Mobile Learning and MOOCs (original) (raw)

The MOOCs: origin, characterization, principal problems and challenges in Higher Education

2016

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are an innovation that have attracted public academic attention in recent times, and which have resulted in the evolution of e-learning (electronic learning) and so far have not achieved their expectations in Higher Education. This is due to the fact that from the outset these courses have faced a number of problems and questions regarding their acceptance, credibility, quality, methods of assessment, learning outcomes and more; which has generated controversy among their opponents, fans and even the creators of MOOCs. This work forms part of a doctoral investigation; in essence these are the results of the preliminary and exploratory stages in the research process, in which projections on the solution of some problems will be included. MOOCs: Their evolution, problems and challenges up to 2015, will surely help to minimize the high dropout rates of students in MOOCs, supported by mobile technology.

1-Day MOOC on Mobile Learning: An Experience Report on the Module 'Educational Contexts

International Association for Development of the Information Society, 2018

Smartphones and tablets have become essential tools in users’ daily life, as they include a whole range of digital services, enlarging the connection to the virtual world. Nonetheless, the use of these tools in the educational context, known as mobile learning, is still a recent and scarcely embraced practice. A 1-day MOOC (massive open online course) was devised to raise awareness of the potential of mobile devices in the teaching-learning process, aiming at increasing lower secondary education teachers ́ adhesion to this approach. This article is intended to present the experience of creating the first out of four course modules/units. This module, entitled “Contexts”, is focused on the change of paradigm in educational contexts due to the fact that mobile devices enable ubiquitous learning. The pedagogical strategies adopted in the development of the module, the technologies used to meet the needs and the purposes are described. Participants’ comments on the debate activities wer...

A Comprehensive Overview of MOOCs: Antecedents and Successful Developments

Proceedings of Ikasnabar 2013, the 6th International Conference on Open Education and Technology (MOOCs, PLEs and eLearning platforms) ISBN: 978-84-9860-842-7, 2013

In the last decade universities have added in their educational structure the e-Learning Systems. ICT have eased the utilization of these systems. While in the past education community put the focus on how to improve the learning process, from 2012 this focus turns into how to reach a massive number of learners. MOOCs allow massive amounts of participants to enroll in a course that it is situated in an open environment and it is available on-line. However, it is argued the difficulty in finding a common definition of MOOCs, since they are developed in different contexts and with distinct purposes. This paper goes into detail about MOOC movement and the main concerns about them. There are two distinct approaches: cMOOCs and xMOOCs. The former is based on connectivism, whilst the latter on conductive theory. Also, five successful developments of MOOCs are briefly analyzed in order to give a whole vision of MOOCs. Every MOOC bears a high rate of enrolment, but also its dropout rates are huge. The paper exhibits an analysis of these rates of the most relevant platforms. On one hand, xMOOCs have caused a high impact. On the other hand, cMOOCs provides a new model of teaching/learning.

E-Learning and MOOC: The Cross Currents in Education and the Benefits for Learners

Journal of Advances and Scholarly Researches in Allied Education, 2017

With the increased use of internet, there is a growing awareness of the need to become more digitally literate. With Web 2.0, software has become more open source, providing users with a greater ability to influence the web. Internet based learning practices affect the way learners acquire knowledge. The learning practices in various disciplines have changed in a large measure. The arts and humanities, science disciplines, and engineering and technology, have gone through innovating teaching and learning methodologies. MOOC is bringing a grass root level change in educational practices. Individuals and institutions offer courses using platforms like Udemy, Udacity, Coursera, EdX etc. Moreover, handheld devices like tablet computers and smartphones make learning more effective and personal. In Mobile learning using mobile applications and the Internet of Things rely the future of modern educational practices.

MOOCs Integration in the Formal Education

At the beginning, we believed that MOOCs were going to change the education methods and approaches all over the world especially in the primary education and it would be a stand-alone learning experience, however what's really happening right now is slightly different. According to researches, new trends have appeared among MOOCs users like: MOOCs users belong to the young generation ages between 18 and 40 years old, not to mention that most of them are graduate and post graduate students. They have a good education background and their parents are likely have so. On the other side, MOOCs disadvantages have become more obvious: the high drop-out rates in courses, the questionable true evaluation of student understanding, and the lack of formal certificate or credit hours transfer option for students. At first, formal education institutes look to the MOOCs as a type of self-learning or a stand-alone learning experience that can't add much to the formal type of learning that they provide to their students. Lately, that wasn't the case. New trials and models have been emerging slowly over the time as a combination of MOOCs with formal education. MOOCs have been integrating repetitively and in a different ways in the formal education. These trials and models are trying to get both MOOCS advantages and at the same time to increase education quality. This study discusses how MOOCs have become over time part of the formal education and how likely this is going to developed in the future.

MOOCS: A MASSIVE PLATFORM FOR COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN GLOBALIZED WAY

MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses. MOOCs started as a form of collaborative online learning with people interacting and learning from each other and being exposed to different perspectives, views and ideas. MOOCs use strategies similar to social networking to connect the masses but with the added benefits of subject matter experts to facilitate the content and to coordinate a vast array of free, online materials. Accessibility, student engagement, and experiences for lifelong learning are recognized as the advantages of MOOCs. Through considering the possible causes of MOOCs in the higher education world, this paper aimed to enlighten a comprehensive picture of MOOCs. Thus, this paper presented a background of MOOCs, difference between MOOC and Open Courseware, emergence of MOOC providers, MOOC's pedagogy, problems of MOOCs, and significance and sustainability of MOOCs.