Participatory learning culture and community formation in connectivist MOOCs

The purpose of this research is to better understand community formation in MOOCs through employing combined lenses of connectivism, rhizomatic learning, actor-network theory, community of practice, and community of inquiry. In a sequential explanatory mixed methodology design, social network analysis and nethnography were used to analyze and interpret data from a five-week, open and freely available MOOC, #humanMOOC, conducted in late 2015 and early 2016. The findings revealed that both intrinsic and extrinsic drives have unique roles in community formation process and support. These include respect and transparency in mutual communication, being socially visible and building a digital identity, seeing the relationships and patterns among the ideas, and being emotionally present and creating a welcoming, safe place are some effective internal drives, while opportunities to connect to personally meaningful sources or nodes, being able to wander among open ecologies, using nonhuman elements to facilitate learning, creating a safe base ground for initial activities, and creating community goods and well-designed learning spaces that meet diverse needs of the learners are some external drives.     

Learning from MOOCs: a qualitative case study from the learners’ perspectives

This study describes the massive open online course (MOOC) experiences of three educational technology scholars assuming the roles of learners. Adapting Carroll’s model of school learning as a theoretical framework, the study employed an autoethnography method to collect empirical data in three different MOOCs. Data analysis from regularly recorded journals revealed commonalities and differences in learner experiences. Based on the results, a refined version of Carroll’s model was produced to provide a foundation for future research and development into MOOCs.     

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.     

The integration of an anatomy massive open online course (MOOC) into a medical anatomy curriculum

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are designed as stand‐alone courses which can be accessed by any learner around the globe with only an internet‐enabled electronic device required. Although much research has focused on the enrolment and demographics of MOOCs, their impact on undergraduate campus‐based students is still unclear. This article explores the impact of integrating an anatomy MOOC in to the anatomy curriculum of a year 1 medical degree program at the University of Leeds, United Kingdom. The course did not replace any teaching that was already being delivered, and was used to supplement this teaching to support the students' consolidation and revision. Analysis of student feedback indicates a high level of usage, with evidence to suggest that female learners may have approached the course in a more personalized manner. Although the video based resources and quizzes were greatly appreciated as learning tools, significant evidence suggests the students did not engage, or were inclined to engage, with the discussion fora. Furthermore, a significant majority of students did not want the MOOC to replace the existing teaching they received. Given the feedback provided, this research suggests that although the student population believe there to be value in having access to MOOC material, their role as replacements to campus‐based teaching is not supported. Details regarding the enrolment and engagement of the general public with the MOOC during the two runs are also documented, with the suggestion that graduates employed in the healthcare sector were the primary users of the course. Anat Sci Educ 10: 53–67. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.     

Adoption of open educational resources (OER) textbook for an introductory information systems course

Open educational resources (OER) can make educational resources widely available to all students and educators for free; however, OER are still untried in many academic programmes in higher education. This article reports a case of adoption of an open access textbook for an introductory information systems course and discusses the process and suggestions of adoption of an OER textbook based upon the authors’ own experience. The study indicates that the process of adoption of an open access textbook demands more intellectual work on the instructors’ side in comparison with the adoption of a new commercial textbook. The study suggests that discipline-based communities of practice (CoP) can ease the workload problem in the process of adopting OER textbooks. The findings are important in encouraging the OER community to shift from project-based OER textbook development to discipline-based CoP for effective OER textbook adoption.     

Using scaffolded rubrics to improve peer assessment in a MOOC writing course

This study explored the value of using a guided rubric to enable students participating in a massive open online course in writing to produce more reliable assessments of their fellow students’ writing. To test the assumption that training students to assess will improve their ability to provide quality feedback, a multivariate factorial analysis was used to determine differences in assessments made by students who received guidance on using a rating rubric and those who did not. Although results were mixed, on average students who were provided no guidance in scoring writing samples were less likely to successfully differentiate between novice, intermediate, and advanced writing samples than students who received rubric guidance. Rubric guidance was most beneficial for items that were subjective, technically complex, and likely to be unfamiliar to the student. Items addressing relatively simple and objective constructs were less likely to be improved by rubric guidance.     

Beyond hype and underestimation: identifying research challenges for the future of MOOCs

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have generated enthusiasm, excitement, and hype worldwide and recently increasing skepticism. They are being broadly discussed in the major news media (and to a smaller extent in academic circles). Rapidly increasing numbers of MOOC providers, MOOC courses and articles, discussion groups, and blogs discussing MOOCs are indicators of the involvement of many stakeholders. Most of these analyses and developments are based on economic perspectives (such as scalability, productivity, and being free) and technology perspectives (including platforms supporting large number of students in online environments, enrichment components such as forums, peer-to-peer learning support, and automatic grading). Few contributions analyze MOOCs from a learning science perspective and put them into a larger context with other approaches to learning and education. This commentary explores challenges derived from the perspective to conceptualize MOOCs as being one component in a rich landscape of learning.     

