Join sMOOChers/CFHE12 Discussion Groups for Week 1 Oct 8-14 Change pressures: What's influencing higher ed? tlt.gs/smoochREG tlt.gs/CFHE12

Join sMOOChers/CFHE12 Discussion Groups for Week 1 (Oct 8-14): Change pressures: What's influencing higher education?
THIS POSTING:   tlt.gs/sMOOChers 
THERE'S STILL TIME TO JOIN THE TLT GROUP'S  collaborative, reflective exploration of MOOCs and other very-large, mostly-online, open-access courses. 
Please register BOTH with
tlt.gs/smoochREG and 
tlt.gs/CFHE12. 
Then join our sMOOChers forum tlt.gs/smoochforum 
and use Twitter hashtag #tltgSMOOCHERS 
Also, see informal planning doc:  tlt.gs/smoochersplan

As sMOOChers [Smart Massive Open Online Courses Higher Education Research Subgroup], our goal is to exchange insights and develop guidelines about how to take advantage of these new courses.  We're beginning by participating together in the CFHE12 MOOC [Current & Future of Higher Educ]. 
We'll extract lessons from our experience with CFHE12 as it happens.  You are welcome to participate in either or both of our subgroups:

Group A.  Process:  Reflection about Experience (about our shared experience in a MOOC as it happens - focus on process) 
Group B.  Content:  Adaptation and Application of Resources (to our own institutions and individual situations of the information and resources provided by the MOOC - focus on content)
Group C.  Support:  Develop New Roles (to help students learn from MOOCs) NOT LAUNCHED IN WEEK 1

As you begin using the CFHE12 resources & activities, focus on ONE of the two sets of questions below and use the sMOOChers "forum" to offer your comments and respond to other members of our cohort.  
Then join us for FridayLive! 2pmET Oct 12, 2012 when Dale Parker & Nancy Smulsky will summarize your comments and add their own, and we'll discuss CFHE12 week 1 and plan our activitie for the next weeks.

Topic of week 1  (Oct 8-14) from CFHE12: Change pressures: What is influencing higher education? 


Group A Process: Reflection about Experience 
Focus on what we can learn about improving the "entry process" for those beginning their first MOOC or very large mostly online open access courses.
Week 1 TLTG Volunteer Forum Leader: E. Dale Parker, Cambridge College dale.parker@go.cambridgecollege.edu
Discussion Questions

1. How was your experience as you registered, entered, and began to participate in this MOOC?  What was helpful?  What was difficult or confusing?   
2. For those of you who have participated in MOOC's previously how does this entry process compare with the others? Easier? More confusing? Why - specifically?  
3. What features of the introductory activities - including both prior to and during week 1 of CFHE12 - would you recommend to others? what would you change?
4. Identify one thing you learned this week that held your interest and enticed you to want to learn / explore more, and tell us why.

Group B Content:  Adaptation and Application of Resources
Focus on implications of external change pressures for your own institution and for your own situation.  In what ways might you encourage some colleagues to discuss or respond to the pressures identified in this week's MOOC materials?

Week 1 TLTG Volunteer Forum Leader: Nancy Smulsky, Excelsior College NSmulsky@excelsior.edu 

Discussion Questions
Which external pressures identified in this MOOC are having the greatest impact on changing higher education? Most immediate impact?

Which external pressures identified in this MOOC are having the greatest impact on changing your own institution? On your institution's  planning? On planning for your department/group/division?

Are there external pressures important for your own institution or situation that have been omitted from the materials and activities of the first week of this MOOC?  Which ones?  Why?

Based on insights, information, and resources from your own research and experience, in what ways might the pressures identified in this MOOC (or pressures you have added) be beneficial for your own institution or situation?  Detrimental?


Group C.  Support:  Develop New Roles 
NOT LAUNCHED IN WEEK 1
How can faculty and other academic professionals who are NOT leading a very large mostly-online course help students who are participating in it?  With/without the awareness, guidance of the course leader?  With/without affiliation with the institution hosting the course?