Introduction of Sebastian Thrun:
Dr. Sebastian Thrun is a special guest speaker at California State University, Monterey Bay. He gained recent attention for his online artificial intelligence course, which attracted 160,000 students worldwide.

Challenges in Higher Education:
President Obama set a goal for the United States to become the most educated nation by 2020. However, state funding for higher education is declining, creating a need to improve productivity and efficiency.

Technological Advancements:
Developments in technology, learning science, and brain research present opportunities to revolutionize teaching and learning. The expansion of computing power allows for new ways of conceptualizing the learning process.

Sebastian Thrun’s Course and Its Impact:
Dr. Thrun’s online artificial intelligence course exceeded expectations, with 160,000 students enrolling. This event sparked significant discussions and turbulence in higher education.

University of Virginia’s Crisis:
The University of Virginia’s board briefly fired their president due to concerns about falling behind in the adoption of online learning. The decision was met with backlash from the campus and alumni, leading to the president’s reinstatement.

Sebastian Thrun’s Visit:
Dr. Thrun’s visit to Cal State Monterey Bay aims to address questions and concerns about the future of higher education. The university hopes to learn from Dr. Thrun’s experiences and insights.

Speaker’s Introduction:
Dr. Sebastian Thrun, co-founder of Udacity, one of the three major MOOC providers, is invited to speak at CSU Monterey Bay. Udacity’s partnership with CSU and the state of California aims to address the challenge of expanding higher education capacity.

Udacity’s Focus on Public Higher Education:
Unlike other MOOC providers, Udacity engages with public higher education institutions, recognizing that 78% of college graduates come from these institutions. Udacity’s partnership with San Jose State uses MOOCs to address student readiness for college and provide developmental courses.

Sebastian Thrun’s Achievements and Recognition:
Thrun is a renowned scholar with over 370 scientific papers, 11 books, and membership in the National Academy of Engineering. He has received prestigious awards, including the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award and Fast Company Magazine’s recognition as the fifth most creative person in business.

Thrun’s Apology and Appreciation:
Thrun apologizes if his media presence has caused concerns about MOOCs and clarifies that his intention is to help and assist. He expresses appreciation for the work done by CSU Monterey Bay faculty in the CSU system.

Salman Khan’s Journey into Education:
Salman Khan, a hedge fund analyst with no formal background in education, began teaching math to his two nieces. He recorded his lessons on YouTube when he couldn’t be present in person, leading to an unexpected preference from his nieces. His YouTube videos gained popularity, reaching millions of students who appreciated his clear explanations.

Khan Academy’s Impact on Education:
Khan Academy emerged as a revolutionary force in K-12 education, offering free online lessons and exercises. Khan’s approach allowed students to learn at their own pace, leading to improved outcomes, especially for struggling students. Khan’s success demonstrated the potential of online education and the democratization of learning.

Personal Inspiration and Collaboration:
Inspired by Khan’s story, the speaker, a Stanford professor, decided to put his own graduate-level artificial intelligence class online. Collaboration with Peter Norvig, a Google engineer and friend, led to the creation of an online version of the class.

Unconventional Paths to Educational Innovation:
The speaker emphasized the importance of embracing unconventional paths and embracing new ideas. He highlighted the significance of adaptability and willingness to learn from others, regardless of their backgrounds.

Founding of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs):
In an attempt to gauge interest, Sebastian Thrun, a Stanford Professor, sent an email announcing a free online artificial intelligence class with the same curriculum as Stanford students. Over 14,000 students signed up within a few days, prompting Thrun to offer the class for free to the public.

Technological Challenges and Innovations:
To accommodate the large number of students, Thrun and his colleagues scrambled to create a technology platform within a few weeks. They shifted the focus from recorded lectures to interactive exercises and student engagement. Videos were enhanced with interactive elements like push buttons and numerical or textual questions, providing immediate feedback to students.

Student Experiences and Impact:
Thrun received emails from students from diverse backgrounds, including soldiers in Afghanistan and single mothers, expressing their gratitude for the opportunity to learn and the positive impact the class had on their lives. Students appreciated the intimate learning experience, despite the large class size, and felt a personal connection with the material and the instructor.

