Community tracking in a cMOOC and nomadic learner behavior identification on a connectivist rhizomatic learning network

This article contributes to the literature on connectivism, connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs) and rhizomatic learning by examining participant interactions, community formation and nomadic learner behavior in a particular cMOOC, #rhizo15, facilitated for 6 weeks by Dave Cormier. It further focuses on what we can learn by observing Twitter interactions particularly. As an explanatory mixed research design, Social Network Analysis and content analysis were employed for the purposes of the research. SNA is used at the macro, meso and micro levels, and content analysis of one week of the MOOC was conducted using the Community of Inquiry framework. The macro level analysis demonstrates that communities in a rhizomatic connectivist networks have chaotic relationships with other communities in different dimensions (clarified by use of hashtags of concurrent, past and future events). A key finding at the meso level was that as #rhizo15 progressed and number of active participants decreased, interaction increased in overall network. The micro level analysis further reveals that, though completely online, the nature of open online ecosystems are very convenient to facilitate the formation of community. The content analysis of week 3 tweets demonstrated that cognitive presence was the most frequently observed, while teaching presence (teaching behaviors of both facilitator and participants) was the lowest. This research recognizes the limitations of looking only at Twitter when #rhizo15 conversations occurred over multiple platforms frequented by overlapping but not identical groups of people. However, it provides a valuable partial perspective at the macro meso and micro levels that contribute to our understanding of community-building in cMOOCs

The promotion of digital inclusion through MOOC design and use: a literature review

The use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is being increasingly equated as a viable option by several educational shareholders in the scope of many scientific areas; nevertheless, research as to its potentialities in terms of digital (and consequently social) inclusion is still sparse and somehow atomised. Thus, this paper aims at putting forward the results of a thorough literature review focussed on the studies that bring together the concepts of MOOC and digital inclusion, published between January 2014 and January 2015. Thus, the main goal was to find out if there is evidence that MOOCS can be an important means for embracing digital inclusion, in particular, by promoting the development of soft skills (e.g., digital skills, communication skills, interaction skills). First and because the concept is becoming more and more polysemic (due to its manifold uses, theoretical frameworks, and application contexts), the MOOC’s main facets are depicted, considering its derivatives (e.g., cMOOC and xMOOC). Moreover, some critical aspects that stand out from the content analysis of the results of the literature review are also highlighted, namely as to: accessibility, employability and lifelong learning promoted through MOOC use. In general, results suggest that there is still a long way to go for MOOCs to fully address the digital inclusion challenge

Fostering Openness in Education: Considerations for Sustainable Policy-Making

This paper reviews a framework to support the co-creation of policies to sustainably foster Open Education. The framework has been derived from a comprehensive review of public and Open Education policy documents and related literature, as well as identification and consideration of contiguous issues in the education landscape that directly impact openness and can potentially derail policies, including datafication, copyright reforms, and the unbundling of services into component parts. The open policy framework, along with a canvas and set of change cards and a dynamic grounded in the participation and co-creation standard developed by the Open Government Partnership, have been used in three workshops piloted during 2018, to facilitate co-design of Open Education policies, by discussing contexts, objectives and challenges with policymakers and advisors both at national and institutional levels, policymakers and advocates with a series of tools and advise to enable arenas to co-create open-education policies

Minecraft and machinima in action: development of creativity in the classroom

Numerous studies show the positive effects of introducing video games into learning contexts. These instruments help develop 21st century skills, such as creativity, from a dual perspective: i) the students? perspective, since they develop skills and competencies that allow them to find innovative solutions to the challenges posed by games, and to become digital culture producers; and ii) education professionals? perspective, to use these instruments at schools and thereby change the way students learn. Using a sample of 85 first-year secondary school students, this study aims to provide empirical evidence about the development of creativity through the introduction of video games in the classroom. To do this, an eight-week pedagogical workshop was developed, in which the Minecraft video game was introduced in the subject of Technology. To assess the results of the workshop, the participants' creativity was analysed using a pre-test/post-test design through the CREA Test, as well as the evaluation of the students? machinima productions by their teachers. Results show a significant increase in creativity and high scores for machinima productions, highlighting the opportunity to introduce these tools in classrooms in order to develop innovative educational contexts where creative processes and products are the protagonists