Presentation of Antoni Pérez, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Spain, for the Open Education Week's fifth-day webinar on "Researching openness – evidence-based approach " - 8 March 2019 Recordings of the discussion are available: https://eden-online.adobeconnect.com/ptwsj0d95afy/

1. research.uoc.edu
research.uoc.edu
Dr. Antoni Perez-Navarro
Deputy director of research at eLearn Center
Computer Sciences, Multimedia and
Telecommunication Dpt.
Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC)
Researching openness –
Evidence-based approach
8th March 2019

2. research.uoc.edu
Mission
To promote an evidence based research model in eLearning in a context of translational research. In
other words, to take the research in e-Learning to real situations to find evidences of its range of
application and effects.
Vision
To be a global reference in eLearning regarding to proposals in the educational model and in the
application of all kinds of technology; but also, and above all, to contribute with evidences that show
why, where and when every proposal applies. We want the eLearn Center to become the first place to
look to know what to do, and why, in eLearning.
Mission and Vision of eLearn Center Research Plan
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How openness is Evidence-Based
Research approach, according to
your experience?
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My personal opinion and experience
● Openness regards to access and sharing, but not with the kind of research. In fact, most of “opinions”
are open, and they are not evidence-based.
● Evidence-Based research is usually a very high quality research that gives fundamented conclusions.
○ Researchers prefer to publish such research in high impact journals, and many of them are not
open.
● Open those journals can help to open such research. And having such research open can help to
distribute it and make it more known for most of people.
HOWEVER
● Open evidence-based research is only the first step. It is still in the kingdom of research, and many
practitioners who are expected to apply such research are not researchers. Therefore, we need to make
an step further to truly OPEN such research to the professionals who need it.
○ Maybe create “Practitioners guides” focused on the action and the degree of evidence?

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My personal opinion and experience
We are living a similar process than in
medicine in the second part of the XXth
Century

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Can Evidence-Based Research
approach offer a new and better
perspective to the Open Education
research?
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NIU
ESPRIA
XTrem
NG
4 examples of Evidence Based Research and Education
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NIU
ESPRIA
XTrem
NG
4 examples of Evidence Based Research and Education
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Example. Research changes the intervention
Example. From research to intervention
Calls to promote translational research

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• Do students use these resources?
• How does size and place of tile affects
localization?
• When do students access resources?
• Which devices do students access resources
through?
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NIU
• Order the tiles
• Harmonize deliveries with students patterns of
connectivity

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• Analyse drop out
• Analyse which are the
behaviours of
successful students
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ESPRIA
• Has the measure
reduced drop out?
• First year students are suggested 3-subjects groups of
successful subjects.
• Lecturers in those subjects will not overlap deliveries
• Warnings to lecturers
Drop out is a big challenge at online universities (28% the first semester at UOC)

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XTrem
• 2 years risky and disruptive projects
• 1,5 researchers/year
• Evidence based projects
• Systematic review
Translational research

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New Goals (NG)
• 3 years strategic projects
• 4 researchers/year
• Evidence based projects
• Systematic review
Translational research

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What kind of Evidence-Based research
methodologies are more appropriated
to research on Open Education?
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Before the methodology… Data

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DataMart
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And now… methodologies
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The research question will define the right methodology, but…

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And now… methodologies
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The research question will define the right methodology, but…
I believe that control group is the one that gives stronger results.
And do not forget the n!!

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And now… methodologies
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Using artificial intelligence techniques can be very helpful, but...

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And now… methodologies
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Using artificial intelligence techniques can be very helpful, but…
the results can hide the reason:
they can give us the “what” but not the “why”

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What are the today most relevant
research challenges on Open
Education?
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● The gap between researchers and practitioners → Open guides to practitioners?
● An standardization of the level of quality of the research → To establish 4 levels of reliability?
● To give systematic reviews in education the level they have in medicine → Open databases of
systematic reviews in Education?
● To promote the participation in Education Research Projects → Education trials?
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MOVE SLOWER, BUT IN EVIDENCE-BASED STEPS, TO MAKE CHANGES IN EDUCATION
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@UOC_research
@tonipereznavarr
Antoni Pérez-Navarro
✉️ aperezn@uoc.edu
?Questions?