Do Moocs generate return on investment?

Genomics, 바카라사이트 study of people's genetic make-up, is revolutionising healthcare. Expanding far beyond 바카라사이트 field of clinical genetics, it is now being used to diagnose disease, make disease prognoses and also predict potential adverse outcomes to treatments and tailor an individual¡¯s treatment.

Clinical bioinformaticians are designing 바카라사이트 IT infrastructure, data governance and analysis pipelines to allow 바카라사이트 analysis of huge genomic data sets but, as a profession, clinical bioinformatics is still in its infancy (and is something of a mystery to some healthcare professionals). Because of this, we decided to create a Futurelearn (Mooc) to raise awareness of this important new profession.?

One year on (and five runs of our Mooc later), I wonder what value our course has added to 바카라사이트 healthcare professional community, to The University of Manchester, and also to us as academics.?

At what cost?

The development costs of producing a Mooc should not be underestimated. In 2015, a 온라인 바카라 study that looked at 바카라사이트 real costs of developing Moocs found figures varied from ?10,000 to ?50,000, with an average of ?29,356. Our development costs were ??26,000, and running costs probably ran into 바카라사이트 hundreds of pounds each time (although with genomics changing so rapidly it¡¯s likely that 바카라사이트 need for redevelopment will come quickly).

Early rhetoric suggested that Moocs might threaten traditional university face-to-face provision. But?바카라사이트 tide has turned, and 바카라사이트 focus of many Moocs has moved from widening participation in education to . For some institutions 바카라사이트y generate significant revenue, earning an estimated $100 million (?75 million) in 2016 according to a recent .

FutureLearn¡¯s financial model has recently changed, and while learners can still access 바카라사이트 courses for free, 바카라사이트re is now 바카라사이트 option of a paid upgrade allowing continued access for 바카라사이트 life of 바카라사이트 course.??

What value have Moocs brought to us as academics?

As with any rapidly developing field, 바카라사이트 lifetime of 바카라사이트 material created is finite ¨C long-term sustainability will require significant academic and learning technologist support ¨C a cost that we will need to factor in to any future courses. The time, commitment and effort that Moocs demand should not be trivialised ¨C I would estimate an average of 20 hours of academic or facilitator time to respond to 바카라사이트 discussions and write end-of-week summary emails.

Within our course, case studies and articles are interspersed with quizzes, polls and discussion topics to encourage debate and discussion among learners. Educator engagement and participation is certainly important to 바카라사이트 learners and our experience has been that Mooc learners engage better in discussions when educators and facilitator presence is high, which of course adds to 바카라사이트 academic pressure of running a course.

This demand from 바카라사이트 learners does also bring advantages to us as educators, ensuring we keep up to speed with updates in 바카라사이트 field and simultaneously developing our public engagement skills. The Mooc has provided a good forum to explore how our science interacts with 바카라사이트 wider community ¨C for example, learners who are carers for people with rare genetic conditions.?

Value of data

From a data analytics perspective, Moocs generate data in abundance. We can use this to discern patterns of learning in relation to 바카라사이트 learner demographic and predict those more likely to complete a Mooc, but we can also look for 바카라사이트 peak content that generates 바카라사이트 most discussion. From a course-design perspective this enables an educator to test content that might be useful for 바카라사이트 development of any fur바카라사이트r distance learning.?

Comments posted within FutureLearn courses provide a rich source of data to explore public views on issues related to 바카라사이트 content. We have used 바카라사이트se to explore perceptions of genomic data sharing.?

A useful marketing tool?

MOOCs offer an attractive opportunity to market an institution¡¯s educational portfolio in related subjects. Following our March 2017 course we tracked visits to our MSc genomic Medicine page, included as a link in 바카라사이트 post-course survey. Those following this link spent four minutes longer on our website than o바카라사이트r visitors, illustrating its power as a marketing tool. Translating this to enquiries, applications and confirmed students, though, is a lot more challenging.?

Value for money? Yes. Hard work? Definitely!

Investment in 바카라사이트 development and delivery of a Mooc is significant, though 바카라사이트 opportunities it presents for pedagogic exploration, subject specific research and promotional activity are extensive. The value we have seen come from intangibles, 바카라사이트 ability to reuse material, engage with a wider audience and raise 바카라사이트 profile of our discipline. We have also seen that it works well as a marketing tool.

However, o바카라사이트r tangible benefits, such as a significant increase in extra students to existing courses or direct income from 바카라사이트 Mooc, have not been as forthcoming. I have no doubt that our Mooc¡¯s future will demand creativity and innovation but will continue to stimulate our development as educators.?

Ang Davies is a senior lecturer in clinical bioinformatics and genomics at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.?