教与学的有效互动--简析支架式教学

支架式教学是近二三十年来国外流行的教学模式,它在处理"教"与"学"二者之间的关系方面提出了富有创造性的见解.本文对支架式教学进行了简要的介绍与分析,主要阐述了支架式教学的内涵、理论基础及其特色,最后分析了支架式教学给予我们的若干启示.     

美国研究型大学慕课商业模式的现状反思——基于加州大学欧文分校慕课教学人员的集体访谈

作为全球慕课运动的急先锋,以加州大学欧文分校为代表的美国研究型大学秉持可持续发展理念,创建了一系列成功的慕课商业模式,实现收支平衡或基本的盈利。不过,美国研究型大学的慕课商业模式仍然面临许多现实困难,亟待有效的解决方案。为此,尝试运用集体访谈来对加州大学欧文分校慕课商业模式进行研究,全面揭示存在的问题。具体而言,主要包括:核心资源的管理有待改进;关键活动的效果面临质疑;客户关系的深化成效有限;收入来源的拓展遭受阻碍;渠道通路的提升存在不确定性;价值主张的彰显尚需明确;客户细分的平衡非常有限;成本结构的优化尚需努力;重要伙伴的关注亟待加强。面对严峻的市场环境,可以尝试构建基于慕课的三层商业模式画布,推进慕课的可持续发展。     

国家精品课程创新推广特性及策略研究——以“学习科学与技术”课程为例

作为世界开放教育资源运动的重要组成部分,中国国家精品课程建设项目在创新推广和共建共享的过程中遇到了一系列的困难和问题。本文以首届国家精品课程学习科学与技术近八年来在国内9个省、20所高校创新推广和共建共享的实践为案例,总结和反思了精品课程共建共享的经验与主要问题,并在对世界开放教育资源运动的经验和问题进行总结、比较的基础上,提出了六条建议。     

Programming MOOCs – different learners and different motivation

ABSTRACT

MOOCs for learning the basics of programming have become popular among people with a diverse range of backgrounds, interests and learning contexts. Studies show that learners who enrol in MOOCs tend to have different motivation from learners in traditional courses, but it is not known how motivation differs for people with different backgrounds. This study aims to describe how the motivational factors behind enrolment in programming MOOCs relate to learners’ characteristics. The data were gathered in the spring of 2017 with a motivation scale (FIEM) from 1,536 participants of the MOOC ‘About Programming’. Using comparative analysis, differences in motivational factors between groups by gender, employment status and previous experiences in programming were found. Correlational analysis revealed that educational level, age and self-evaluated probability of completing the MOOC were also related to motivational factors. Different people are motivated by different factors, indicating that this knowledge could be used to design interesting and motivating programming MOOCs, which are relevant to learners with various backgrounds.     

Peer assessment in a project-based engineering course: comparing between on-campus and online learning environments

As the number of participants in online distance learning courses increases, peer assessment is becoming a popular strategy for evaluating open assignments and for breaking the social isolation surrounding distance education. Yet, the quality and characteristics of peer assessment in massive online courses has received little attention. Hence, this study was set to examine peer feedback quality and grading accuracy in a project-based course. The study applied a sequential exploratory mixed methods design. It included 339 participants who studied the same engineering course, but in three different modes: on-campus (n = 77), small private online course (n = 110), and massive open online course (MOOC) (n = 152). Content analysis of feedback comments identified four categories: reinforcement, statement, verification and elaboration, arranged in an ascending scale of cognitive ability. The findings indicated that the MOOC participants provided more feedback comments and volunteered to assess more projects than their counterparts did. However, the on-campus students provided higher quality feedback and their peer grading was better correlated with the grades assigned by the teaching assistants.     

地方高校在线开放课程建设实践与探索——以南京邮电大学为例

计算机网络、移动终端、大数据挖掘等信息技术的发展不断推进教与学的变革,在线开放课程的发展与应用为翻转课堂、混合式教学提供了支撑条件,充分体现了"以学为中心"的教学理念。南京邮电大学以品牌专业建设为引领,依托教学名师资源,借助教师信息化教学能力提升为手段进行在线开放课程的建设与教学改革探索,文章总结其具体实践的措施及经验,以期对同类地方高校在线开放课程建设提供借鉴。     

Relational play-based pedagogy: theorising a core practice in early childhood education

