Influence of employer support for professional development on MOOCs enrolment and completion: Results from a cross-course survey

Although the potential of open education and MOOCs for professional development is usually recognized, it has not yet been explored extensively. How far employers support non-formal learning is still an open question. This paper presents the findings of a survey-based study which focuses on the influence of employer support for (general) professional development on employees’ use of MOOCs. Findings show that employers are usually unaware that their employees are participating in MOOCs. In addition, employer support for general professional development is positively associated with employees completing MOOCs and obtaining certificates for them. However, the relationship between employer support and MOOC enrollment is less clear: workers who have more support from their employers tend to enroll in either a low or a high number of MOOCs. Finally, the promotion of a minimum of ICT skills by employers is shown to be an effective way of encouraging employee participation in the open education ecosystem.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

A Design Guide for Open Online Courses

This guide is a comprehensive summary of how we went about creating Citizen Maths, an open online maths course and service. The guide shares our design principles and the techniques we used to put them into practice. Our aim is to provide – with the appropriate ‘translation’ – a resource that will be useful to to other teams who are developing online education initiatives

Geographical Python Teaching Resources: GeoPyTeR

GeoPyTeR, an acronym of Geographical Python Teaching Resources, provides a hub for the distribution of ‘best practice’ in computational and spatial analytic instruction, enabling instructors to quickly and flexibly remix contributed content to suit their needs and delivery framework and encouraging contributors from around the world to ‘give back’ whether in terms of how to teach individual concepts or deliver whole courses. As such, GeoPyTeR is positioned at the confluence of two powerful streams of thought in software and education: the free and open-source software movement in which contributors help to build better software, usually on an unpaid basis, in return for having access to better tools and the recognition of their peers); and the rise of Massive Open Online Courses, which seek to radically expand access to education by moving course content online and providing access to students anywhere in the world at little or no cost. This paper sets out in greater detail the origins and inspiration for GeoPyTeR, the design of the system and, through examples, the types of innovative workflows that it enables for teachers. We believe that tools like GeoPyTeR, which build on open teaching practices and promote the development of a shared understanding of what it is to be a computational geographer represent an opportunity to expand the impact of this second wave of innovation in instruction while reducing the demands placed on those actively teaching in this area

Open World Learning

This book provides state-of-the-art contemporary research insights into key applications and processes in open world learning. Open world learning seeks to understand access to education, structures, and the presence of dialogue and support systems. It explores how the application of open world and educational technologies can be used to create opportunities for open and high-quality education. Presenting ground-breaking research from an award winning Leverhulme doctoral training programme, the book provides several integrated and cohesive perspectives of the affordances and limitations of open world learning. The chapters feature a wide range of open world learning topics, ranging from theoretical and methodological discussions to empirical demonstrations of how open world learning can be effectively implemented, evaluated, and used to inform theory and practice. The book brings together a range of innovative uses of technology and practice in open world learning from 387,134 learners and educators learning and working in 136 unique learning contexts across the globe and considers the enablers and disablers of openness in learning, ethical and privacy implications, and how open world learning can be used to foster inclusive approaches to learning across educational sectors, disciplines and countries. The book is unique in exploring the complex, contradictory and multi-disciplinary nature of open world learning at an international level and will be of great interest to academics, researchers, professionals, and policy makers in the field of education technology, e-learning and digital education

Open World Learning

This book provides state-of-the-art contemporary research insights into key applications and processes in open world learning. Open world learning seeks to understand access to education, structures, and the presence of dialogue and support systems. It explores how the application of open world and educational technologies can be used to create opportunities for open and high-quality education. Presenting ground-breaking research from an award winning Leverhulme doctoral training programme, the book provides several integrated and cohesive perspectives of the affordances and limitations of open world learning. The chapters feature a wide range of open world learning topics, ranging from theoretical and methodological discussions to empirical demonstrations of how open world learning can be effectively implemented, evaluated, and used to inform theory and practice. The book brings together a range of innovative uses of technology and practice in open world learning from 387,134 learners and educators learning and working in 136 unique learning contexts across the globe and considers the enablers and disablers of openness in learning, ethical and privacy implications, and how open world learning can be used to foster inclusive approaches to learning across educational sectors, disciplines and countries. The book is unique in exploring the complex, contradictory and multi-disciplinary nature of open world learning at an international level and will be of great interest to academics, researchers, professionals, and policy makers in the field of education technology, e-learning and digital education

