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

Insights from Learning Analytics for Hands-On Cloud Computing Labs in AWS

[EN] Cloud computing instruction requires hands-on experience with a myriad of distributed computing services from a public cloud provider. Tracking the progress of the students, especially for online courses, requires one to automatically gather evidence and produce learning analytics in order to further determine the behavior and performance of students. With this aim, this paper describes the experience from an online course in cloud computing with Amazon Web Services on the creation of an open-source data processing tool to systematically obtain learning analytics related to the hands-on activities carried out throughout the course. These data, combined with the data obtained from the learning management system, have allowed the better characterization of the behavior of students in the course. Insights from a population of more than 420 online students through three academic years have been assessed, the dataset has been released for increased reproducibility. The results corroborate that course length has an impact on online students dropout. In addition, a gender analysis pointed out that there are no statistically significant differences in the final marks between genders, but women show an increased degree of commitment with the activities planned in the course.This research was funded by the Spanish "Ministerio de Economia, Industria y Competitividad through grant number TIN2016-79951-R (BigCLOE)", the "Vicerrectorado de Estudios, Calidad y Acreditacion" of the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (UPV) to develop the PIME B29 and PIME/19-20/166, and by the Conselleria d'Innovacio, Universitat, Ciencia i Societat Digital for the project "CloudSTEM" with reference number AICO/2019/313.Moltó, G.; Naranjo-Delgado, DM.; Segrelles Quilis, JD. (2020). Insights from Learning Analytics for Hands-On Cloud Computing Labs in AWS. Applied Sciences. 10(24):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10249148S1131024Motiwalla, L., Deokar, A. 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The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 18(6). doi:10.19173/irrodl.v18i6.3087Cross, S., & Whitelock, D. (2016). Similarity and difference in fee-paying and no-fee learner expectations, interaction and reaction to learning in a massive open online course. Interactive Learning Environments, 25(4), 439-451. doi:10.1080/10494820.2016.1138312Charleer, S., Klerkx, J., & Duval, E. (2014). Learning Dashboards. Journal of Learning Analytics, 1(3), 199-202. doi:10.18608/jla.2014.13.22Worsley, M. (2012). Multimodal learning analytics. Proceedings of the 14th ACM international conference on Multimodal interaction - ICMI ’12. doi:10.1145/2388676.2388755Spikol, D., Prieto, L. P., Rodríguez-Triana, M. J., Worsley, M., Ochoa, X., Cukurova, M., … Ringtved, U. L. (2017). Current and future multimodal learning analytics data challenges. Proceedings of the Seventh International Learning Analytics & Knowledge Conference. doi:10.1145/3027385.3029437Ochoa, X., Worsley, M., Weibel, N., & Oviatt, S. (2016). Multimodal learning analytics data challenges. Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge - LAK ’16. doi:10.1145/2883851.2883913Aguilar, J., Sánchez, M., Cordero, J., Valdiviezo-Díaz, P., Barba-Guamán, L., & Chamba-Eras, L. (2017). Learning analytics tasks as services in smart classrooms. Universal Access in the Information Society, 17(4), 693-709. doi:10.1007/s10209-017-0525-0Lu, O. H. T., Huang, J. C. H., Huang, A. Y. Q., & Yang, S. J. H. (2017). Applying learning analytics for improving students engagement and learning outcomes in an MOOCs enabled collaborative programming course. Interactive Learning Environments, 25(2), 220-234. doi:10.1080/10494820.2016.1278391Drachsler, H., & Kalz, M. (2016). The MOOC and learning analytics innovation cycle (MOLAC): a reflective summary of ongoing research and its challenges. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 32(3), 281-290. doi:10.1111/jcal.12135Ruiperez-Valiente, J. A., Munoz-Merino, P. J., Gascon-Pinedo, J. A., & Kloos, C. D. (2017). Scaling to Massiveness With ANALYSE: A Learning Analytics Tool for Open edX. IEEE Transactions on Human-Machine Systems, 47(6), 909-914. doi:10.1109/thms.2016.2630420Er, E., Gómez-Sánchez, E., Dimitriadis, Y., Bote-Lorenzo, M. L., Asensio-Pérez, J. I., & Álvarez-Álvarez, S. (2019). Aligning learning design and learning analytics through instructor involvement: a MOOC case study. Interactive Learning Environments, 27(5-6), 685-698. doi:10.1080/10494820.2019.1610455Tabaa, Y., & Medouri, A. (2013). LASyM: A Learning Analytics System for MOOCs. International Journal of Advanced Computer Science and Applications, 4(5). doi:10.14569/ijacsa.2013.040516Shorfuzzaman, M., Hossain, M. 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Learning in the openness: the lost way of the MOOC

