Perspectives: Mark Lester
Channel: Center for Online Innovation in Learning
Date: 2016-05-03

In this video, COIL Co-Director Larry Ragan interviews Mark Lester, Director of Partnership Development for FutureLearn (UK).

Perspectives is a video interview series developed by the Center for Online Innovation in Learning at Penn State University exploring emerging trends and forces in higher education with thought leaders from the world of online innovations.

Throughout this series, we ask leading thinkers a set of three questions derived from COIL's regular environmental scanning efforts. The questions are intended to explore their thoughts related to online innovations and their impacts on learning. The questions asked in this video are:

1. What does the word retention mean to you in the context of online learning?
2. If you had no limits on time or money, what system would you build to enable students to maintain progress toward and achieve their educational goals?
3. Could you describe a good first step to building such a system and improving the retention rates for our students?

As one of the founders of FutureLearn, the UK’s pioneering massive open online course platform, Mark Lester has been responsible for building and deepening partnership with many of the foremost UK and international universities, professional bodies and global corporations. FutureLearn’s purpose is to open up incredible lifelong learning opportunities to people across the world. FutureLearn is redefining social learning, bringing disruption to corporate learning and driving digital innovation in higher education. Currently, Mark directs partner development and new commercial strategies with over 70 university and corporate partners.

Visit http://coil.psu.edu/ to learn more.

This video is available in alternative media upon request. Please contact coil-accessibility@psu.edu with any accessibility requests and we will be happy to assist you.