Statistical Success and Global Reach:
The first MOOC had 160,000 students, with 23,000 graduating and 1,950 volunteers translating the course into 44 languages. Students from 195 countries participated, with more students from Lithuania than Stanford itself. The top 412 students in the class were all online learners, with the first Stanford student ranking at number 413.

Cost-effectiveness:
The cost per student for developing the platform and delivering the course was a mere $0.60, highlighting the potential of MOOCs to provide accessible and affordable education.

The Rising Costs of Higher Education:
College costs have grown significantly in the past 30 years, with an average annual growth rate of 7.45%. This has led to a trillion-dollar national debt in college tuition, which is unforgivable and places a heavy burden on young people.

Impact on College Education:
The rising costs have contributed to a decline in the percentage of college-educated individuals compared to their parents’ generation. This has raised questions about the benefits of college education and may lead to a decline in student confidence in attending college.

Udacity’s Mission:
Udacity is one of the major providers of massive open online courses (MOOCs). The company’s mission is twofold: to drive pedagogy and rethink the cost of education.

Focus on Pedagogy:
Udacity prioritizes developing an effective online learning framework. The company believes in improving the quality of online education and recognizes that its original courses could be improved.

Rethinking the Cost of Education:
Udacity seeks to increase access to education by exploring ways to scale and make cost savings available to students. A partnership with San Jose State University exemplifies this approach.

Inspiration from Video Games:
Udacity draws inspiration from fields like video games to enhance pedagogy. The company recognizes the engaging and effective learning techniques used in video games and applies them to online education.

Angry Birds as a Learning Tool:
Video games like Angry Birds can teach valuable skills, such as problem-solving and physics, through curated sequences of problems. In Angry Birds, assessment is frequent, allowing learners to try as often as needed until they acquire the skill. The sense of pride and achievement from completing levels in Angry Birds can be a powerful motivator for learning.

Inspiration for Udacity:
Udacity draws inspiration from the engaging and effective learning methods used in video games. Udacity’s classes range from entry-level to upper-level master’s degree courses.

Udacity Class Demonstration:
A new lesson is created in Physics 101, demonstrating how Udacity uses problem-solving rather than lectures to teach. A scenario is presented where a rock is thrown overboard from a boat on a lake. Learners are asked to determine if the water level relative to the shore has gone up, stayed the same, or gone down.

Multiple Choice Question:
A simple multiple-choice question was presented to the audience to engage them in problem-solving.

Brain Work:
The speaker emphasized the importance of solving problems to facilitate learning, as opposed to merely observing others solving problems.

Embarrassment and Learning:
The speaker pointed out that people may hesitate to participate or raise their hands in public settings due to fear of embarrassment.

Private Learning:
Online learning environments provide a private space where individuals can learn without the fear of embarrassment, allowing for more active participation.

Authority and Influence:
The speaker demonstrated the influence of authority figures, such as physics professors, on shaping opinions and beliefs.

Volume Displacement Experiment:
The speaker highlighted the need to consider the volume of the displaced air when an object is submerged, in addition to the volume of the object itself.

Interactive Learning:
The speaker suggested creating interactive learning materials, such as quizzes and simulations, to enhance engagement and understanding.

Carnegie Learning’s Pedagogy:
Carnegie Learning offers 22 online courses with a focus on pedagogy. Courses are taught by experienced professors, such as Ron, who provide engaging and interactive learning experiences. Lessons include quizzes that are designed to be challenging and thought-provoking, covering various topics such as statistics and algebra. Quizzes are a mix of textual, numerical, mathematical expressions, theorems, and program code, providing a diverse range of question types. Feedback is provided for quizzes, either binary (correct or incorrect) or qualified with additional hints.

Key Features of Carnegie Learning’s Online Math Courses:
Hundreds of quizzes are included in each course, covering the entire curriculum. Quizzes are designed to be the focal point of the learning experience, with instruction and videos provided to support students in answering the quizzes correctly. Short tests are also included to assess students’ understanding of the material. Some quizzes are interactive and require students to write program code, making them particularly engaging for computer science courses.

Engaging Quizzes:
Carnegie Learning’s quizzes are designed to be engaging and interactive, encouraging students to actively participate in the learning process. Quizzes cover a variety of topics and question types, keeping students interested and challenged. Students can submit their answers and receive immediate feedback, helping them to identify areas where they need additional support.