At the end of the 2000´s, MOOCs broke into the educational field with the promise of learning with features more suited to the demands of our times. Their connectivist genesis provided a provocative expectation regarding the potential of collaboration, sharing, reuse, and free access, as factors of a possible transformation of the current educational system, which has been characterized by being rigid and reluctant to change. Given the relevance and growing participation of MOOC in education, there is a strong interest in understanding both their functioning and structure so that they can be considered as relevant educational options for a networked society. In this sense, a mixed study was conducted on 225 MOOCs based on the four categories that make up their denomination. The results of the study show that the contributions of MOOCs as generators of shared and collaborative learning experiences as proposed in their origins are not reflected in the reality of their current offering

Co-creation of knowledge in the openness

28 PáginasConstruir conocimiento y ciencia en una forma colaborativa es tanto una exigencia como un reto para la educación del siglo 21. En este contexto, el uso de las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) y el movimiento educativo abierto, junto con los Cursos Abiertos Masivos en Línea (MOOC), juegan un rol fundamental para que estos conocimientos puedan ser esparcidos y compartidos en una forma más democrática y amplia. Dada la relevancia y la creciente participación de los MOOC en el campo educativo, existe un fuerte interés en entender su funcionamiento, estructura y su rol en los procesos de co- creación del conocimiento. En este sentido, se realizó un estudio exploratorio mixto sobre una muestra de 225 MOOC de varias plataformas globalmente, sobre las cuales se realizó un análisis estructural de las cuatro categorías que forman su nombre. Los resultados del estudio muestran por un lado la contribución sustancial de los MOOC como generadores de procesos de aprendizaje flexibles y a lo largo de la vida. Sin embargo, por otro lado también revelan grandes dificultades para convertirse en espacios efectivos de co-creación de conocimiento, dada la forma generalizada en los cuales su contenido, actividades de aprendizaje y estrategias de evaluación fueron diseñadas.Building knowledge and science in a collaborative way is both a demand and a challenge for the 21st century education. In this context, the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), the Open Educational Movement and the MOOC as an articulated manifestation of both, play a fundamental role so that these knowledges can be spread and shared in a broader and more democratic way. Given the relevance and growing participation of MOOC in the educational field, there is a strong interest in understanding their functioning, structure and their role in the processes of co-creation of knowledge. In this sense, a mixed exploratory research study has been conducted on a sample of 225 MOOC from various platforms globally, on which a structural analysis has been carried out from the four categories that make up its name

How a MOOC can effectively facilitate student transitions to an online distance postgraduate programme

A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was developed to help promote awareness of, and support student transitions into, a fully online distance, credit-bearing postgraduate certificate (PGCert). A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was undertaken with participants on the PGCert to investigate learner experiences of both the MOOC and PGCert, and to establish the extent to which the MOOC supported learners’ transitions into the PGCert in terms of their (1) foundation knowledge, (2) study skills, (3) digital literacies, (4) readiness for self-directed learning, and to determine whether additional efforts could have been directed to more effectively support student transitions. Findings revealed that the MOOC informed participants’ decision to undertake the fully online PGCert, and that this was due to the effective learning design and a strong teacher presence throughout. The participants already possessed some background knowledge and a number of essential learning skills (though not uniformly), questioning assumptions around MOOCs as an aid to widening participation in higher education; however, the MOOC helped to enhance and unify these. Not surprisingly, there were some challenges encountered on entering online postgraduate study that the MOOC design could not anticipate or solve; therefore, we recommend that online learners are appropriately supported throughout their studies. This work has implications in terms of how MOOCs may help facilitate student transitions into other fully online, credit-bearing programmes of study

Similarity and difference in fee-paying and no-fee learner expectations, interaction and reaction to learning in a massive open online course

The new pedagogical opportunities that massive open online course (MOOC) learning environments offer for the teaching of fee-paying students on university-accredited courses are of growing interest to educators. This paper presents a case study from a postgraduate-taught course at the Open University, UK, where a MOOC performed the dual role of a core teaching vehicle for fee-paying students and also as a “free-to-join” course for open learners. An analysis of survey data revealed differences between the two groups in respect to prior experience, knowledge, expectations and planned time commitment. The nature and experience of interaction was also examined. Fee-paying student feedback revealed four conditions in which MOOCs could be considered a pedagogic option for taught-course designers. These are: when there is a subject need; when used to achieve learning outcomes; when there is acknowledgement or compensation for the financial disparity; and when issues of transition and interaction are supported

Students as Consumers? Chinese International Students’ Perspectives and Experiences in UK Universities

