Open Apps: Opening Teaching Experiences and Applications

The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is an online university that makes extensive use of information and communication technologies to provide education. Ever since its establishment in 1995, the UOC has developed and tested methodologies and technological support services to meet the educational challenges posed by its student community and its teaching and management staff. The know-how it has acquired in doing so is the basis on which it has created the Open Apps platform, which is designed to provide access to open source technical applications, information on successful learning and teaching experiences, resources and other solutions, all in a single environment. Open Apps is an open, online catalogue, the content of which is available to all students for learning purposes, all IT professionals for downloading and all teachers for reusing. To contribute to the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, each of the platform¿s apps comes with full documentation, plus information on cases in which it has been used and related tools. It is hoped that such transfer will lead to the growth of an external partner network, and that this, in turn, will result in improvements to the applications and teaching/learning practices, and in greater scope for collaboration. Open Apps is a strategic project that has arisen from the UOC's commitment to the open access movement and to giving knowledge and technology back to society, as well as its firm belief that sustainability depends on communities of interest.La Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) es una universidad en línea que realiza un uso intensivo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación para proporcionar una educación y aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida. Des de sus inicios la universidad ha desarrollado y testeado metodologías y tecnologías con el objetivo de proporcionar soluciones a los retos de aprendizaje y docentes ofrecidos por la comunidad de estudiantes, académicos y personal de gestión. Fundamentado en este saber hacer, nace la plataforma OpenApps con la finalidad principal de poner a disposición de la comunidad la experiencia acumulada en la UOC durante más de 15 años en docencia, aprendizaje y gestión para que pueda ser aplicado, adaptado o evolucionado por terceros. En este artículo se presentan las características esenciales para que una innovación pueda formar parte de esta plataforma institucional, las especificaciones y usuarios de la plataforma, la finalidad del servicio y las futuras líneas de trabajo.La universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) és una universitat en línia que fa un ús intensiu de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació per proporcionar una educació i aprenentatge al llarg de la vida. Des dels seus inicis la universitat ha desenvolupat i testejat metodologies i tecnologies amb l'objectiu de proporcionar solucions als reptes d'aprenentatge i docents oferts per la comunitat d'estudiants, acadèmics i personal de gestió. Basat en aquest saber fer, neix la plataforma OpenApps amb la finalitat principal de posar a disposició de la comunitat l'experiència acumulada a la UOC durant més de 15 anys en docència, aprenentatge i gestió, perquè es pugui aplicar, adaptar o desenvolupar per tercers. En aquest article es presenten les característiques essencials perquè una innovació pugui formar part d'aquesta plataforma institucional, les especificacions i usuaris de la plataforma, la finalitat del servei i les futures línies de treball

OpenApp: experiencias y herramientas docentes y de gestión en abierto

La Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) es una universidad en línea que realiza un uso intensivo de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación para proporcionar una educación y aprendizaje a lo largo de la vida. Des de sus inicios la universidad ha desarrollado y testeado metodologías y tecnologías con el objetivo de proporcionar soluciones a los retos de aprendizaje y docentes ofrecidos por la comunidad de estudiantes, académicos y personal de gestión. Fundamentado en este saber hacer, nace la plataforma OpenApps con la finalidad principal de poner a disposición de la comunidad la experiencia acumulada en la UOC durante más de 15 años en docencia, aprendizaje y gestión para que pueda ser aplicado, adaptado o evolucionado por terceros. En este artículo se presentan las características esenciales para que una innovación pueda formar parte de esta plataforma institucional, las especificaciones y usuarios de la plataforma, la finalidad del servicio y las futuras líneas de trabajo.La universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) és una universitat en línia que fa un ús intensiu de les tecnologies de la informació i la comunicació per proporcionar una educació i aprenentatge al llarg de la vida. Des dels seus inicis la universitat ha desenvolupat i testejat metodologies i tecnologies amb l'objectiu de proporcionar solucions als reptes d'aprenentatge i docents oferts per la comunitat d'estudiants, acadèmics i personal de gestió. Basat en aquest saber fer, neix la plataforma OpenApps amb la finalitat principal de posar a disposició de la comunitat l'experiència acumulada a la UOC durant més de 15 anys en docència, aprenentatge i gestió, perquè es pugui aplicar, adaptar o desenvolupar per tercers. En aquest article es presenten les característiques essencials perquè una innovació pugui formar part d'aquesta plataforma institucional, les especificacions i usuaris de la plataforma, la finalitat del servei i les futures línies de treball.The Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (Open University of Catalonia, UOC) is an online university that makes extensive use of information and communication technologies to provide education. Ever since its establishment in 1995, the UOC has developed and tested methodologies and technological support services to meet the educational challenges posed by its student community and its teaching and management staff. The know-how it has acquired in doing so is the basis on which it has created the Open Apps platform, which is designed to provide access to open source technical applications, information on successful learning and teaching experiences, resources and other solutions, all in a single environment. Open Apps is an open, online catalogue, the content of which is available to all students for learning purposes, all IT professionals for downloading and all teachers for reusing. To contribute to the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, each of the platform's apps comes with full documentation, plus information on cases in which it has been used and related tools. It is hoped that such transfer will lead to the growth of an external partner network, and that this, in turn, will result in improvements to the applications and teaching/learning practices, and in greater scope for collaboration. Open Apps is a strategic project that has arisen from the UOC's commitment to the open access movement and to giving knowledge and technology back to society, as well as its firm belief that sustainability depends on communities of interest

