Barriers to Learners
and OpenupEd
Darco Jansen
SEQUENT Consultation Session, Slovenia, 9 March 2015
Barriers to Learners and OpenupEd
• Barriers for learners
• About OpenupEd
Drivers for learners - MOOCs for Opening up Education
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
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Barrier
Could MOOCs remove the barrier?
Economic
Entry requirements
Location
Scheduling
Network connectivity
Digital literacy
YES, they do
YES, they do (formally)
YES, they do (but not for exams)
NO (generally), but YES is possible
NO (external factor)
YES (by offering a dedicated MOOC)
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
11 Quality
YES, but ONLY with open licensing
YES, to some EXTENT
(no systems guarantee!)
Incentive
Satisfaction
Completion
Recognition
Could MOOCs offer the incentive?
YES, but it’s a constant CHALLENGE
(motivation, lay-out/text-graphics-video,
learning environment, interaction)
YES, but ONLY with DEDICATION to:
online pedagogics, independent learning,
context sensitivity, small units
YES, but PRIMARILY with the OPTION
of formal credit & credit transfer (far from reality)
OpenupEd’s Mission
1.
2.
Contribute to Opening up Education by removing barriers and
offering incentives as much as possible
Cherish the Values for Education in societies: equity, diversity,
quality, and autonomy
Characteristics
• Learner-at-the-Centre & Self-study
• High-quality Learning Materials
• Diversity in Language & Culture
• Public Domain & Decentralized
Going pan-European … with OpenupEd MOOCs
OpenupEd: launched April 25 2013
• joint press release EADTU & EC
Need for a pan-European European initiative!
• nice umbrella: the EC launch ‘Opening up Education’
• that’s why OpenupEd is our name
• first and still only pan-European MOOCs initiative
• European values: Equity, Quality, and Diversity
Fred Mulder
Darco Jansen
OpenupEd
OpenupEd is an open, non-profit partnership on MOOCs
OpenupEd aims to contribute to opening up education to the
benefit of learners and the wider society while reflecting values
such as equity, quality and diversity.
Offering over 174 MOOCs in 12 different languages.
Another 120-140 MOOCs will follow shortly
With > 100 with an option to do a formal exam (ECTS credits).
Darco Jansen
OpenupEd partnership
• from the EU: Cyprus, France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, the UK
• outside of the EU, from: Russia, Turkey, Israel
• planning to join, from: Denmark, Estonia, France (+1),
Greece, Ireland, Poland (2x), Slovenia, Spain (+1)
• Open to other potential partners (> 10 requests)
Fred Mulder
Darco Jansen
OpenupEd partnership: but centralized for quality …
Branding: commonality in our eight features
Procedures: admission conditions and OpenupEd label
OpenupEd label : first quality label for MOOCS
Continuous monitoring
Research and evaluation
Fred Mulder
Darco Jansen
Thank you!!!
[email protected]
Coordinator
Coordinator