3,305 research outputs found
A review on massive e-learning (MOOC) design, delivery and assessment
MOOCs or Massive Online Open Courses based on Open Educational Resources (OER) might be one of the most versatile ways to offer access to quality education, especially for those residing in far or disadvantaged areas. This article analyzes the state of the art on MOOCs, exploring open research questions and setting interesting topics and goals for further research. Finally, it proposes a framework that includes the use of software agents with the aim to improve and personalize management, delivery, efficiency and evaluation of massive online courses on an individual level basis.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft
Evolution in the Design and Functionality of Rubrics: from “Square” Rubrics to “Federated” Rubrics
The assessment of learning remains one of the most controversial and challenging aspects for teachers. Among some recent technical solutions, methods and techniques like eRubrics emerge in an attempt to solve the situation. Understanding that all teaching contexts are different and there can be no single solution for all cases, specific measures are adapted to contexts where teachers receive support from institutions and communities of practice. This paper presents the evolution of the eRubric service [1] which started from a first experience with paper rubrics, and, with time and after several I+D+R [2] educational projects, has evolved thanks to the support of a community of practice [3] and the exchange of experiences between teachers and researchers. This paper shows the results and functionality of the eRubrics service up to the date of publicationa.) Project I+D+i EDU2010-15432: eRubric federated service for assessing university learning http://erubrica.uma.es/?page_id=434. b.) Centre for the Design of eRubrics. National Distance Education System -Sined- Mexico. [http://erubrica.uma.es/?page_id=389
MOOC adaptation and translation to improve equity in participation
There is an urgent need to improve elementary and secondary school classroom practices across India and the scale of this challenge is argued to demand new approaches to teacher professional learning. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) represent one such approach and which, in the context of this study, is considered to provide a means by which to transcend traditional training processes and disrupt conventional pedagogic practices. This paper offers a critical review of a large-scale MOOC deployed in English, and then in Hindi, to support targeted sustainable capacity building within an education development initiative (TESS-India) across seven states in India. The study draws on multiple sources of participant data to identify and examine features which stimulated a buzz around the MOOCs, leading to over 40,000 registrations and a completion rate of approximately 50% for each of the two MOOCs
¿Pueden los MOOC cerrar la brecha de oportunidades?: La contribución del diseño pedagógico social inclusivo
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are open courses made available online at no cost to the user and designed
to scale up, allowing for a large number of participants. As such, they are a disruptive new development which has
the potential to widen access to higher education since they contribute to social inclusion, the dissemination of
knowledge and pedagogical innovation. However, assuring quality learning opportunities to all cannot be simply
reduced to allowing free access to higher education. On the contrary, it implies assuring equitable opportunities for
every participant to succeed in their learning experience. This goal depends on the quality of the learning design. To
be successful, a massive open online learning experience has to empower learners and to facilitate a networked
learning environment. In fact, MOOCs are designed to serve a high heterogeneity of profiles, with many differences
regarding learning needs and preferences, prior knowledge, contexts of participation and diversity of online platforms.
Personalization can play a key role in this process. In this article, the authors describe the iMOOC pedagogical model
and its later derivative, the sMOOC model, and explain how they contributed to the introduction of the principles
of diversity and learner equity to MOOC design, allowing for a clear differentiation of learning paths and also of
virtual environments, while empowering participants to succeed in their learning experiences. Using a design-based
research approach, a comparative analysis of two course iterations each representing each model is also presented
and discussed.Los cursos en línea abiertos y masivos (MOOC) son cursos abiertos disponibles en línea sin costo para el usuario y
diseñados para ampliarse, permitiendo un gran número de participantes. Como tales, son un nuevo desarrollo
disruptivo que tiene el potencial de ampliar el acceso a la educación superior, ya que contribuyen a la inclusión social,
la difusión del conocimiento y la innovación pedagógica. Sin embargo, garantizar oportunidades de aprendizaje de
calidad para todos no puede reducirse simplemente a permitir el acceso gratuito a la educación superior. Por el
contrario, implica asegurar oportunidades equitativas para que cada participante tenga éxito en su experiencia de
aprendizaje. Este objetivo depende de la calidad del diseño de aprendizaje. Para tener éxito, una experiencia de
aprendizaje en línea abierta y masiva debe empoderar a los alumnos y facilitar un entorno de aprendizaje en red. De
hecho, los MOOC están diseñados para servir a una gran heterogeneidad de perfiles, con muchas diferencias con
respecto a las necesidades y preferencias de aprendizaje, conocimiento previo, contextos de participación y diversidad
de plataformas en línea. La personalización puede jugar un papel clave en este proceso. En este artículo, los autores
describen el modelo pedagógico iMOOC y su derivada posterior, el modelo sMOOC, y explican cómo contribuyeron a la introducción de los principios de diversidad y equidad en el diseño MOOC, lo que permite una clara
diferenciación de las rutas de aprendizaje y también de entornos virtuales, al tiempo que permite a los participantes
tener éxito en sus experiencias de aprendizaje. Usando un enfoque de design-based research, también se presenta y discute
un análisis comparativo de dos iteraciones del curso, cada una representando cada modelo
Together we stand, Together we fall, Together we win: Dynamic Team Formation in Massive Open Online Courses
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offer a new scalable paradigm for
e-learning by providing students with global exposure and opportunities for
connecting and interacting with millions of people all around the world. Very
often, students work as teams to effectively accomplish course related tasks.
