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

Barrier Could MOOCs remove the barrier?

1 Economic YES, they do2 Entry requirements YES, they do (formally)3 Location YES, they do (but not for exams)4 Scheduling NO (generally), but YES is possible5 Network connectivity NO (external factor)6 Digital literacy YES (by offering a dedicated MOOC)

BARRIERS TO LEARNING (1)

Barrier Could MOOCs remove the barrier?

7 Accessibility over time PROBLEMATIC, but YES is possible8 Accessibility to all PROBLEMATIC

(language, sanctioned countries)

9 Cultural PROBLEMATIC(dominant ‘Western’ perspective)

10 Legal YES, but ONLY with open licensing11 Quality YES, to some EXTENT

(no systems guarantee!)

BARRIERS TO LEARNING (2)

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 OPTIONof formal credit & credit transfer (far from reality)

INCENTIVES FOR PROGRESS & SUCCESS

OpenupEd’s Mission1. Contribute to Opening up Education by removing barriers and

offering incentives as much as possible2. 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

Darco JansenFred Mulder

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)

Darco JansenFred Mulder

OpenupEd partnership: but centralized for quality …

Branding: commonality in our eight features

Procedures: admission conditions and OpenupEd labelOpenupEd label : first quality label for MOOCS

Continuous monitoring

Research and evaluation

Darco JansenFred Mulder

Thank you!!!

Darco.Jansen@eadtu.eu

Coordinator

Coordinator