Applied Maths for Ordinary Citizens

Based on 2010-2011 data, this BIS study (which I've not read) shows that it is not uncommon for adults who have already got, say, Maths GCSE (or equivalent) at Grade C or above to enrol on a numeracy course at a lower level. This probably strengthens our hunch that there are more people "out there" who might gain from CM than would be assumed from the proportion of adults who have already got a Level 2 Maths qualification.

This piece by Keith Devlin and this one by distance learning stalwart Terry Anderson http://terrya.edublogs.org/2013/11/19/all-moocs-dont-work-for-all-students-are-you-surprised/ between them provide the most constructive and well-reasoned reactions to Udacity's recent change of tack. Alex Usher's "Udacity has left the building": http://higheredstrategy.com/udacity-has-left-the-building/ is also worth reading, though I think he considerably underestimates Coursera's long term profit-making prospects.

I hadn't come across OpenMOOC before, though it seems to have been around for at least a year. Not an alternative for us, but a model to compare against our open...?

Hagiography about Thrun, as Udacity switches focus. (The company's strap line has changed from "Invent your future through free interactive college classes" to "Advance your education and career through project-based online classes). A couple of reactions:http://hapgood.us/2013/11/14/thrun-enters-burgeoning-sieve-market/; http://hackeducation.com/2013/11/14/thrun-as-saint/ Aren't both tilting a bit at windmills?

I'm not well placed to judge if this is "any good". Interested to know what IOE colleagues reckon to it.

Looks pretty familiar insofar as it reflects a lot of good stuff that has been going on in isolated classrooms in the UK for quite a few years or even decades. But nevertheless, it does seem to have the right sort of spirit to it. I found it odd that the first five sessions were essentially focussed on the utilities of geometry and then a probability session was thrown in at the end.

Suggestion that social networks could be instrumental in helping MOOCs extend reach beyond those who are already enfranchised and educated. Potentially relevant to Citizens' Maths?

My gut feeling is that social networking could well be really important to us. In the Scratch context, I feel the Scratch community is potentially useful.

Not sure why San Jose State University's online brand is now "Spartans Online", but this summary of what makes a successful online learner is sensible in a low key way.

I have been in touch with this writer before (he sent me a review copy of an earlier book and I blogged about it) on the off chance this might be any help

Excerpt: "Now Stanford is looking to reclaim some leadership in the MOOC movement from the private companies down the street. For some of its offerings it has started using Open edX, the open-source platform developed by edX, an East Coast nonprofit provider of MOOCs. And Stanford is marshaling its resources and brainpower to improve its own online infrastructure. In doing so, the university is putting its weight behind an open-source alternative that could help others develop MOOCs independently of proprietary companies."

But... I understood that Open edX does not exist yet? I thought Open edX was the result of the marriage of (the currently only betrothed) edX and Course Builder. I suspect this is just sloppy journalism, but if Stanford has fast track access to Open edX, can we get it too? Something to check with Michel?

Someone sent me a link to a different part of this book by Joseph Malkevitch. I think the 6 points listed by Malkevitch from the bottom of the page and over are worth pondering on.

Philip Guo presents preliminary research about video usage in some edX MOOCs. Strong evidence for keeping them short.

My instinct is to beware of research findings that purport to be universal and context-independent. But since the context here is MOOCs, broadly defined, this research on the optimal length of instructional videos may be relevant to us.

The edX open source platform software is now publicly available on GitHub.

Nice line in this piece by Alex Reinhart about maths as bunch of lego bricks that you use can use by glueing them together to do useful things.

This gives a clear sense of how (some) people might react to Citizens' Maths, if and when it turns out to get traction.

A 2008 report by the think tank Reform (non-political, but "on the right"). One of the authors, Liz Truss, is now a Conservative MP and DFE Minister. I'd be curious to know what colleagues at IOE and OCR reckon to it.

Interesting use of and ways of representing proportion in this video infographic.

Included here merely as a 'light relief' anecdote on the potential to apply maths (albeit beyond Level 2) to 21st century life. And it's a good read, with a sharp punchline.

An depth analysis of the OECD skills report by the Independent's Richard Garner.

Lots of data here about the UK's comparative numeracy and literacy performance in this just-released OECD report.

"New niche certifications being offered by providers of massive open online courses, or MOOCs, are aimed at satisfying employers' specific needs. Available at a fraction of the cost of a four-year degree, they represent the latest crack in the monopoly traditional universities have in credentialing higher education."