However, due to lack of face to face interaction, it becomes difficult for MOOC
students to collaborate. Additionally, the instructor also faces challenges in
manually organizing students into teams because students flock to these MOOCs
in huge numbers. Thus, the proposed research is aimed at developing a robust
methodology for dynamic team formation in MOOCs, the theoretical framework for
which is grounded at the confluence of organizational team theory, social
network analysis and machine learning. A prerequisite for such an undertaking
is that we understand the fact that, each and every informal tie established
among students offers the opportunities to influence and be influenced.
Therefore, we aim to extract value from the inherent connectedness of students
in the MOOC. These connections carry with them radical implications for the way
students understand each other in the networked learning community. Our
approach will enable course instructors to automatically group students in
teams that have fairly balanced social connections with their peers, well
defined in terms of appropriately selected qualitative and quantitative network
metrics.Comment: In Proceedings of 5th IEEE International Conference on Application of
Digital Information & Web Technologies (ICADIWT), India, February 2014 (6
pages, 3 figures
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Education Workforce Initiative: Initial Research
The purpose of this initial research is to offer evidenced possibilities in the key areas of education workforce roles, recruitment, training, deployment and leadership, along with suggested areas for further research to inform innovation in the design and strengthening of the public sector education workforce. The examples described were identified through the process outlined in the methodology section of this report, whilst we recognise that separation of examples from their context is problematic – effective innovations are highly sensitive to context and uncritical transfer of initiatives is rarely successful.
The research aims to support the Education Workforce Initiative (EWI) in moving forward with engaging education leaders and other key actors in radical thinking around the design and strengthening of the education workforce to meet the demands of the 21st century. EWI policy recommendations will be drawn from a number of country level workforce reform activities and research activity associated with the production of an Education Workforce Report (EWR). This research has informed the key questions, approach and structure of the EWR as outlined in the Education Workforce Report Proposal.
Issues pertaining to teaching and learning in primary and secondary education are at the centre of the research reported here; the focus is on moving towards schools as safe places where all children/ young people are able to engage in meaningful activity. The majority of the evidence shared here relates to teachers and school leaders; evidence on learning support staff, district officials and the wider education workforce is scant. Many of the issues examined are also pertinent to the early childhood care and education sector but these are being examined in depth by the Early Childhood Workforce Initiative. Resourcing for the Education Workforce was out of scope of this initial research but the EC recognises, as outlined in the Learning Generation Report, that provision of additional finance is a critical factor in achieving a sustainable, strong and well-motivated education workforce, particularly but not exclusively, in low and middle income countries. The next stage of EWI work will consider the relative costs of current initiatives and modelling of the cost implications of proposed reforms.
EWI aims to complement the work on teacher policy design and teacher career frameworks (including salary structures) being undertaken by other bodies and institutions such as Education International, the International Task Force on Teachers for 2030 and the Teachers’ Alliance, most particularly by bringing a focus on school and district leadership, the role of Education Support Professionals (ESPs) and inter-agency working
EU–originated MOOCs, with focus on multi- and single-institution platforms
No abstract available
Digitally supported assessment
This chapter focuses on digital assessment and feedback practices in distance education. Providing evidence of learning through assessment is at the heart of students’ experience of higher education (HE), whatever their mode of study. Open and distance education-focused institutions have justifiably been proud of their technical innovation, tending to move rapidly to harness available technologies (from post to broadcast media and, most recently, online media) in their mission to enable education for remote, distributed groups of learners. In recent years, distance education courses have, in the main, moved from paper and digital media delivered physically to wholly online delivery, except where the circumstances of target learners preclude reliance on a reliable and fast internet connection. In terms of content, discussion and collaboration, where distance education has forged ahead, campus-based, blended programmes have generally followed. However, in terms of assessment and feedback, distance education has remained somewhat conservative. While most assessment in distance education has taken place online along with content and communication, there has been a tendency to replicate fairly traditional assessment formats using digital tools
Supporting Effective Online Learning Groups for eLearning Systems
Learning in groups has been advocated to increase learning based on the social constructivist learning theory. ICT has been preferred to bridge the gap between distance learning students for possibilities to enhance the benefits of learning groups.
However, although learning groups can bring about meaningful learning, learning groups in online environments are often not working. To solve this problem, this study uses design science approaches to establish methods and factors that support effective online learning groups. Within design science three case studies were used. These case studies were used under three research areas: context of online learning groups, processes to support effective online learning groups and tools to support effective online learning groups. The study adopted mixed methods in the evaluation stage of the adopted design science.
Establishing the context of online learning groups laid a foundation for this study. This was done using a survey approach that covered the five regions in Uganda, semi-structured interviews with experienced online learning facilitators and observation of interaction logs of online courses at both the University of Agder and Makerere University. Initially, preliminary findings of effective online learning groups were established. The preliminary findings consist of the need for: study guide, trained online tutors, motivating and sustaining interaction, high levels of cognitive interactions, peer assessment based activities and ICT.
From the context of online learning groups, the Methods and Factors for Effective Online Learning Groups (FEOLG) were established. FEOLG include: supporting institutional online learning group policy; supporting institutional online learning group technology; quality of online learning group activity; quality of the online learning group; and quality of online learning group facilitation. The factors were evaluated using online learning courses based on existing Makerere University eLearning Environment (MUELE) and online learning group design.
The thesis contributes: methods for creating online learning groups, methods for structuring online learning group activities, methods for facilitating online learning groups, and the establishment of factors for supporting effective online learning groups.publishedVersio
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