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He is the first Director of Digital Learning at MIT. He co-founded the Auto-ID Center at MIT and developed many of the key technologies behind the EPC suite of RFID standards now used worldwide. He was also the founder and CTO of OATSystems, which was acquired by Checkpoint Systems (NYSE: CKP) in 2008. He serves on the boards of GS1, EPCglobal and several start-up companies including Senaya and ESSESS. Dr Sarma received his Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s from Carnegie Mellon University and his PhD from the University of California at Berkeley. Sarma also worked at Schlumberger Oilfield Services in Aberdeen, UK, and at the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories in Berkeley, California. He advises several national governments and global companies.

Moderator Vivienne Parry Vivienne Parry is a freelance science writer and multimedia broadcaster who has produced, written and/or presented a wide range of programmes in the United Kingdom, particularly for the BBC. This includes presenting BBC-TV’s iconic science programme Tomorrow’s World, and writing, producing and presenting a number of award-winning programmes for BBC Radio 4. She is also an author and prolific writer who has contributed to the Times, the Guardian, and a range of other publications. In addition, Ms. Perry is vice chair of the Council for the University College London, a member of the UK Medical Research Council, and – reflecting her own passion for bringing science to the public – has trained over 1,500 early career researchers in science communication skills through the UK’s Crucible programme.

KAVLI PRIZE SCIENCE FORUM

The Kavli Prize Science Forum is a biennial international forum meeting to facilitate high-level, global discussion of major topics on science and science policy. It is held in conjunction with the Kavli Prize Ceremony and Symposia in Oslo, Norway – an international event that brings together scientists in celebration of the most recent Kavli Prize Laureates. Future forums will continue to bring together key scientists and science policymakers, as well as other individuals, to discuss a major topic of global interest to advancing science research.

The 2010 Kavli Prize Science Forum ‘International cooperation in the advancement of science’

The 2012 Kavli Prize Science Forum ‘Science and global health’

Jonas Gahr Støre, (Opening address), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Norway John Holdren (Keynote speaker), Science Advisor to US President Barack Obama Ernst-Ludwig Winnacker (Keynote speaker), Secretary General of the International Human Frontier Science Program Organization

Jens Stoltenberg, (Opening address), Prime Minister of Norway Panellists: Rita Colwell, Former Director of the National Science Foundation, US Alice Dautry, President of the Institut Pasteur, France Harvey Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine, US Kiyoshi Kurokawa, Chairman of the Health and Global Policy Institute, Japan

Panellists: Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences, US Ichiro Kanazawa, President of the Science Council of Japan Steven E. Koonin, Under Secretary for Science at the US Department of Energy Yongxiang Lu, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Martin Rees, President of the Royal Society, UK Nils Chr. Stenseth, President of The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters

Moderator: Pallab Ghosh, BBC Science Correspondent

Moderator: Charles M. Vest, President of the National Academy of Engineering, US