Anant Agarwal: Why massively open online courses (still) matter

譯者: Samson Zhong 審譯者: NAN-KUN WU

I'd like to reimagine education.

我要重新構想教育的樣子，

The last year

因為去年

has seen the invention of a new four-letter word.

一個包含4個字母的新字誕生了；

It starts with an M.

是M開頭的

MOOC: massive open online courses.

「MOOC大規模網路開放課程」。

Many organizations

目前有許多組織，

are offering these online courses

為全球數以百萬的學生，

to students all over the world, in the millions, for free.

提供這樣的免費網路課程。

Anybody who has an Internet connection

任何人只要有網路連線，

and the will to learn can access these great courses

和學習意願，就能利用

from excellent universities

頂尖大學提供的絕佳課程，

and get a credential at the end of it.

修畢後還能取得證書。

Now, in this discussion today,

今天這場討論中，

I'm going to focus

我想專注在

on a different aspect of MOOCs.

MOOCs的另一面。

我們要應用目前所學，

We are taking what we are learning

and the technologies we are developing in the large

及大量開發的技術，

and applying them in the small

並小幅度地用在

to create a blended model of education

發展一套多元教育模式。

to really reinvent and reimagine

藉此重塑並重新構想

what we do in the classroom.

課堂教學活動。

Now, our classrooms could use change.

目前的課堂教學需要改革。

So, here's a classroom

現在你們看到的是一間教室，

at this little three-letter institute

這個小學校的名稱有3個字母，

in the Northeast of America, MIT.

就是美國東北部的麻省理工學院(MIT)，

And this was a classroom about 50 or 60 years ago,

拍攝時間是五、六十年前。

and this is a classroom today.

再來這張是目前的教室，

What's changed?

有何不同?

椅子變成彩色的了!

The seats are in color.

Whoop-de-do.

隨你怎麼說啦!(會心一笑)

Education really hasn't changed

半世紀以來，

教育並無顯著改變；

in the past 500 years.

The last big innovation in education

最近的重大教育革新，

was the printing press and the textbooks.

乃是印刷機與教科書。

Everything else has changed around us.

儘管生活環境已大不相同，

You know, from healthcare to transportation,

從健保到運輸系統莫不如此；

everything is different, but education hasn't changed.

但教育不然，

It's also been a real issue in terms of access.

而取得性也始終是一大問題。

So what you see here

你們現在看到的畫面，

is not a rock concert.

不是搖滾演唱會；

And the person you see at the end of the stage

在舞台另一頭你所看到的，

is not Madonna.

也不是瑪丹娜。

This is a classroom

這是奈及利亞

at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria.

奧巴費米•亞沃洛沃大學 (Obafemi Awolowo University)的教室

Now, we've all heard of distance education,

我們都聽過「遠距教學」，

but the students way in the back,

不過遠在教室後方的學生，

200 feet away from the instructor,

跟講師相距200英尺，

I think they are undergoing long-distance education.

我想他們當下已親身領教「遠距教學」。

Now, I really believe

我確信

that we can transform education,

透過科技，

我們是可以改變教育的，

both in quality and scale and access,

包括品質、規模和取得性。

through technology.

For example, at edX,

以edX網路課程平台為例，

we are trying to transform education

目前我們嘗試以網路科技，

through online technologies.

改造教育。

Given education has been calcified for 500 years,

由於500年來教育僵化，

we really cannot think about reengineering it,

我們實在不敢奢望體制改革

micromanaging it.

或有嚴密監督，

We really have to completely reimagine it.

我們確實需要重新構想。

It's like going from ox carts to the airplane.

這就好比從牛車進化到飛機，

Even the infrastructure has to change.

甚至連基礎建設都必須改變，

Everything has to change.

每樣都要改。

We need to go from lectures on the blackboard

我們要從靠黑板講課，

to online exercises, online videos.