Conclusion:
Carnegie Learning’s approach to online mathematics education emphasizes engaging quizzes, interactive instruction, and personalized feedback. This approach is designed to make learning math more enjoyable and effective for students, helping them to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.

Motivation and Context:
Introduction to Computer Science course captivates students with the goal of building a personal search engine, appealing to their interest beyond abstract concepts. Physics class engages students in measuring the planet’s circumference using basic trigonometry, igniting a worldwide exploration frenzy while teaching math and geometry principles.

Personalized Learning and Asynchronous Advantage:
The online medium allows for personalized learning experiences tailored to each student’s pace and interests. Asynchronous learning breaks the synchronous limitations of traditional classrooms, enabling flexible engagement and deeper comprehension.

Time Magazine Recognition:
Time Magazine acknowledges the innovative pedagogy of the MOOC, highlighting its unique approach to teaching that aligns with how the brain learns.

Exploration of New Pedagogies:
The online platform offers an opportunity to explore new pedagogies that leverage the asynchronicity of online learning. This exploration aims to unlock the potential for transformative learning experiences that engage and inspire students.

Future of Education:
The speaker expresses excitement about the potential of online education to revolutionize learning, reaching students who might otherwise be left behind in traditional classrooms.

New Collaboration:
San Jose State University collaborated with various stakeholders to explore the potential of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) in California.

Governor’s Request:
California Governor Jerry Brown expressed concern about the state’s education system, including waitlists, rising tuition, and high retake rates.

Issues in the CSU System:
Over 470,000 students were on waitlists, and many had to take remedial courses, extending their four-year degrees to six years.

Goal of the Collaboration:
To enhance access to higher education and prepare high school students for college, especially those in underserved communities.

Focus on High School Students:
The collaboration aimed to provide high school students with access to college-level courses, including AP classes, through MOOCs.

Affordable and Accessible:
The courses were made affordable, and the Gates Foundation covered the costs for students in the system, making them free.

Human Supervision and Mentoring:
To improve retention rates, the program included human supervision, mentoring, and a 24/7 helpline for students.

Results:
The statistics class retention rate increased from 3.4% in the open MOOC to 100% with the additional support services.

Benefits for the CSU System:
The collaboration aimed to increase the number of graduating students without increasing costs.

Political Considerations:
The speaker acknowledged the political challenges in funding education but emphasized the potential of technology and new teaching approaches to help high school students.

2020 Prediction:
The speaker presented aspirations for transforming education globally, emphasizing the importance of adapting to changing times and embracing new technologies.

A New Model for Higher Education:
The traditional model of education, with distinct phases of play, education, work, and rest, is outdated for the 21st century. Instead, education should be lifelong and interleaved with work and rest. Educational companies should provide support throughout an individual’s lifetime, not just during their formal education years.

The Need for Continuous Education:
The rapid pace of change in the world requires continuous education to stay relevant. Many important technologies and concepts in fields like computer science did not exist 10 years ago. A one-time medication of education is no longer sufficient; lifelong learning is essential.

Making Education More Accessible:
Online platforms can make education more accessible and reach a wider audience. Companies like Google and NVIDIA offer classes on in-demand skills, such as HTML5 and parallel programming. These classes are often more up-to-date and relevant than traditional college courses.

Changing Structures in Higher Education:
Semester-long classes may no longer be the most effective way to deliver education. Modular and flexible learning formats may be better suited for the modern world. Higher education institutions need to adapt to these changes to remain relevant and meet the needs of students.

What is the Future of Education?:
The traditional formative semester is outdated in today’s world. Learning can take place quickly through online resources like Google. Educational units should be shorter, and students should have more control over their learning pace and content. Everyone can and should be able to teach, and the best way to learn is by teaching.

Data-Driven Teaching:
Traditional teaching methods rely on rumors and observations, lacking proper evaluation. Online teaching provides instant data on teaching performance, allowing for improvement based on statistics. Modern companies use machine learning to tailor their websites for better user experience, and education should follow suit.

Proactive vs. Just-in-Time Learning:
Much of today’s learning is proactive, teaching skills that might be needed later. The world is shifting towards just-in-time learning due to accessible information. Learning can be deferred until it’s needed and when motivation is high.

One Size Fits All Myth:
Grouping students by age and taking them through the same journey at the same pace is a myth. Online learning can tailor the experience to individual students, allowing for personalized learning.

