Editorial

In August, 2012, four months after opening, Coursera—one of several Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) providers quickly gaining traction on the Internet—registered one million students, from nearly 200 countries. This is only one of the many staggering statistics that could be shared about the sudden popularity of MOOCs, the total of which speak to the worldwide interest in accessing university courses online. The large number of people enrolling in MOOCs, coupled with university interest in expanding online content, has put this new model in the spotlight. The term MOOC dates from 2008, developed initially as a pedagogical experiment focused on creating a more connected and democratic learning environment. However, since 2011, universities have used the term to describe course offerings geared toward a worldwide student body. Today, “MOOC” describes a range of pedagogical models. George Siemens distinguishes between “cMOOCs” which follow the original “connectivist” model and the more institutionalised and tightly structured “xMOOCs”. Despite the differences, the emergence of MOOCs as a whole poses a set of challenges to the educational community. Many of us seem to believe that MOOCs are finally delivering some of the technology-enabled change in education that we have been waiting nearly two decades for. This issue aims to shed light on the way MOOCs affect education institutions and learners. Which teaching and learning strategies can be used to improve the MOOC learning experience? How do MOOCs fit into today's pedagogical landscape; and could they provide a viable model for developing countries? We must also look closely at their potential impact on education structures. With the expansion of xMOOC platforms connected to different university networks—like Coursera, Udacity, edX, or the newly launched European Futurelearn—a central question is: what is their role in the education system and especially in higher education? This special issue of eLearning Papers brings together in-depth research and examples from the field to generate debate within this emerging research area

A gamification framework to enhance students’ intrinsic motivation on MOOC

Technological development supports the distribution of education to various parts of the world through online education. One of the learning media that supports the distribution of learning is the Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). However, MOOC has a low number of students who complete the course. Therefore, this research proposes a "gamification framework" through studies and various approaches in the field of games, intrinsic motivation elements, social learning, and interactive learning environments to overcome the low motivation of students. The proposed framework has been evaluated through validation by experts. The results found that the framework fulfilled the rules and suitability of the instruments and game elements used to increase the intrinsic motivation of students in online learning. Although there are some changes in the function and type of game elements used. For further research, the framework will be used as a guideline to build the Gamified MOOC Platform

Massive Open Online Courses for Business Learning: Key research, best practices and pathways to innovation

This book contains all you need to know about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) for the world of business! It was written by academics and business experts from across Europe as part of the BizMOOC project (bizmooc.eu). Inside you will find a detailed analysis of key literature in this field along with a range of practical tips for designing, implementing, evaluating and improving online learning at scale. Use this guide to understand the MOOC potential for you and your organisation!BizMOOC (2016-9) was a Knowledge Alliance project funded by the European Union (Erasmus+ / Key Action 2 / Knowledge Alliance; 562286-EPP-1-2015-1-AT-EPPKA2-KA). The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsi­ble for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

Stimulating intrapreneurial intentions with digital business training in the VET sector: The potential of massive open online courses

It has become imperative to stimulate and support employees to behave entrepreneurially within organizations (intrapreneurship). However, little is known about how digital, massive, and scalable business education and training formats such as massive open online course (MOOCs) can contribute to vocational and educational training (VET) in general, and to nurture intrapreneurial behavior and corresponding intentions in specific. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore the potential effect of a MOOC on intrapreneurial intentions of learners.Data were acquired from 412 employees taking a MOOC on intrapreneurship for constructs embedded in the theory of planned behavior, tailored to the context of intrapreneurship. The proposed method employs Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare the levels of constructs before and after the course and longitudinal structural equation modeling for gauging the initial level of intention and prior experience.The research reveals a positive effect on the perceived behavioral control, intentions, and attitude toward the behavior of learners by the MOOC and changing perceptions regarding subjective norms among peers. Besides indicating the potential for digital business training on an extensive scale, the study demonstrates the applicability of MOOCs as integrative self-selection funnel for a reliable identification of high-potential intrapreneurs.The findings are relevant for VET providers, organizations and business educators, especially in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, to understand better the multifaceted capacity of digital transformation, illustrated with training to stimulate intrapreneurship