往線上練習與影片邁進；

We have to go to interactive virtual laboratories

再加入互動情境實驗室，

and gamification.

並融入遊戲。

We have to go to completely online grading

完全的線上評分機制、同儕互動

and peer interaction and discussion boards.

以及討論版都是我們必須努力的。

Everything really has to change.

每件事真的都得改，

So at edX and a number of other organizations,

所以透過edX和其他組織，

we are applying these technologies to education

我們把這些技術應用於教育，

through MOOCs to really increase access to education.

透過MOOCs平台大幅普及教育。

And you heard of this example,

各位應該都聽過這案例，

where, when we launched our very first course --

當我們推出第一堂

and this was an MIT-hard

難度已達MIT程度的課---

circuits and electronics course --

電路與電子學---

about a year and a half ago,

這大約是1年半前的事，

155,000 students from 162 countries

有15萬5千名

來自162國的學生報名，

enrolled in this course.

And we had no marketing budget.

當時我們毫無行銷預算，

Now, 155,000 is a big number.

15萬5千人算很多了。

This number is bigger

這數字，

than the total number of alumni of MIT

比MIT 150年來，

累積的校友人數還多。

in its 150-year history.

7,200 students passed the course,

雖只有7千2百人及格，

and this was a hard course.

這課程還頗難的，

7,200 is also a big number.

7千2百人也已經很不簡單了！

If I were to teach at MIT two semesters every year,

假設在MIT，我每年兩學期都有課，

得教40年

I would have to teach for 40 years

before I could teach this many students.

才能累積那麼多學生。

Now these large numbers

不過這些大數字，

are just one part of the story.

只是事情發展的一部分。

So today, I want to discuss a different aspect,

今天我要談點別的，

the other side of MOOCs,

MOOCs的另一面，

take a different perspective.

從不同的觀點切入。

We are taking what we develop and learn in the large

我們要大幅採用開發習得的技術，

and applying it in the small

並小幅度地應用在課堂中，

to the classroom, to create a blended model of learning.

來創造一種多元教育模式，

But before I go into that, let me tell you a story.

但在那之前，容我先說一事；

When my daughter turned 13, became a teenager,

小女13歲時，步入少年時期，

she stopped speaking English,

這時她不再說英語，

and she began speaking this new language.

改說起另一種新語言，

I call it teen-lish.

我稱之為「少年語」。

It's a digital language.

那是一種數位語言，

It's got two sounds: a grunt and a silence.

只包含兩種聲音:悶哼和沉默。(哄堂大笑)

"Honey, come over for dinner."

「寶貝!來吃晚飯囉!」

"Hmm."

「嗯!」

"Did you hear me?"

「妳聽到了沒?」

Silence. (Laughter)

「…….」(會心一笑)

"Can you listen to me?"

「聽我說好嗎?」

"Hmm."

「嗯!」

So we had a real issue with communicating,

那時我們之間真的有問題了!

and we were just not communicating,

根本無法溝通!

until one day I had this epiphany.

直到有天我靈機一動，

I texted her. (Laughter)

我發簡訊給她(笑聲) ，

I got an instant response.

結果立刻就有回應。

I said, no, that must have been by accident.

我本想這一定是巧合，

She must have thought, you know,

她一定以為

some friend of hers was calling her.

是朋友找她。

So I texted her again. Boom, another response.

因此我再發一封，咻地就回覆了!

I said, this is great.

我想這太棒了!

And so since then, our life has changed.

此後我們的生活就改變了，

I text her, she responds.

我發簡訊，她回應，

It's just been absolutely great.

簡直妙不可喻!

(Applause)

(觀眾報以掌聲)

So our millennial generation

千禧世代

is built differently.

他們的成長經歷不同，

Now, I'm older, and my youthful looks might belie that,

我看來沒那麼老，不過不年輕了，

but I'm not in the millennial generation.

也算不上千禧世代；

But our kids are really different.

