Presentation by Darco Jansen in the context of ECO webinar on Socially inclusive pedagogical models for MOOCs, 27 july 2016

1. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
Darco Jansen,
EADTU

2. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
• EU-projects: MOOCs are
• online courses designed for large numbers of participants,
• that 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
• online for free
http://www.openuped.eu/images/docs/Definition_Massive_Open_Online_Courses.pdf
• Wikipedia: A massive open online course (MOOC) is an online course aimed at
unlimited participation and open access via the web. In addition to traditional course
materials such as videos, readings, and problem sets, MOOCs provide interactive user
forums that help build a community for students, professors, and teaching assistants

3. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs and Open Education
• Open = for free + ?
• Open source software / OER : free and open license
• Open universities : an open-door academic policy, i.e. no entry
requirements and they are ”open” to all students.
• Open access(ibility); freedom of time, pace and place; open
programming; open to people.

4. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
Some resources discussion the history of open education are
• Peters and Deimann (2013) On the role of openness in education: A historical reconstruction
• Open Education Handbook (2014)
• M. Weller (2014) The Battle for Open

5. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs and Open Education (2)
• Open Education: an approach to education that seeks to remove all
unnecessary barriers to learning, while aiming to provide students
with a reasonable chance of success in an education and training
system centred on their specific needs and located in multiple arenas
of learning.

6. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs and Open Education (3)
MOOCs should be designed such that all unnecessary barriers to learning
are removed, while aiming to provide students with a reasonable chance
of success in education.
• All unnecessary barriers to learning should be removed, both at the
entry into learning and along the learning path
• Learners should be facilitated with appropriate incentives to make
progress and to succeed in their learning efforts

7. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs and Barriers to Learning (1)
Barrier Could MOOCs remove the barrier?
1 Economic YES, they do
2 Entry requirements YES, they do (formally)
3 Location YES, they do (but not for exams)
4 Scheduling NO (generally), but YES is possible
5 Network connectivity NO (external factor)
6 Digital literacy YES (by offering a dedicated MOOC)
Source: http://eadtu.eu/documents/Publications/OEenM/OpenupEd_-
_MOOCs_for_opening_up_education.pdf

8. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOCs and Barriers to Learning (2)
Barrier Could MOOCs remove the barrier?
7 Accessibility over time PROBLEMATIC, but YES is possible
8 Accessibility to all PROBLEMATIC
(language, sanctioned countries)
9 Cultural PROBLEMATIC
(dominant ‘Western’ perspective)
10 Legal YES, but ONLY with open licensing
11 Quality YES, to some EXTENT
(no systems guarantee!)

9. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
Incentives for progress & success
Incentive Could MOOCs offer the incentive?
Satisfaction YES, but it’s a constant CHALLENGE
(motivation, lay-out/text-graphics-video,
learning environment, interaction)
Completion YES, but ONLY with DEDICATION to:
online pedagogics, independent learning,
context sensitivity, small units
Recognition YES, but PRIMARILY with the OPTION
of formal credit & credit transfer (far from reality)

10. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning

11. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOC offering HEIs
• In the US the number of institutions having a MOOC or planning to
(max 15%) is significant lower than in Europe and Canada (>40%)
• Even after correction for bias in response (IPTS-study)
• EUA (2013): about 58% of the European institution is having a MOOC
or planning to introduce them
• EADTU/HOME (2014): about 71% of the institutions has a MOOC or is
planning to develop one
• JRC-IPTS (2015): about 41% of the institutions has a MOOC or is
planning to develop one
• EADTU/HOME (2015): about 68% of the institutions has a MOOC or is
planning to develop one

12. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning

13. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
MOOC offering HEIs in Europe
• European institutions are more involved in MOOCs than the US
• Is Eastern Europe going to be involved significantly as well?
• In Czech Republic 66% is planning a MOOC
• In Poland 24%
• Large US and EU differences. Why?
• ECTS framework
• Difference between higher educational systems.
Continental European related to state funding - most institutions have
equal resources
Market-based US model has mixed private-public funding and provision
with large differences between HEIs.

14. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning

15. Elearning, Communication and Open-data:
Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning
Making Sense of MOOCs:
A Guide for Policy Makers in Developing Countries
• MOOCs are still a powerful tool to provide quality education for all
• MOOCs should essentially be about
• Open(ing up) education
• Scalability by the use of online tools
• As such we should embrace diversity – equity and increase accessibility
MOOC provision (and collaboration on shared services) should account for
diverse languages, cultures, settings, pedagogies and technologies
• Generic MOOC model needs to be re-engineered to allow for a broad
spectrum of approaches and contexts.
• As such different regional strategies are necessary to leverage the full
potential of online learning and MOOCs for education and development.
• Cross-institutional and cross-continental collaboration needed.

16. Thank you!!!
Darco.Jansen@eadtu.eu
Coordinator
Partner