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The research proposes that a servant leadership style of engagement in a MOOC learning environment has the potential, via the implementation of a collaborative engagement model, to enhance learner intrinsic motivation. Servant Leadership is a leadership philosophy based on the premise ‘primus inter pares’ or first amongst equals, thus the leader leads from within, sharing power rather than exerting power via controlling influence and the oppression of others. This style of engagement results in personal growth, enhanced identity and strengthening of community.
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Servant Leadership as an enhancer of intrinsic motivation in MOOCs
Presenter
Mary Bolger
Networked Learning Conference, Edinburgh , 8th April, 2014
The MOOCs Story
The Tech Touch Dilemma
Using Servant Leadership to Resolve the Dilemma
Theoretical Perspective
Proposed Research Focus
Overview
What’s Missing?
The First cMOOC
The First xMOOCSebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig from Stanford University
Arising out of the Stanford course - Udacity was set up- in early 2012 – set up as a for profit venture
Co-founder Sebastian Thrunhttps:udacity.com
xMOOC - Coursera, for profit, partnered with - Stanford, Princeton, Michegan, Pennsylavania (disruptive innovation, focus here is on developing a new business model, new markets etc)
https://www.coursera.org/
xMOOC - Non profit venture founded by Harvard and MIT (sustaining innovation – looking to new ways of enhancing existing learning with use of online learning tools)
https://www.edx.org/
https://novoed.com/
Launched in July 2013 – by Stanford Professors, Amin Saberi & Farnaz Ronaghi - (a mix of free, paid and closed courses)
https://www.futurelearn.com/Consortium including the Open University, UK and a number of other mainly UK based universities
https://iversity.org/
German MOOCs Provider
https://www.miriadax.net/
Spanish MOOCs Provider
So, What’s the Problem Then?
High Volume of discussion threads, non course related discussions together with declining participation over the duration of a MOOC
(Brinton, Chiang, Jain, Larn, Liu and Wong, 2013)
High Attrition with approximately10% completion rates(Kolowich, 2013)
Lack of Motivation – motivation is an important prerequisite to enhanced learner engagement and self direction in a MOOC
(Milligan, Littlejohn and Margaryan, 2013)
Dilemma Reconciliation Framework (Trompenaars and Voerman, 2009)
The Alternatives Scenario – Linear Logic
The Reconciliation Scenario – Cyclical Logic
Two people want very different things Outcome tends to be ‘compromise’ rather than ‘all’ or ‘nothing’, Result is that neither party is entirely satisfied or entirely dissatisfied.
Acknowledge that differences present dilemmas, for example, leading-serving and specific-diffuseCombine best attributes of both value positionsOpposites are overcome by combining them
(Trompenaars and Voerman, 2009)
Dilemma Reconciliation
High Touch
Low Tech
High Tech
Low Touch
High Tech
High Touch
The Tech Touch Dilemma
Conceptual representation of ‘tech-touch’ dilemma depicting a continuum from low tech to high tech contexts together with the human touch associated with each of the contexts
And also showing the cyclical nature of ‘reconciliation’ by merging the seemingly polar opposites to generate a setting that combines the best attributes of technology and touch
Theoretical Perspective
Servant Leadership as an Engagement Style
Providing the context to facilitate the optimal growth of others (followers) beyond one’s own self interests (the leader). Thus the leader becomes servant inspiring followers to go on and become servant leaders themselves
Associated Theories
Self Directed Learning
(Knowles, 1980, 1984)
Self Determination Theory (Deci
and Ryan, 2000)
Pedagogy Andragogy
Needing More Suppor
t
Needing Less
Support
Self Direction
HeutagogyHase and Kenyon (2007)
Knowles (1984)
• Achieve mastery
COMPETENCE
• Connect with, interact and care for others
RELATEDNESS
• Initiate change (agency) in harmony with the self
AUTONOMY
Sel
f D
eter
min
atio
n
The Research GapThe how of adult learning has been well documented over the years (Houle, Tough, Knowles). However little attention has been given to how adults learn in networked / connectivist learning contexts like MOOCs
The stream of thought associated with the above is the meeting of basic psychological needs (relatedness, competence, autonomy)->enhanced intrinsic motivation -> self direction
It is envisaged therefore that Servant-Leadership will enhance motivation by enhancing engagement
It is further envisaged that Servant-Leadership becomes a goal in itself in that it is self perpetuating. By generating an environment that is collegially empowering, positive and emancipatory, others (servants) will want to go on to become servant-leaders themselves
Servant Leadership Engagement Style
Listening, empathy, healing, awareness,
persuasion, conceptualisation,
stewardship, growth, building community
Intrinsic Motivation
Self Direction
CompetenceRelatednessAutonomy
SE LF
PERPETUATION
The Servant Leadership Engagement Model
Given that the social context can either
Enhance motivation, or Diminish motivation
- it is anticipated that the inclusion of an engagement model (based on servant leadership attributes) has the potential to enhance intrinsic motivation and the development of the necessary self direction required in MOOCs.
Thus the research hopes to answer the question ‘how can a servant-
leadership engagement style enhance intrinsic motivation in MOOCs?
BRINTON, C. CHIANG, M., JAIN, S., LARN, H., LIU, Z., WONG, F. (2013) Learning about social learning in MOOCs:
From statistical analysis to generative model
http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013arXiv1312.2159B
[accessed, 1st Jan, 2014]
DECI, E.L. and RYAN, R.M., (2000). The 'What' and 'Why' of Goal Pursuits: Human Needs and the Self-Determination of
Behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), pp. 227.
HASE, S. and KENYON, C. (2007) Hautagogy: A child of complexity theory, Complicity: An International Journal of
Complexity and Education, 4(1), pp. 111-118.
HOULE, C. O. (1961) The Inquiring Mind. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press
KNOWLES, M. S. (1980) The Modern Practice of Adult Education. Andragogy versus pedagogy, Englewood Cliffs:
Prentice Hall/Cambridge
KNOWLES, M. S. (1984) Andragogy in Action. Applying modern principles of adult education, San Francisco: Jossey
Bass
KOLOWICH, S., (2013). Coursera Takes a Nuanced View of MOOC Dropout Rates. Chronicle of Higher
Education, 59(32), pp. A22-A22.
MILLIGAN, C., LITTLEJOHN, A., & MARGARYAN, A. (2013). Patterns of engagement in connectivist MOOCs. MERLOT
Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, 9(2), 149-159. http://jolt.merlot.org/vol9no2/milligan_0613.htm
[accessed 3rd January, 2014]
TOUGH, A. (1971) The Adult’s Learning Projects: A Fresh Approach to Theory and Practice in Adult Learning. Toronto:
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education
TROMPENAARS, F. and VOERMAN, E. (2009) Servant Leadership Across Cultures, Harnessing the Strength of the
World’s Most Powerful Management Philosophy, Oxford, Infinite Ideas Limited.
Thank You!
Contact Details
Mary BolgerPhd Candidate, Open Universiteit, [email protected]
Full Conference Paper availablehttp://nlc2014.sched.org