Once upon a tip... : a story of MOOCs and gamification

Comunicação publicada nas atas da conferência EADTU 2017, realizadas na Open University, Milton Keynes, de 25-27 de outubro de 2017.This paper discusses the future of MOOCs based on recent research and acknowledged affordances of videogame’s design. The interest in MOOCS for educational purposes has increased over the last few years, with researchers identifying key pedagogical features that make the success of these inherently powerful learning tools. However, low student motivation and high dropout rates have somehow changed the original expectations of many researchers, despite the MOOC user base doubling in 2015. So, in this study we survey recent literature looking for answers, and discuss the evidence gathered from specific MOOCs with over one thousand participants, namely, pioneering iMOOC courses at Universidade Aberta (the Portuguese Open University). Finally, we look at the gaming world and discuss some findings that may benefit the learning design of MOOCs, considering that, besides the huge appeal of these (free) courses, there are recurring shortcomings that we have to alleviate. We follow up on the tip that gamification, and other emerging strategies, such as social networking and digital storytelling, may be vital to assure a sustainable future for open education and MOOCs.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Massive Open Online Courses for Employability, Innovation and Entrepreneurship: a Rapid Assessment of Evidence

This report summarises the evidence base regarding the use of open online learning for supporting employability, innovation and entrepreneurship within the European area. It was written as part of the European MOOC Consortium – Labour Markets project (EMC-LM). MOOC platforms in the European MOOC Consortium (EMC) look for solutions to reach better the labour market. This streamlined review of literature draws on scientific literature, project reports, policy documents, case studies and other resources to describe the potential for MOOCs to stimulate and empower organisations to use open education as part of their programs of continuous education (CE) and continuous professional development (CPD) or continuous vocational training (CVT). This report identifies several interstices where the worlds of higher education, vocational educational, training and open online learning come are converging. Evidence is provided for the contention that, through enhancing opportunities for flexible delivery of education, MOOC can innovate the way that we approach degree programmes, lifelong learning, CE and CPD. The information gathered in this report aims to provide a comprehensive overview of relevant material but does not claim to be exhaustive. This report was written as part of the EMC-LM project as a way to establish a shared understanding of the possibilities for collaboration and innovation. The references provided are nonetheless a great starting point for any investigation of the potential of MOOCs for workplace and lifelong learning. Approaches which emphasize the flexible delivery of learning are especially suited to workplace upskilling. For greatest impact and relevance, collaboration should cross disciplinary and professional boundaries, involving a wide range of stakeholders. Employability can be supported through improved management of work transitions; more flexible training options; new routes between education and work; building credibility in CPD; enhancing soft and transversal skills; and developing new mechanisms for authenticating non-formal learning. Innovation can be encouraged by working with greater transparency and sharing; improved dialogue between stakeholders; adopting a reflective attitude towards technology; and through policies which support and motivate new approaches. Entrepreneurship can be moving beyond the knowledge transfer model of entrepreneurial education; drawing stronger connections between theory and practice; promoting collaboration between researchers and practitioners in education and entrepreneurship; and encouraging entrepreneurial culture

Gamification and Advanced Technology to Enhance Motivation in Education

This book, entitled “Gamification and Advanced Technology to Enhance Motivation in Education”, contains an editorial and a collection of ten research articles that highlight the use of gamification and other advanced technologies as powerful tools for motivation during learning. Motivation is the driving force behind many human activities, especially learning. Motivated students are ready to make a significant mental effort and use deeper and more effective learning strategies. Numerous studies indicate that playing promotes learning, since when fun pervades the learning process, motivation increases and tension is reduced. Therefore, games can be very powerful tools in the improvement of learning processes from three different and complementary perspectives: as tools for teaching content or skills, as an object of the learning project itself and as a philosophy to be taken into account when designing the training process. Each contributions presented in this book falls into one of these categories; that is to say, they all deal with the use of games or related technologies, and they all study how playing enhances motivation in education

EU–originated MOOCs, with focus on multi- and single-institution platforms

No abstract available