Digital University:
Learning and teaching
Digital University: An Introduction
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The presentation explores the impact of digitalization on university
systems. It comprises three sections:
1) Digital teaching and learning
2) Digital libraries and open access
3) Digital services
First, the presentation offers an overview of university digitalization both
at international and national level; second, it illustrates the main trends
and future perspectives. Finally, it proposes a set of indicators to measure
digitalization and some key policy messages.
Agenda
Digital teaching and learning
Overview
Recent trends
Future perspectives
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OVERVIEW
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Open Educational Resources (OER)
WHAT ARE OER? Any educational resources (including curriculum maps, course materials, textbooks, streaming videos, multimedia applications, podcasts, and any other materials that have been designed for use in teaching and learning) that are openly available for use by educators and students, without an accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees.
(UNESCO OER Forum, 2002)
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ICT and Learning
ICT-based developments affect learning:
Where and When: off-campus courses, learning at a time and pace of their
choosing
Online learning (E-learning)
Blended/Hybrid learning (supplement to traditional teaching)
Open Educational Resources (OER)
MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
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An example: MOOCs
Studenti
Corsi
Università
Growth of MOOCs N
um
ero
di c
ors
i
Source: Class Central
# registered students and market share by provider
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37.0% 17.3% 11.5% 11.1% 8.8%
Source: Class Central
MOOCs distribution by subject
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Source: Class Central
OER: The international framework (1/2)
United Nations
17 UN Sustainable Development Goals - The Education 2030 Framework For Action
UNESCO
Paris OER Declaration, formally adopted at the 2012 World Open Educational
Resources (OER) Congress held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris
UNESCO and Commonwealth Learning, Guidelines for Open Educational
Resources (OER) in Higher Education (2011-2015)
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OER: The international framework (2/2)
European Union
Communication “Opening up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new Technologies and Open Educational Resources”, 25.09.2013
Communication “A renewed EU agenda for higher education”, 30.5.2017
Communication, “EU digital education action plan”, January 2018 EU’s first major intervention in the field of digital education since the 2013
“Opening up Education” Communication. Concrete measures such as establishing a Europe-wide platform for digital higher
education and enhanced cooperation, a digital connection between universities’ information systems and a European student card
RECENT TRENDS
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Current trends: EUA Report, E-learning in European HE Institutions
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Published in 2014, 249 HE
Institutions involved in 38
Countries
Current trends: EUA SURVEY, Trends in 2015: Learning and teaching in European Universities (1/2)
451 HE Institutions
involved in 46 Countries
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Current trends: EUA SURVEY, Trends in 2015: Learning and teaching in European Universities (2/2)
HE Institutions and e-learning44% strategy or policy in place
27% developing strategy or
policy
13% strategy or policy at
Faculty/Department level
10% other or not available
7% no strategy nor policy
Current trends: Joint ResearchCentre (JRC) reports
JRC IPTS Report (2016): Validation of Non-formal MOOC based Learning: An Analysis of Assessment and Recognition Practices in Europe (OpenCred)
JRC IPTS Report (2015): OpenCases: A catalogue of mini cases on open education in Europe
JRC IPTS Report (2016): How are higher education institutions dealing with openness? A survey of practices, beliefs and strategies in five European countries OpenSurvey
JRC IPTS report (2016): OpenCases: Case Studies on Openness in Education
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Current projects: The example of IOT-OPEN.EU
IOT-OPEN.EU project is funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programmeKA2 (Strategic Partnership for Higher Education). It aims to support the creation of a e-learning module in Internet of Things (IoT)
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Main limitations
Digitalization has been measured mainly through surveys
and questionnaires
Non exhaustive institutions mapping (not the whole
European University system was involved in surveys)
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FUTURE PERSPECTIVES
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Moving beyond limitations: Measuring learning
Learning analytics
WHAT IS IT? “The measurement, collection, analysis andreporting of data about learners and their contexts for thepurposes of understanding and optimising learningand the environments in which it occurs”.
(1st International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, 2011)
Implementing successful Learning analytics is a crucialchallenge
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Moving beyond limitations: A possible set of indicators # students in e-learning programmes (and % foreign students)
# e-learning programmes (and # supported languages)
# WI-FI access and broadband speed
# access to computer rooms
# students’ access to online libraries
# access to student portal
# online courses and registered students (and # supported languages)
# online degree programmes and registered students (and # supported
languages)
# MOOCs and registered students (and # supported languages)
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Key messages (1/2)
The strong impact of digitalization on teaching and learning is a hotlydebated topic both at academic and at policy level. The debate alsoconcerns the implementation of online teaching and learning standardsboth at national and international level
Improving e-learning allows:
A more effective use of teaching time and more flexibility in the learning offer, both for
"conventional" students and for those attending lifelong learning courses
As a crucial component of the European Higher Education Area, it can promote
harmonization as envisaged by the Bologna Process
There are few or no references to some important elements of online teaching, such as Internazionalization
Connection with the research activity
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Universities promoting e-learning
strategies should:
Develop didactic structures to coordinate and support
e-learning activities at institutional level
Assess online learning through internal quality
assurance processes as happens for regular learning
Avoid the risk that blended learning becomes
traditional learning with a bit of ICT
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Key messages (2/2)