不過我們的下一代的確不同，

The millennial generation is completely comfortable

千禧世代對網路科技，

with online technology.

可說得心應手。

So why are we fighting it in the classroom?

那我們為何在課堂上要加以排斥呢?

Let's not fight it. Let's embrace it.

別再抗拒了，接受它吧!

In fact, I believe -- and I have two fat thumbs,

因為拇指太粗，我發簡訊不太順，

I can't text very well --

但我真的認為，

but I'm willing to bet that with evolution,

也敢打包票，

our kids and their grandchildren

我們的子孫後代，

會演化出纖纖細指，

will develop really, really little, itty-bitty thumbs

to text much better,

以便更流暢地發簡訊。

that evolution will fix all of that stuff.

這樣的演化會讓事情更容易，

But what if we embraced technology,

若大家欣然接納，

embraced the millennial generation's

這類千禧世代

頗有好感的科技，

natural predilections,

and really think about creating these online technologies,

就認真考慮建置這類網路科技，

blend them into their lives.

將之融入未來生活，

So here's what we can do.

這便是我們能做的。

So rather than driving our kids into a classroom,

而不是把孩子趕進教室，

herding them out there at 8 o'clock in the morning --

早上8點就把他們趕去上學而已。

I hated going to class at 8 o'clock in the morning,

我當年便痛恨8點上學，

so why are we forcing our kids to do that?

所以何必強迫孩子蕭規曹隨?

So instead what you do

改變一下做法，

is you have them watch videos

讓他們在宿舍房間或臥房，

and do interactive exercises

輕鬆地看影片，

in the comfort of their dorm rooms, in their bedroom,

做互動練習，

in the dining room, in the bathroom,

飯廳浴室也行，

wherever they're most creative.

只要是能讓他們發揮創意的地方。

Then they come into the classroom

之後便可回歸教室課堂，

for some in-person interaction.

進行人際互動，

They can have discussions amongst themselves.

學生可與同儕討論，

They can solve problems together.

共同解決問題；

They can work with the professor

也可與教授合作，

and have the professor answer their questions.

並向之請益。

In fact, with edX, when we were teaching our first course

當我們實際在edX開設第一堂，

on circuits and electronics around the world,

電路與電子學的全球課程時，

this was happening unbeknownst to us.

事情發展完全出乎預料!

Two high school teachers

2名蒙古國

at the Sant High School in Mongolia

桑特中學(Sant High School)的老師，

had flipped their classroom,

顛覆了課堂教室，

and they were using our video lectures

他們用的就是我們的教學影片，

and interactive exercises,

還有互動練習。

where the learners in the high school,

別看這些中學生，

15-year-olds, mind you,

不過15歲，

would go and do these things in their own homes

但他們會把這些事帶回家做呢!

and they would come into class,

而他們再度回到課堂時，

and as you see from this image here,

如圖所見的，

they would interact with each other

會彼此交流，

and do some physical laboratory work.

做些物理實驗。

And the only way we discovered this

我們也是無意間，

was they wrote a blog

讀了他們的網誌，

and we happened to stumble upon that blog.

才恍然大悟的!

We were also doing other pilots.

當時我們也做過其他實驗計畫，

So we did a pilot experimental blended courses,

像嘗試與加州聖荷西州立大學

working with San Jose State University in California,

合作電路與電子學的

多元教育課程。

again, with the circuits and electronics course.

未來你們會更常聽到這門課，

You'll hear that a lot. That course has become

這儼然已是我們促進學習的法寶，

sort of like our petri dish of learning.

So there, the students would, again,

這樣的課堂上，學生一樣

the instructors flipped the classroom,

經由設計過的課程，顛覆課堂學習，

blended online and in person,

而且藉網路教學與親授並進，

and the results were staggering.

成效卓著。

Now don't take these results to the bank just yet.