With the neoliberal ideology permeating the British higher education (HE) sector, students are repositioned as consumers, which has attracted substantial criticism. However, little empirical evidence proves that students identify themselves as consumers. This study engages Chinese international students from 43 universities in the United Kingdom (UK) with 848 survey responses and 51 interviews to contribute their perspectives and experiences on the controversial proposition. Findings capture some consumerism features among students, but these relate to more marginal parts of the student experience. A range of intrinsic motivations drive students to engage with their studies, such as subject interest and self-development. Despite paying high tuition, most students do not express entitlement to a degree with minimum effort. While some students support consumer rights, they challenge the rationality of consumer identity conflicting with their other social categories. Chinese students are highly aware of marketisation and their role as international students in perceived profit-making intention in UK HE. However, their attitudes towards marketisation executed by different HE stakeholders vary. Students show greater acceptance of the UK government and university managers marketising HE so that more international students can study in the UK and sufficient funding can be devoted to better facilities and teaching. They are very critical of applying the market mechanisms to teaching and learning. They urge their teaching staff to see their demands stemming from their identities as learners rather than consumers. This study sheds light on the rise of student consumerism and the impacts of marketisation on students’ lives and studies. The empirical insights challenge the pervasiveness of the conceptualisation of students as consumers and broaden institutional practitioners’ understanding of students’ educational orientation and identity construction. The results inform policymakers and institutional practitioners to rethink student-consumer positioning and promote more scholarly attention to international student construction in higher education policy

The role of finance in the decision-making of higher education applicants and students: findings from the Going into Higher Education Research study (BIS Research Paper No.9)

"This report summarises findings from the Going into HE research project. From the outset, the aim has been to develop a clear understanding of: the role and importance of finance in the decision-making process of English-domiciled people from different groups who are considering entering full-time Higher Education (HE) in the UK; and the impact of the support arrangements on their decisions. When taken alongside quantitative studies on HE participation and student finances, also published by DIUS/BIS, the qualitative research presented here contributes to an overall assessment of current student finance arrangements and should help to inform future developments." - exec. summary

School categorisation learner performance : the power of ethos.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.South African schools and, indeed, across the world, are categorised according to several dimensions. For example, schools within South Africa are categorised, amongst others, in terms of quintile rankings, geography, fee paying and non-fee paying, performing and non-performing schools. These categories are often used in reporting of the outcomes of schools within a country, but very little focus on how these categories influence teaching and learning with the school that accounts for its learner performance. This study takes this vantage point and explores the relationship between school categorisation, school ethos, teaching and learning and learner performance. Through a case study of two schools of different quintile rankings and working within the confines of an interpretivist paradigm, the study attempted to explore the school ethos as experienced by the school leadership and teachers. The examination was conducted by means of observations and interviews. Through a process of purposive sampling the principal, one head of department (HOD) and three level one educators each from two primary schools were chosen. The data was generated with the use of semi- structured interviews and observation. The data gathered was reviewed, coded and organized into themes and sub-themes. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. The research finding emanating from the data showed that school ethos influences what happens within schools. The study also confirmed that poverty, impacts negatively on academic performance. In addressing the needs of the learners from impoverished communities, schools also pay attention to the socio-economic needs of the learners with a view to providing holistic education. The impact of such holistic education is on the ability to deliver the planned curriculum. The teachers are not able to deliver the curriculum as planned, rather they focus on the curriculum as lived within an inclusive ethos, and this focus on the curriculum influences how teaching and learning takes place which ultimately reflects on the learner performances. On the other hand, the study found that in a school where the focus was on teaching the curriculum as planned, the ethos of the school is defined by functionality. Adherence to the school curriculum influenced how the school functioned, how teaching and learning unfolded and how such management processes influenced learner performance in schools. The study, therefore, revealed that school ethos influences teaching and learning within a school and can account for why the learners perform the way they do. The findings of the study has implications for school leaders and the community to understand the nature and role of schools in their communities with a view to providing relevant education to their learners that takes into consideration the realities of their socio-economic situations and align their educational needs with the schools’ focus, that which is guided by its ethos. The study introduced a school-community ecology conceptual model that can be used to guide what happens within schools in terms of teaching, learning, learner performance and school categorisations

Online and Distance Education for a Connected World

Learning at a distance and learning online are growing in scale and importance in higher education, presenting opportunities for large scale, inclusive, flexible and engaging learning. These modes of learning swept the world in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The many challenges of providing effective education online and remotely have been acknowledged, particularly by those who rapidly jumped into online and distance education during the crisis. This volume, edited by the University of London’s Centre for Online and Distance Education, addresses the practice and theory of online and distance education, building on knowledge and expertise developed in the University over some 150 years. The University is currently providing distance transnational education to around 50,000 students in more than 180 countries around the world. Throughout the book, contributors explore important principles and highlight successful practices in areas including course design and pedagogy, online assessment, open education, inclusive practice, and enabling student voice. Case studies illustrate prominent issues and approaches. Together, the chapters offer current and future leaders and practitioners a practical, productive, practice- and theory-informed account of the present and likely future state of online and distance higher education worldwide