A commitment to long-standing child-centred ideologies and recent emphases on academic outcomes have both perpetuated narrow interpretations of play-based pedagogy in early childhood education. Instead, teachers might proactively and spontaneously deepen children’s thinking and understandings related to children’s own interests and motivations during thoughtful pedagogical interactions that arise from play. This paper draws on findings from a qualitative case study in Aotearoa, New Zealand where teachers used their professional expertise to engage with children’s thinking and understandings. We analyse the professional knowledge, strategies and skills teachers brought to these relational and play-based interactions. We offer new conceptualising of teaching in highlighting the need to position a sophisticated blending of play, learning and teaching within participatory and relational pedagogies as a core practice of early childhood education. Further, we argue that two constructs – everyday and scientific concepts, and the zone of proximal development – position theoretically ways in which teachers’ knowledge, expertise and engagement might contribute to these ‘in the moment’ rich, thoughtful understandings of what we term relational play-based pedagogy.     

Teaching gender studies via open and distance learning in South Africa

The University of South Africa (UNISA) has recently redesigned its honors degree in Gender Studies. The course design team members have been mindful of three key factors while redesigning this degree. First, we are aligning our course design with the demands of open and distance learning (ODL) and UNISA’s institutional move to online delivery of all teaching materials. Second, we are guided by the theoretical principles of feminist pedagogy. Third, we are committed to producing graduates who can take on the challenge of being gender change agents in a country with an escalating rate of gender-based violence. This article charts the development of the Gender Studies curricular initiative at UNISA with reference to the pedagogical insights provided by feminist scholarship on teaching, learning, and technology. We hope that our experience will provide insight into the parameters and process of creating an effective program in Gender Studies within an ODL context.     

“U-G-S”三方协同的农村教师在线开放课程学习支持体系构建研究

农村教师的质量和整体素质一直是困扰我国基础教育高质量均衡发展的一个薄弱环节。在"互联网+教育"发展的大环境下,在线开放课程为农村教师的多元化专业发展提供了新的选择和支持路径。论文从"U—G—S"三方协同的视角,以河南省一流线上本科课程"应用学习科学改进教学策略"应用为个案,研究和分析了农村教师在线开放课程学习的现状和学习支持需求,构建了"U—G—S"三方协同的农村教师在线开放课程学习支持体系。     

E-learning and technologies for open distance learning in Management Accounting

This research develops a knowledge acquisition and construction framework for e-learning for Management Accounting students at the University of South Africa, an Open Distance Learning institution which utilises e-learning. E-learning refers to the use of electronic applications and processes for learning, including the transfer of skills and knowledge over a distance. It is important to the knowledge construction process to understand how students learn in order to determine a set of suitable learning strategies. Studies have shown that e-learning applications are seldom used, sometimes because of inappropriate content and technologies. Other prohibitive factors are cost, poor or inadequate technology infrastructure (or a lack of access to such infrastructure), and a shortage of human resources. We propose a framework for addressing these concerns and consider how constructivist theories may enrich such a framework.     

Virtual Teaching Dispositions in an Open Distance Learning Environment: Origins,Measurement and Impact

An understanding of the key characteristics and implicit competencies underlying online teaching is essential to distance education institutions that embark on the assertive use of technology in their tuition development and delivery. The Virtual Teaching Dispositions Scale (VTDS) assists in investigating professional teaching dispositions associated with effective online instruction. It was initially validated among academic staff members at a residential university in the United States of America (USA). Strong support was found for the construct's cognitive, pedagogical and social presence that served as the conceptual foundation for developing the scale. The aim of this study was to validate the VTDS among academic staff members of an open distance learning (ODL) institution and to make suggestions for improving online teaching in this environment. This study highlights the need for interventions aimed at enhancing academic staff members’ experienced level of virtual/technological presence.     

Student performance in Introductory Microeconomics at an African open and distance learning institution

Abstract

Introductory Microeconomics as offered by the University of South Africa (Unisa) is a compulsory module for a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Accountancy or a Bachelor of Administration degree. Success or failure in Introductory Microeconomics directly impacts on the number of years students take to complete their degrees, and eventually also on the throughput subsidy to Unisa.

A number of exceptional institutional rules and regulations impact on the teaching of Introductory Microeconomics at Unisa, as an open and distance learning (ODL) institution. Unlike many residential institutions, Unisa does not require Mathematics at school level for registration for Introductory Microeconomics. This article reports on research done at Unisa to determine how student success in Introductory Microeconomics is influenced by variables such as race, home language, whether the students passed mathematics at matriculation level, matriculation exemption1 1. Matriculation (“matric”): In South Africa, the final school exit certificate, which is awarded with or without university exemption (“endorsement”). , gender and the passing of assignments. Although this research confirms previous research that home language and age do impact on student success, it finds that the successful passing of assignments has the greatest impact on student success.