The OpenupEd quality label: benchmarks for MOOCs

In this paper we report on the development of the OpenupEd Quality Label, a self-assessment and review quality assurance process for the new European OpenupEd portal (www.openuped.eu) for MOOCs (massive open online courses). This process is focused on benchmark statements that seek to capture good practice, both at the level of the institution and at the level of individual courses. The benchmark statements for MOOCs are derived from benchmarks produced by the E xcellence e learning quality projects (E-xcellencelabel.eadtu.eu/). A process of self-assessment and review is intended to encourage quality enhancement, captured in an action plan. We suggest that a quality label for MOOCs will benefit all MOOC stakeholders

Quality Frameworks for MOOCs

The hype surrounding MOOCs has been tempered by scepticism about the quality of MOOCs. The possible flaws of MOOCs include the quality of the pedagogies employed, low completion rates and a failure to deliver on the promise of inclusive and equitable quality education for all. On the other hand, MOOCs that have given a boost to open and online education have become a symbol of a larger modernisation agenda for universities, and are perceived as tools for universities to improve the quality of blended and online education—both in degree education and Continuous Professional Development. MOOC provision is also much more open to external scrutiny as part of a stronger globalising higher education market. This has important consequences for quality frameworks and quality processes that go beyond the individual MOOC. In this context, different quality approaches are discussed including possible measures at different levels and the tension between product and process models. Two case studies are described: one at the institutional level (The Open University) and one at a MOOC platform level (FutureLearn) and how they intertwine is discussed. The importance of a national or international quality framework which carries with it a certification or label is illustrated with the OpenupEd Quality label. Both the label itself and its practical use are described in detail. The examples will illustrate that MOOCs require quality assurance processes tailored to e-learning and open education, embedded in institutional frameworks. The increasing unbundling of educational services may require additional quality processes

Are South African universities disengaged from civic duty?

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How to do social distancing in a shack: COVID-19 in the South African context.

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How COVID reconfigured family relationships: Explaining the work of academic women through the lens of complexity theory

Since 2020, there has been a flurry of research on the impact of Covid-19 on families, and some research on the effects of the pandemic on academic parents. However, little is known about how the pandemic reshaped academic women’s family lives and how this influenced their teaching, research, and inner selves. This innovative study of South African university-based female academics from 2020 to 2021 investigates how Covid restructured family lives in relation to children, partners, elderly parents, and outside support (domestic workers, gardeners, etc.), and what this meant for their academic work. A complexity paradigm is used as the framework, and it provides a relevant approach by recognising that elements interacting in a system result in emergent outcomes that are more complex than can be predicted at the outset. This paper will show that the pandemic-enforced lockdown exposed vulnerability threats to the Education for Sustainable development (ESD) both in terms of the direct education goals (such as lifelong learning opportunities and discrimination in education) as well as the cross-over goals from other sectors (such as health and wellbeing, gender equality, and decent work and sustainable growth)

Effect of strain hardening on precipitation kinetics in ATI 718Plus

ATI 718Plus components are manufactured by forging a wrought billet in stages to obtain the desired geometry and microstructure. Parts are then heat treated to optimized proportions of γ’ and η phases. η phase is a plate-like phase that precipitates on the grain boundaries of ATI 718Plus, similar to δ phase in Inconel 718. However, the complete kinetic behaviour of η phase precipitation during forging and heat treatment is still not fully understood. This paper investigates the effects of strain hardening on η phase precipitation kinetics in ATI 718Plus. This is achieved through the use of isothermal hot compression tests and heat treatment. Strain hardening was found to affect the η precipitation kinetics considerably. The results reported are a contribution to a fuller understanding of this important process