不過這些結果還不足以定論，

Just wait a little bit longer as we experiment with this some more,

儘管初步結果挺驚人的!

but the early results are incredible.

但還需更長期的實驗佐證。

So traditionally, semester upon semester,

過去數年來，

這堂頗難的課，

for the past several years, this course,

每學期

again, a hard course,

總是會當掉

had a failure rate of about 40 to 41 percent

大約40 – 41%的人。

every semester.

With this blended class late last year,

去年稍晚，這門多元教育課程，

the failure rate fell to nine percent.

不及格率降至9 %，

So the results can be extremely, extremely good.

成效可說十分良好。

Now before we go too far into this,

不過在更深入前，

I'd like to spend some time discussing

我想撥點時間討論，

some key ideas.

一些重要的概念，

What are some key ideas

that makes all of this work?

是甚麼樣的重大觀念，

讓這樣的課程有效?

One idea is active learning.

其中之一就是主動學習，

The idea here is, rather than have students

內蘊的理念就是：

與其要學生進教室看教學影片，

walk into class and watch lectures,

we replace this with what we call lessons.

我們改採所謂的「課程」；

Lessons are interleaved sequences

在順序進度上

of videos and interactive exercises.

交錯參雜影片與互動練習，

So a student might watch a five-, seven-minute video

學生可看一段5到7分鐘的影片，

and follow that with an interactive exercise.

接著做互動練習，

Think of this as the ultimate Socratization of education.

就當這是極致的蘇格拉底式教育，

以反詰來教學。

You teach by asking questions.

And this is a form of learning

這種方式就是，

called active learning,

主動學習。

and really promoted by a very early paper, in 1972,

克雷克(Fergus I. M. Craik) 和洛克哈特(Lockhart)，

早在1972時便倡導這種方式，

by Craik and Lockhart,

where they said and discovered

在論文中他們發現並主張

that learning and retention really relates strongly

學習與記憶密切相關。

to the depth of mental processing.

Students learn much better

使用教材時，

when they are interacting with the material.

涉入的心智歷程越深，

學習成效越好。

The second idea is self-pacing.

再來談自主學習的概念，

Now, when I went to a lecture hall,

進入課堂的時候，

and if you were like me,

假設你們和我一樣，

by the fifth minute I would lose the professor.

不到5分鐘就聽不懂了；

I wasn't all that smart, and I would be scrambling, taking notes,

因不夠聰明，所以拼命做筆記，

and then I would lose the lecture for the rest of the hour.

結果接下來的課跟不上。

Instead, wouldn't it be nice with online technologies,

反觀網路科技在這方面不就很好?

we offer videos and interactive engagements to students?

學生有影片和互動成分可用；

They can hit the pause button.

可暫停；

They can rewind the professor.

可倒帶讓教授再說一次；

Heck, they can even mute the professor.

還可按靜音要教授閉嘴。

So this form of self-pacing

這樣的自主方式，

can be very helpful to learning.

對學習很有幫助，

The third idea that we have is instant feedback.

第三個概念是立即回饋，

With instant feedback,

有了這個技術，

the computer grades exercises.

電腦就可批閱習題，

I mean, how else do you teach 150,000 students?

不然要怎樣教15萬名學生呢?

Your computer is grading all the exercises.

而電腦則可勝任所有評分工作。

And we've all submitted homeworks,

以前我們交作業後，

and your grades come back two weeks later,

兩週後才會收到成績，

you've forgotten all about it.

到時早忘了這回事。

I don't think I've still received some of my homeworks

我認為大學時交出去的作業，

from my undergraduate days.

有些沒發回來，

Some are never graded.

有些甚至根本沒批改過。

So with instant feedback,

藉由立即回饋，

students can try to apply answers.

學生可查看成績；

If they get it wrong, they can get instant feedback.

若答錯了也能立刻知道，

They can try it again and try it again,

能反覆嘗試練習，

and this really becomes much more engaging.

