MOOCs as Change Agents to Boost Innovation in Higher Education Learning Arenas
Abstract
:1. Introduction
- Valued as a natural part of universities’ course offerings
- Valued as valuable learning and educational initiatives
- Recognized as valid courses taken at learners’ own universities or from other providers
- Valued as pedagogical innovations
- Valued as change agents and facilitators in the transition to opening up education
- Valued as fostering innovation, access, equity, inclusion
- Valued as lifelong learning opportunities and continuing professional development
- Valued in policy, strategies, and action plans
- Included in quality enhancement and quality assurance processes
The Definition and Role of MOOCs
[MOOCs are] online courses designed for large numbers of participants… [They] can be accessed by anyone anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection, are open to everyone without entry qualifications, and offer a full/complete course experience for free.
2. Methods
2.1. Sources of Data
2.2. Data Analysis
- Identifying a phenomenon, object, event, or setting of interest.
- Identifying a few local concepts, principles, structural or process features of the experience or phenomenon of interest.
- Making decisions regarding the initial collection of data based on one’s initial understanding of the phenomenon.
3. Results
3.1. MOOCs and Quality-Related Issues
- Openness to learners—includes free of charge, free admittance, open access, learn anywhere online, start anytime, self-paced learning as well as diversity in languages and cultures.
- Digital openness—includes free of charge and open licenses.
- Learner-centered approach—includes the removal of all unnecessary barriers to learning. Courses should aid students to construct their own learning in a rich environment and to share and communicate their learning with others; they should not simply focus on the transmission of content knowledge to students. The learner-centered approach includes learner-centered activities.
- Independent learning—includes built-in support, tutoring, and the best online resources.
- Media-supported interaction—course materials should use online affordances (e.g., interactivity, communication, collaboration) as well as rich media (e.g., video and audio) to engage learners.
- Recognition options—the opportunity to get a badge or a certificate of course completion (as evidence of completion). Because MOOCs are considered courses, they should offer educational content, facilitate interaction among peers (including some but limited interaction with academic staff), activities/tasks, tests, including feedback, some (non-formal) recognition options, and a study guide or syllabus.
- Quality focus—the quality of the course is assured and is accredited by the European Qualification Framework (EQF). In short, OpenupEd provides real opportunities to participate in higher education and quality learning opportunities to all.
- Spectrum of diversity—diversity in languages and cultures, approaches and contexts, variety and profiling. Diversity is a main advantage of new learning technologies.
- Allows possibilities for choice-based learning
- Fosters ownership
- Fosters flexibility
- Embraces and allows recognition and validation
3.2. Grading
3.3. Cheating
3.4. Course Credits
3.5. Interactions with Other Learners and with the Materials
3.6. Prerequisites
3.7. Lifelong Learning and Continuous Professional Development
3.8. MOOCs Promote the Validation and Recognition of Prior and Informal Learning
3.9. MOOCs as Facilitators and Change Agents to Promote Innovation and the Transition to Open Online Learning
...truly open up education while enhancing learning, the pedagogies in place by 2030 must take into account entirely new groups of learners as well as vastly new roles that will emerge for educators. Such pedagogical approaches must also utilize innovative approaches to the design of that learning.
3.10. MOOCs Change Business Models for Universities
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Ossiannilsson, E.; Altinay, F.; Altinay, Z. MOOCs as Change Agents to Boost Innovation in Higher Education Learning Arenas. Educ. Sci. 2016, 6, 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6030025
Ossiannilsson E, Altinay F, Altinay Z. MOOCs as Change Agents to Boost Innovation in Higher Education Learning Arenas. Education Sciences. 2016; 6(3):25. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6030025
Chicago/Turabian StyleOssiannilsson, Ebba, Fahriye Altinay, and Zehra Altinay. 2016. "MOOCs as Change Agents to Boost Innovation in Higher Education Learning Arenas" Education Sciences 6, no. 3: 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci6030025