Computer Science To Go (CS2Go): Developing a course to introduce and teach Computer Science and Computational Thinking to secondary school students

Computer Science To Go (CS2Go) is a course designed to teach Transition Year Students about Computer Science and Computational Thinking. This project has been conducted over two years and this thesis charts the development of the course from the initial research stage, through the lesson creation sections to the testing and evaluation of the course material. Over 80 hours of engaging, informative and challenging material has been developed for use in the classroom. Alongside the lesson plans, assessment and monitoring tools have been created, including a novel tool to assess students Computational Thinking skills. The content was tested in two major studies after an initial pilot study. This initial pilot study proved useful in constructing the full CS2Go course. Overall the course has been well received with teachers and students engaging well with the content. A web portal has also been created to allow for easy dissemination of all the CS2Go material. The further development of this web portal will turn CS2Go into a one-stop shop for teachers and educators hoping to find CS teaching material

“Clinical Supervision with Confidence”: Exploring the potential of MOOCs for faculty development

Background: Postgraduate medical trainees require named clinical supervisors. Given the time pressures and difficulties of geographical access, there is a need to identify appropriate solutions for faculty development. We developed and launched a clinical supervision MOOC (FutureLearn platform) in March 2015. Objective: To assess the potential of the clinical supervision MOOC for faculty development. Methods: Quantitative data was obtained from FutureLearn course analytics and course surveys; qualitative data was obtained from learner feedback within the MOOC. Results: Learners (1,938) from over 75 countries signed up for the MOOC. Of the 899 individuals who began the course, 334 (37.2%) completed. Learners were highly satisfied with the course design and delivery, and enjoyed the opportunities for interprofessional and social learning. Conclusions: MOOCs have great potential for faculty development without geographical boundaries

Open Pedagogy Approaches: Faculty, Library, and Student Collaborations

Open Pedagogy Approaches: Faculty, Library, and Student Collaborations is a collection of case studies from higher education institutions across the United States. An open educational resource (OER) in its own right, it offers a diverse compilation of OER and open pedagogy projects grounded in faculty, library, and student collaborations. Open Pedagogy Approaches provides ideas, practical tips, and inspiration for educators willing to explore the power of open, whether that involves a small innovation or a large-scale initiative. Particularly during this pandemic, as libraries struggle against publisher limitations to offer traditional print texts in e-format, libraries are a natural partner in the creation and facilitation of open educational resources and practices. “Going open” offers innovative alternatives that can equitably shift the culture of student access and empowerment in learning. List of chapters: Editor\u27s Preface / Alexis Clifton Foreword / Robin DeRosa Introduction / Kimberly Davies Hoffman, Robert Berkman, Deborah Rossen-Knill, Kristen Totleben, Eileen Daly-Boas, Alexis Clifton, Moriana Garcia, Lev Earle, and Joe Easterly Evolving into the Open: A Framework for Collaborative Design of Renewable Assignments / Stacy Katz and Jennifer Van Allen Informed Open Pedagogy and Information Literacy Instruction in Student-Authored Open Projects / Cynthia Mari Orozco Approaching Open Pedagogy in Community and Collaboration / Caroline Sinkinson and Amanda McAndrew Open Pedagogy Big and Small: Comparing Open Pedagogy Efforts in Large and Small Higher Education Settings / Shanna Hollich and Jacob Moore Adapting Open Educational Course Materials in Undergraduate General Psychology: A Faculty-Librarian-Student Partnership / Dennis E. Schell, Dorinne E. Banks, and Neringa Liutkaite Reading British Modernist Texts: A Case in Open Pedagogy / Mantra Roy, Joe Easterly, and Bette London Humanities in the Open: The Challenges of Creating an Open Literature Anthology / Christian Beck, Lily J. Dubach, Sarah A. Norris, and John Venecek A 2-for-1 Deal: Earn Your AA While Learning About Information Literacy Using OER / Mary Lee Cunill, Sheri Brown, and Tia Esposito Mathematics Courses and the Ohio Open Ed Collaborative: Collaborative Course Content Building for Statewide Use / Daniel Dotson, Anna Davis, Amanda L. Folk, Shanna Jaggars, Marcos D. Rivera, and Kaity Prieto Library Support for Scaffolding OER-enabled Pedagogy in a General Education Science Course / Lindsey Gumb and Heather Miceli Sharing the End of the World: Students’ Perceptions of Their Self-Efficacy in the Creation of Open Access Digital Learning Objects / Sarah Hutton, Lisa Di Valentino, and Paul Musgrave Teaching Wikipedia: A Model for Critical Engagement with Open Information / Amanda Koziura, Jennifer M. Starkey, and Einav Rabinovitch-Fox “And Still We Rise”: Open Pedagogy and Black History at a Rural Comprehensive State College / Joshua F. Beatty, Timothy C. Hartnett, Debra Kimok, and John McMahon Building a Collection of Openly Licensed Student-Developed Videos / Ashley Shea Whose History?: Expanding Place-Based Initiatives Through Open Collaboration / Sean D. Visintainer, Stephanie Anckle, and Kristen Weischedel Scholarly Bridges: SciComm Skill-Building with Student-Created Open Educational Resources / Carrie Baldwin-SoRelle and Jennifer M. Swann Harnessing the Power of Student-Created Content: Faculty and Librarians Collaborating in the Open Educational Environment / Bryan James McGeary, Ashwini Ganeshan, and Christopher S. Guder Open Pedagogical Practices to Train Undergraduates in the Research Process: A Case Study in Course Design and Co-Teaching Strategies / Stephanie N. Lewis, Anne M. Brown, and Amanda B. MacDonald Open Pedagogical Design for Graduate Student Internships, A New Collaborative Model / Laurie N. Taylor and Brian Keith Adventures in a Connectivist MOOC on Open Learning / Susan J. Erickson Invitation to Innovation: Transforming the Argument-Based Research Paper to Multimodal Project / Denise G. Malloy and Sarah Siddiqui “What If We Were To Go?”: Undergraduates Simulate the Building of an NGO From Theory To Practice / Kimberly Davies Hoffman, Rose-Marie Chierici, and Amanda Spencehttps://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/geneseo-authors/1010/thumbnail.jp