還有立即回饋，

They get the instant feedback,

這樣學更有趣。

and this little green check mark that you see here

這個綠色勾選記號，

is becoming somewhat of a cult symbol at edX.

已有edX精神象徵的態勢。

Learners are telling us that they go to bed at night

學生跟我們說，他們晚上就寢時，

腦中縈繞的都是這個記號。

dreaming of the green check mark.

In fact, one of our learners

真的，一位去年稍早

who took the circuits course early last year,

修過電路學的學生，

he then went on to take a software course

去年底又去修柏克萊大學的

from Berkeley at the end of the year,

軟體課程。

and this is what the learner had to say

這學生剛開始上課時，

on our discussion board

曾對綠色答對記號

when he just started that course

在課程討論區

about the green check mark:

發表過這樣的看法：

"Oh god; have I missed you."

「天啊！我開始懷念起答對記號了！」

When's the last time you've seen students

各位何曾見過學生，

posting comments like this about homework?

在網上發表對作業的看法？

My colleague Ed Bertschinger,

我的同事艾迪．白辛格（Ed Bertschinger）

who heads up the physics department at MIT,

也就是MIT物理系系主任，

has this to say about instant feedback:

對即時回饋是這麼形容的。

He indicated that instant feedback

他表示即時回饋

在教學當下便能產生學習效果。

turns teaching moments into learning outcomes.

The next big idea is gamification.

我們接著要談的重要概念是寓教於樂，

You know, all learners engage really well

對互動影片一類的東西，

with interactive videos and so on.

所有學生都能融入其中。

You know, they would sit down and shoot

他們願意整天坐在那，

alien spaceships all day long until they get it.

打外星艦隊的射擊遊戲，直到破關。

So we applied these gamification techniques to learning,

因此我們把學習融入遊戲中，

and we can build these online laboratories.

像是網路實驗室。

How do you teach creativity? How do you teach design?

至於創意和設計該怎麼教，

We can do this through online labs

網路實驗室便派得上用場。

and use computing power

就可建構這些網路實驗室。

to build these online labs.

就可建構這些網路實驗室。

So as this little video shows here,

如同短片中看到的，

you can engage students

學生能夠參與其中，

much like they design with Legos.

就很像他們排列樂高積木一樣。

So here, the learners are building a circuit

這是學生在作電路規劃，

with Lego-like ease.

感覺就像玩樂高一樣輕鬆，

And this can also be graded by the computer.

而且同樣能以電腦評分。

Fifth is peer learning.

第五點是同伴協同學習，

So here, we use discussion forums and discussions

這部分我們用的是論壇、相互討論

and Facebook-like interaction

以及類似臉書的互動機制。

not as a distraction,

這不是要讓學生分心，

but to really help students learn.

而是有效促進學習。

Let me tell you a story.

讓我說個故事，

When we did our circuits course

電路學有15萬5千名學生，

for the 155,000 students,

I didn't sleep for three nights

快要開課時，

leading up to the launch of the course.

為了備課，

我熬夜3天。

I told my TAs, okay, 24/7,

我跟助教說，

為了主持論壇和回覆問題等，

we're going to be up

monitoring the forum, answering questions.

我們會需要全天待命。

They had answered questions for 100 students.

他們幫100位學生解答過問題，

How do you do that for 150,000?

不過15萬名學生要怎麽應付？

So one night I'm sitting up there, at 2 a.m. at night,

話說有一晚我半夜2點還脫不了身，

and I think there's this question

我記得當時有人問了個問題，

from a student from Pakistan,

是一名巴基斯坦的學生問的。

and he asked a question, and I said,

既然他問了，我心想，

okay, let me go and type up an answer,

好吧！讓我把答案打上去。

I don't type all that fast,

不過我打字不算快。

and I begin typing up the answer,

於是我開始輸入答案，

and before I can finish,

不過我還沒完成，

another student from Egypt popped in with an answer,

一位埃及學生就上線解答了。

not quite right, so I'm fixing the answer,

只不過並非完全正確，所以我加以修正，

and before I can finish, a student from the U.S.