Opportunities and Challenges of Online Learning:
Online learning has the potential to change pedagogy, access, and costs for students. The success of online education depends on its quality and the education system’s willingness to embrace it. There is a great opportunity to redefine the classroom experience by integrating online and in-person learning. Online learning can reach more students, including those of different ages and geographies.

Transparency and Evaluation in Online Teaching:
Online learning brings transparency to education, allowing students and outsiders to review and evaluate classes. This transparency can motivate teachers to improve their classes and promote healthy competition. The emphasis on research impact in academia needs to shift towards evaluating institutions based on educational impact.

Minecraft as an Educational Tool:
Minecraft is a valuable thinking tool that can be used in course design. It can be used for various educational purposes, including problem-solving, creativity, and collaboration.

Online Learning and Higher Education:
Online learning platforms like Udency provide resources for deaf students, including subtitled lectures. However, challenges remain for deaf-blind students, as visual representations are essential for certain concepts.

Downsides of Online Learning:
Online learning lacks social interaction and collaborative learning opportunities, which are important for developing communication and interpersonal skills. Online courses may struggle to address the diverse needs of students from different backgrounds and cultures.

Adapting Online Learning to Address Societal Challenges:
Online learning can be used to address social and environmental challenges by creating multidisciplinary courses that focus on real-world problems. These courses can encourage students to work in teams, conduct research, and develop innovative solutions to complex issues.

Complementary Roles of Online Learning and Traditional Education:
Online learning should not compete with traditional college courses but rather complement them. Online courses can provide a foundation for students to further explore topics in a traditional college setting.

Questions for Consideration:
How can online learning be made more accessible to deaf-blind students? What are effective methods for incorporating social and collaborative learning into online courses? How can online learning be used to address specific social and environmental challenges, such as climate change or poverty?

Education and Human Capital:
Human capital is the most valuable resource; educating people is crucial for addressing global challenges. MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) can level the playing field and provide education to those who lack access. Educating people empowers them to help themselves and creates a more knowledgeable and skilled global workforce.

Udacity’s Software Development:
Udacity built its course management system, teacher portal, student portal, and class creation tools within a year. The team used Objective C for the iPad app and various programming languages like Python.

Collaboration among Online Providers:
There is limited collaboration among online education providers due to the focus on innovation and healthy competition. Sharing software can be challenging as everyone is working independently.

Student Bill of Rights:
Udacity’s founder proposed a student bill of rights, emphasizing financial transparency, pedagogical excellence, and the right to be a teacher. It received criticism for not being inclusive enough, but it sparked discussions about prioritizing students’ needs.

Proctoring Exams:
Udacity uses proctoring to ensure the integrity of exams. In-person and virtual proctoring options are available. Proctors monitor students during exams to prevent cheating.

Protecting Knowledge:
Protecting knowledge is not the goal; instead, knowledge should be disseminated and defended. Knowledge should be shared and made accessible to all.

Quality Control in Online Learning:
A study funded by the National Science Foundation is being conducted to compare the outcomes of online classes to traditional in-class experiences. The goal is to ensure that online learning is at least as effective as in-person instruction. The dimensions of performance being evaluated include student attention and performance.

Dropout Rates and Lax Quality in Education:
Current MOOCs have high dropout rates despite being free of charge. There is a lack of rigor and focus on quality in education, both online and in traditional settings. The quality of education varies significantly across different courses and institutions. Educators often pay lip service to quality but lack consistent methods to ensure and measure it.

The Role of Universities in Maintaining Quality:
Universities hold the “bedrock” knowledge and expertise in various disciplines. They have the responsibility to determine the best approaches to teaching and understanding fundamental concepts. The quality of content and curriculum in online learning should be a primary concern. Universities should play a role in developing and maintaining high-quality online educational materials.

Quality Improvement:
Transparency and measurability of online courses lead to increased quality. Comparison and assessment of different courses put pressure on instructors to improve.

Potential for Wider Reach:
The best courses can reach a much larger audience than traditional classes. This can benefit students and institutions alike.

New Opportunities for Excellence:
Institutions and individuals previously unknown for their teaching can emerge as leaders in online education. This can lead to a more diverse and innovative educational landscape.

Examples of Success:
In accounting, an online course from Utah has become the preferred choice for leading business schools. This demonstrates the potential for online courses to revolutionize traditional education.