The Learning Design Studio in a 5-weeks MOOC format

The present paper reports on a Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) for teacher professional development that uses the Learning Design Studio methodology as a pedagogical framework. It explains the training activities and supporting technologies used and discusses the findings obtained weekly from the analysis of participants' opinions. MOOCs appear to serve the professional development needs of teachers quite well and the action-based process based on a set of design activities are perceived as a useful by educators

Human-centered learning design with technology

To improve and innovate education, a novel conception of the role of design in this realm is needed. Human-centered design (HCD), a problem-solving framework underpinned by the user perspective in all stages of the process, provides professional designers with a mindset and a toolbox that includes both process and methods. HCD is multidisciplinary by default and also practice-oriented, context-aware, empathetic and incremental. As such it naturally fits both the design for learning and many of educators’ everyday realities. We apply this conception in the context of technology-enhanced learning with the conceptualisation and implementation of a genuine intervention for the design of ICT-mediated learning activities. Following the Activity-Centred Analysis and Design (ACAD) model, the contributions of this dissertation 1) cover the epistemic, social and set design dimensions of a teacher training activity for educators; 2) inform the incorporation of HCD in education; and 3) provide interdisciplinary learnings for research as well as practice. These contributions have been reported in a set of papers which are compiled in this dissertation together with an introductory kappa. The kappa frames and summaries the contributions, and closes with a proposal on how HCD could contribute to empower educators as designers and facilitate the much interdisciplinary collaboration between education, technology and design.Facilitar la millora i la innovació docent, requereix d'una nova concepció del rol del disseny aplicat en l'educació. El disseny centrat en les persones (DCU) és una aproximació a la resolució de problemes que inclou la perspectiva dels usuaris en totes les etapes del procés i ofereix als dissenyadors professionals un model mental i els intruments necessaris per aplicar aquest procés i els seus mètodes. El DCU és multidisciplinar per defecte, està orientat a la pràctica, pren consciència del context d’ús, i és empàtic i incremental. Així doncs encaixa de forma natural en el disseny de l’aprenentatge i en la realitat diària del professorat. L'objectiu és aplicar aquesta concepció al disseny de l’aprenentatge mediat per la tecnologia conceptualitzant i implementant una intervenció genuïna per al disseny d’activitats d’aprenentatge que usin les TIC. Seguint el model d’Anàlisi i Disseny Centrat en l’Activitat (ACAD, en anglès), les contribucions d’aquesta dissertació 1) cobreixen les dimensions epistèmica, social i d’eines per al disseny d’una activitat de formació del professorat, 2) informen sobre la incorporació del DCU en educació; i 3) aporten aprenentatges rellevants tant per la recerca com per la pràctica de diferents disciplines. Aquestes contribucions han estat reportades en un conjunt d’articles compilats després de la kappa introductòria. La kappa emmarca i resumeix les contribucions i finalitza amb una proposta sobre com el DCU podria contribuir a apoderar els educadors en tant que dissenyadores i facilitar, d'aquesta manera, la tant necessària col·laboració interdisciplànaria entre educació, tecnologia i disseny

Open to the users' needs : combining user-centered design, standards and open source software

This case study introduces our continuous work to enhance the virtual classroom in order to provide faculty and students with an environment open to their needs, compliant with learning standards and, therefore compatible with other e-learning environments, and based on open source software. The result is a modulable, sustainable and interoperable learning environment that can be adapted to different teaching and learning situations by incorporating the LMS integrated tools as well as wikis, blogs, forums and Moodle activities among others

User Centered Desing in E-Learning Environments : from Usability to Learner Experience

The advent of the Internet had a great impact on distance education and rapidly e-learning has become a killer application. Education institutions worldwide are taking advantage of the available technology in order to facilitate education to a growing audience. Everyday, more and more people use e-learning systems, environments and contents for both training and learning. E-learning promotes education among people that due to different reasons could not have access to education: people who could not travel, people with very little free time, or with disabilities, etc. As e-learning systems grow and more people are accessing them, it is necessary to consider when designing virtual environments the diverse needs and characteristics that different users have. This allows building systems that people can use easily, efficiently and effectively, where the learning process leads to a good user experience and becomes a good learning experience

Open to the users' needs : combining user-centered design, standards and open source software

This case study introduces our continuous work to enhance the virtual classroom in order to provide faculty and students with an environment open to their needs, compliant with learning standards and, therefore compatible with other e-learning environments, and based on open source software. The result is a modulable, sustainable and interoperable learning environment that can be adapted to different teaching and learning situations by incorporating the LMS integrated tools as well as wikis, blogs, forums and Moodle activities among others

Requisitos de usuario : investigación y análisis, septiembre 2011

Material docent de la Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.Material docente de la "Universitat Oberta de Catalunya".Learning material of the "Universitat Oberta de Catalunya"

User Centered Desing in E-Learning Environments : from Usability to Learner Experience

The advent of the Internet had a great impact on distance education and rapidly e-learning has become a killer application. Education institutions worldwide are taking advantage of the available technology in order to facilitate education to a growing audience. Everyday, more and more people use e-learning systems, environments and contents for both training and learning. E-learning promotes education among people that due to different reasons could not have access to education: people who could not travel, people with very little free time, or with disabilities, etc. As e-learning systems grow and more people are accessing them, it is necessary to consider when designing virtual environments the diverse needs and characteristics that different users have. This allows building systems that people can use easily, efficiently and effectively, where the learning process leads to a good user experience and becomes a good learning experience