同樣地，一位美國的學生,

had popped in with a different answer.

搶在我完成前提供另一個答案。

And then I sat back, fascinated.

我索性袖手旁觀，但覺十分有趣。

Boom, boom, boom, boom, the students were

眼看線上學生數激增，

discussing and interacting with each other,

且彼此互動討論

and by 4 a.m. that night, I'm totally fascinated,

深夜還不到4點，我已完全投入其中，

having this epiphany,

為此深受啟發。

and by 4 a.m. in the morning,

而學生也在凌晨4點前，

they had discovered the right answer.

就找出正確答案。

And all I had to do was go and bless it,

我只需表示肯定，說聲:

"Good answer."

「答得好」就夠了！

So this is absolutely amazing,

學生籍機彼此學習，

where students are learning from each other,

這點真的令人非常驚喜。

and they're telling us that they are learning

何況學生還告訴我們，

教同學也讓他們學到不少。

by teaching.

Now this is all not just in the future.

我現在說的不只是未來，

This is happening today.

現在就已經實現了。

So we are applying these blended learning pilots

目前我們聯合全球許多高中和大學，

in a number of universities and high schools around the world,

試行這些多元學習計劃。

from Tsinghua in China

包括中國的清華大學、以及

to the National University of Mongolia in Mongolia

蒙古的國立蒙古大學，還有

to Berkeley in California --

美國加州的柏克萊大學，

all over the world.

其應用可謂遍布全球。

And these kinds of technologies really help,

這類科技真的幫了不少忙，

the blended model can really help

而多元教育模式

revolutionize education.

確實能大幅改革教育，

It can also solve a practical problem of MOOCs,

還能解決MOOCs所面臨的一項實際問題，

the business aspect.

也就是營運。

We can also license these MOOC courses

我們還可對其他大學

開放MOOC的授權，

to other universities,

and therein lies a revenue model for MOOCs,

這樣MOOCs就有盈利方式了。

where the university that licenses it with the professor

取得授權的任課教授，

can use these online courses

就可把這些線上課程

like the next-generation textbook.

當成新版教課書，

They can use as much or as little as they like,

且可自行決定使用率，

and it becomes a tool in the teacher's arsenal.

教材資源也會更豐富。

Finally, I would like to have you

最後我想請大家

dream with me for a little bit.

和我共享一點夢想；

I would like us to really reimagine education.

讓我們再次想像教育的樣貌,

We will have to move from lecture halls to e-spaces.

教育將由實體課堂延伸到虛擬空閒，

We have to move from books to tablets

我們該嘗試書本以外的平板了。

like the Aakash in India

像印度推行的，

Aakash平板，

or the Raspberry Pi, 20 dollars.

或是20美元的樹莓派電腦（Raspberry Pi）；

The Aakash is 40 dollars.

Aakash要價40美元。

We have to move from bricks-and-mortar school buildings

我們必須從學校建築

to digital dormitories.

延伸到數位化的寢室。

But I think at the end of the day,

不過我認為到頭來，

I think we will still need one lecture hall

大學中的教室，

in our universities.

還是有其必要性。

Otherwise, how else do we tell our grandchildren

不然怎能跟自己的孫兒輩說，

that your grandparents sat in that room

爺爺奶奶曾在那間教室，

in neat little rows like cornstalks

像玉米稈一般整齊端坐，

and watched this professor at the end

看著彼端的教授，

talk about content and, you know,

而且說到課堂內容，

當時連倒帶鍵都沒有。

you didn't even have a rewind button?

Thank you.

謝謝大家！

（掌聲）

(Applause)

謝謝！謝謝！（觀眾紛紛起立鼓掌）

Thank you. Thank you. (Applause)