2,660 research outputs found
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How to design for persistence and retention in MOOCs?
Design of educational interventions is typically carried out following a design cycle involving phases of investigation, conceptualization, prototyping, implementation, execution and evaluation. This cycle can be applied at different levels of granularity e.g. learning activity, module, course or programme.
In this paper we consider an aspect of learner behavior that can be critical to the success of many MOOCs i.e. their persistence to study, and the related theme of learner retention. We reflect on the impact that consideration of these can have on design decisions at different stages in the design cycle with the aim of en-hancing MOOC design in relation to learner persistence and retention, with particular attention to the European context
¿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
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Developing sustainable business models for institutions’ provision of open educational resources: Learning from OpenLearn users’ motivations and experiences
Universities across the globe have, for some time, been exploring the possibilities for achieving public benefit and generating business and visibility through releasing and sharing open educational resources (OER). Many have written about the need to develop sustainable and profitable business models around the production and release of OER. Downes (2006), for example, has questioned the financial sustainability of OER production at scale. Many of the proposed business models focus on OER’s value in generating revenue and detractors of OER have questioned whether they are in competition with formal education.
This paper reports on a study intended to broaden the conversation about OER business models to consider the motivations and experiences of OER users as the basis for making a better informed decision about whether OER and formal learning are competitive or complementary with each other. The study focused on OpenLearn - the Open University’s (OU) web-based platform for OER, which hosts hundreds of online courses and videos and is accessed by over 3,000,000 users a year. A large scale survey and follow-up interviews with OpenLearn users worldwide revealed that university provided OER can offer learners a bridge to formal education, allowing them to try out a subject before registering on a formal course and to build confidence in their abilities as learners. In addition, it was found that using OER during formal paid-for study can improve learners’ performance and self-reliance, leading to increased retention and satisfaction with the learning experience
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Open educational resources for all? Comparing user motivations and characteristics across The Open University’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform.
With the rise in access to mobile multimedia devices, educational institutions have exploited the iTunes U platform as an additional channel to provide free educational resources with the aim of profile-raising and breaking down barriers to education. For those prepared to invest in content preparation, it is possible to produce interactive, portable material that can be made available globally. Commentators have questioned both the financial implications for platform-specific content production, and the availability of devices for learners to access it (Osborne, 2012).
The Open University (OU) makes its free educational resources available on iTunes U and via its web-based open educational resources (OER) platform, OpenLearn. The OU’s OER on iTunes U reached the 60 million download mark in 2013; its OpenLearn platform boasts 27 million unique visitors since 2006. This paper reports the results of a large-scale study of users of the OU’s iTunes U channel and OpenLearn platform. A survey of several thousand users revealed key differences in demographics between those accessing OER via the web and via iTunes U. In addition, the data allowed comparison between three groups: formal learners, informal learners and educators.
The study raises questions about whether university-provided OER meet the needs of users and makes recommendations for how content can be modified to suit their needs. As the publishing of OER becomes core to business, we reflect on reasons why understanding users’ motivations and demographics is vital, allowing for needs-led resource provision and content that is adapted to best achieve learner satisfaction, and to deliver institutions’ social mission
Just in Time: The Beyond-the-Hype Potential of E-Learning
Based on a year of conversations with more than 100 leading thinkers, practitioners, and entrepreneurs, this report explores the state of e-learning and the potential it offers across all sectors of our economy -- far beyond the confines of formal education. Whether you're a leader, worker in the trenches, or just a curious learner, imagine being able to access exactly what you need, when you need it, in a format that's quick and easy to digest and apply. Much of this is now possible and within the next decade, just-in-time learning will likely become pervasive.This report aims to inspire you to consider how e-learning could change the way you, your staff, and the people you serve transfer knowledge and adapt over time
Engaged learning in MOOCs: a study using the UK Engagement Survey
This study sets out to answer the question: how can we know what learning is taking place in MOOCs? From this starting point, the study then looks to identify MOOCs’ potential for future use in HE? Using a specially-adapted version of the HEA’s UK Engagement Survey (UKES) 2014, the research team at the University of Southampton asked participants who had completed one of two MOOCs delivered through the FutureLearn platform and designed and run at the university about their experiences as learners and their engagement with their respective MOOC. The results also show that both of the MOOCs were successful in enabling many participants to feel engaged in intellectual endeavours such as forming new understandings, making connections with previous knowledge and experience, and exploring knowledge actively, creatively and critically. In response to the open access approach – in which no one taking part in a MOOC is required to have a minimum level of previous educational achievement - the report shows that persistent learners engaged, regardless of prior educational attainment
EU–originated MOOCs, with focus on multi- and single-institution platforms
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