MOOCs and the Older Learner
Chelsea Crown
Graduate Researcher & MSW/MPH Candidate
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute
University of California, Berkeley
August 13, 2014
OLLI @Berkeley
Year-round program for adults age 50+
• non-credit courses
• lectures
• special events
• interest circles
• research
Why You Should Pay Attention to
Older Learners:
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MOOCs-as-intervention
Demographics
Risk factors
Homebound seniors
Neurocognitive advantages
Who We Studied
• Group 1: n=7, age 80+
• Group 2: n=6, age 50+
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Profile
Highly educated
Highly motivated
Relatively tech-savvy
Equal gender ratio
MOOCs and the Over 80 Learner
• Part of “Fourth Age Salon” programming
• Four 90-minute Salons during Fall 2013
• Blended Learning
– Coursera : “What A Plant Knows”
– Tel Aviv University
– Professor Daniel Chamovitz
MOOCs and the Over 50 Learner
• Part of a Winter 2014 course
• Five 90-minute classroom discussions
• Blended Learning:
– Coursera: “The History and Future of
(Mostly) Higher Education”
– Duke University
– Professor Cathy Davidson
Main Takeaways
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Barriers of aging
Barriers of comfort with technology
Benefits
Drop-outs
Blended learning and social support
Content
Case Example
• Over-80 learner with
profound hearing loss
• “MOOCs are not made for
people like me.”
– Increasing stigma and
distraction  drop-out
K. Patricia Cross
UC Berkeley
Professor Emeritus
Universal Design Principles
• Consistent design and appearance
• Pay attention to contrast levels (high contrast)
– Dark background, light text
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Make sites navigable by keyboard
Clear and large text on slides
Camera with a clear view of instructor’s mouth
Include an “accessibility statement”
Design the platform and test each MOOC for
maximum usability
Adapted from University of Washington:
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Technology/universal.design.html
Engage and Retain Older Adults
• Improve demos and help sections
• Virtual MOOC assistant
• MOOC peer guide program
• Educate professors on pedagogy for
diverse audience when designing slides
Tailoring the MOOC Experience
• Build a short quiz into the registration process:
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Level of comfort/experience with technology or MOOCs
Internet connection
Language-proficiency level
Hearing/vision/physical difficulties
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Would you prefer to always have captions turned on?
Would you prefer a high-contrast visual experience?
Do you need an increased text size?
Would you prefer to navigate the site using only your keyboard?
• Then the quiz tailors the individual user interface to the
unique needs of the user
The Future of MOOCs
at OLLI @Berkeley
• Fall 2014
– EdX course, “The Science of Happiness,” UC
Berkeley Greater Good Science Center
• 2015
– Developing a MOOC on Healthy Aging
– Presenting “MOOCs and the Older Learner”
at the American Society on Aging Conference
Thank you!
Chelsea Crown
Graduate Researcher
chelseacrown@berkeley.edu
Susan Hoffman
Executive Director
shoffman@berkeley.edu
OLLI @Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
www.olli.berkeley.edu