Teaching Classics in the Digital Age

The papers and videos presented here are the result of the international conference 'Teaching Classics in the Digital Age' held online on the 15 and 16 June 2020. As digital media provide new possibilities for teaching and outreach in Classics, the conference 'Teaching Classics in the Digital Age' aimed at presenting current approaches to digital teaching and sharing best practices by bringing together different projects and practitioners from all fields of Classics (including Classical Archaeology, Greek and Latin Studies and Ancient History). Furthermore, it aimed at starting a discussion about principles, problems and the future of teaching Classics in the 21st century within and beyond its single fields

Hands-on online : towards experiential product design education with online resources

Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 60-63).This pilot study investigates the potential for teaching experiential, hands-on product design online. Specifically, the work is a first attempt to elucidate differences in outcomes between residential, hands-on educational experiences and online, hands-on instruction. Product design education is a subject that presents many challenges in translation to an online setting. Abstract concepts like open-ended problem solving and physical concepts like prototyping are more difficult to teach online than more codified information. Three experimental groups were investigated. A traditional delivery group acted as a control for the study. Participants in the traditional group met at the Product Design Lab at MIT and learned the material through face-to-face lectures and demonstrations. The online group learned the material through an online resource developed specifically for this experiment. A third group, labeled the hybrid group, resembled a flipped classroom where participants learned the material on their own and then came to campus to practice what they learned. All groups took part in an opportunity identification activity in which participants identified problem solving opportunities, brainstormed solutions and developed prototypes to illustrate their most promising solution. Participants in this study attended a 2-day workshop covering the topics of design process, sketching and prototyping with simple materials. The designs developed by participants were collected and reviewed by a panel of product design experts, who then rated the work on the realness of the identified opportunity and the effectiveness of the prototype in illustrating the solution. The assessments were compared and statistical hypothesis testing was performed. All methods employed failed to reject the null hypothesis that the groups performed equally, providing evidence that learning gains were the same for all three delivery methods. Surveys taken by the participants revealed highest instructor ratings and overall learning ratings in traditional learning and the lowest ratings of resource adequacy in online learning. While this is an initial study with a relatively small sample size, the outcomes for early-stage product design instruction present interesting implications for both online and residential education in terms of improving education, and suggest a number of avenues for further study.by Joshua D. Ramos.S.M