MOOC and OER: identity management

Open educational resources (OER) and massive open online courses (MOOC) are new and emerging issues in the international higher education context. Under the exponential growth of the supply of courses and related publications, the purpose of this chapter is to foster scientific discussion on the socio-cultural and economic impacts, as well as its technological and pedagogical implications. Supported by the methodological typology of bibliographical studies, systematized interpretative-critical analysis based on review of the concepts, and principles guiding OER and MOOC, the authors' reflections show that the enlargement terminologies without epistemological delimitation have provoked theoretical and practical mistakes. In the final considerations, the authors systematize broader problematizations around the open educational practices in universities aimed to five dimensions: spatio-time-content, theoretical models, principles of pedagogical innovation, economic aspects, and fundamentals of collaborative culture.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Participants’ Perceptions of Learning and Networking in Connectivist MOOCs [Massive Open Online Courses]

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The New Distance Learners: Providing Customized Online Research Assistance to Urban Students on the Go

This article provides an overview of the pedagogical theories surrounding distance learning while discussing the learning styles and characteristics of distance learners. The author describes how the use of social media and learning objects supports the pedagogical theory of connectivism. The author discusses how a mid-sized, urban university library uses social media tools, including YouTube and Twitter, to offer distance learning students the same level of research support as those studying on campus while examining other libraries that do the same. This method provides students with the opportunity to pick and choose online research support that is customized to their specific needs and timetable while still allowing for collaboration among peer learners

A Framework for Interaction and Cognitive Engagement in Connectivist Learning Contexts

Interaction has always been highly valued in education, especially in distance education (Moore, 1989; Anderson, 2003; Chen, 2004a; Woo & Reeves, 2007; Wang, 2013; Conrad, in press). It has been associated with motivation (Mahle, 2011; Wen-chi, et al., 2011), persistence (Tello, 2007; Joo, Lim, & Kim, 2011), deep learning (Offir, et al., 2008) and other components of effective learning. With the development of interactive technologies, and related connectivism learning theories (Siemens, 2005a; Downes, 2005), interaction theory has expanded to include interactions not only with human actors, but also with machines and digital artifacts. This paper explores the characteristics and principles of connectivist learning in an increasingly open and connected age. A theory building methodology is used to create a new theoretical model which we hope can be used by researchers and practitioners to examine and support multiple types of effective educational interactions. Inspired by the hierarchical model for instructional interaction (HMII) (Chen, 2004b) in distance learning, a framework for interaction and cognitive engagement in connectivist learning contexts has been constructed. Based on cognitive engagement theories, the interaction of connectivist learning is divided into four levels: operation interaction, wayfinding interaction, sensemaking interaction, and innovation interaction. Connectivist learning is thus a networking and recursive process of these four levels of interaction

Openness and education: a beginner’s guide

While recent high-profile developments such as Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have placed renewed emphasis on the idea of openness in education, different notions of open in relation to education can be found dating back to the 1960s. This document builds on recent research undertaken to trace this history, acknowledging that there is no single root of ‘open’ in this context, but to map the different ways of thinking about open education that have come to bear on the field we see today. Mapping of themes across time aims to provides those new to the field with a useful overview of the history and introduction to the concept of openness, and ways to explore the literature further. Each section of this document will summarise the nature of one of the themes, and its relationship to the broader network. Additionally, the document provides an annotated bibliography, through summaries of five of the most influential publications across a range of perspectives in each theme

PROSPECTS OF CONNECTIVISM IN LIFELONG PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATOR IN THE FRAMEWORK OF DIGITAL PEDAGOGY - PERCEPTIONS, ATTITUDES AND INTENTIONS

The purpose of this study was to investigate early childhood educators’ perceptions, attitudes and intentions towards the exploitation of principles of connectivism concerning their professional training. The sample of this study was 744 early childhood educators, both educators with gradual professional experience, as well as prospective educators (students). This study was conducted with survey methods and the data were collected by using a questionnaire, developed by the researcher, which was based on the theory of connectivism and was created for the purposes of this study only. At the end of the study was noted that there are generally positive attitudes and intentions, regarding connectivism, that coexist with a relative hesitation. Results indicated that significant differences do exist between early childhood educators and senior students regarding their New Technologies usage profile and work experience. The necessity for training early childhood educators was highlighted, so as they will be able to explore and exploit the potential of participatory web 2.0 to lifelong learning and professional development. Implications for further research were discussed.  Article visualizations

How MOOC Reality Informs Distance Education, Online Learning, and Connectivism

In this paper, we draw from our experience as designers, instructors, and researchers in the second edition of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) called Creativity, Innovation, and Change (CIC) 2.0 to discuss MOOC interactions. Since the CIC 2.0 MOOC was inspired by the tenets of connectivism, we employed connectivism and its four main conceptual components (autonomy, diversity, openness, and connectedness) to discuss these empirical findings from a theoretical perspective. We build our argument on the four levels of interactions (interactions with instructors, learners, course materials, and the interface) traditionally used in the field of distance education and online learning and look at the clashes between the original concepts of connectivism and cMOOCs on one hand and traditional educational concepts, particularly interactions and group work, on the other. This study discusses how MOOC interactions reveal that the four components of connectivism are more complex than originally conceptualized. This complexity can be summarized as follows: a) learner autonomy is more complex in MOOC reality; students are relatively more autonomous but not as originally conceptualized since the role of teachers remains unchanged when student interactions with course content and assessment are considered; b) diversity and openness are also more complex since peer interaction and open networks do not exhibit dynamics and importance as predicted, especially in certain participation behaviors and in MOOC pathways; and c) also, the four connectivism components are not mutually inclusive, and their interaction is not as predicted

The challenges to connectivist learning on open online networks: Learning experiences during a massive open online course

Self-directed learning on open online networks is now a possibility as communication and resources can be combined to create learning environments. But is it really? There are some challenges that might prevent learners from having a quality learning experience. This paper raises questions on levels of learner autonomy, presence, and critical literacies required in active connectivist learning

The challenges to connectivist learning on open online networks: Learning experiences during a massive open online course

Self-directed learning on open online networks is now a possibility as communication and resources can be combined to create learning environments. But is it really? There are some challenges that might prevent learners from having a quality learning experience. This paper raises questions on levels of learner autonomy, presence, and critical literacies required in active connectivist learning