ethanporcaro/eric-fulltext-meta huggingface dataset:
Widening Access through Openness in Higher Education in the Developing World: A Bourdieusian Field Analysis of Experiences from the National Open University of Nigeria
Author: Olakulehin, Felix Kayode
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Higher Education,Developing Nations,Access to Education,Open Universities,Open Education,Educational Objectives,Educational Practices,Educational Opportunities,Outcomes of Education,Educational Philosophy,Educational Development

Bourdieu has argued that higher education is a field that reproduces social inequality, thus complicating how openness widens access to higher education in the developing world. Drawing on the experiences of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), this paper critically analyses and evaluates the rationale, approach, difficulties, opportunities, outcomes and benefits of NOUN's experience in widening access to higher education in Nigeria using Bourdieu's field theory. We argue that the success of efforts for openness in higher education in a developing world context involves steering the contradictory tensions of openness and access across competing policy and practice fields. We offer this theorisation as a future social theoretical agenda for reflexive research for improving the effectiveness of praxis to widen access through openness in higher education in the developing world.
Access under Siege: Are the Gains of Open Education Keeping Pace with the Growing Barriers to University Access?
Author: Olcott, Don, Jr.
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Access to Education,Open Education,Quality Assurance,Cost Effectiveness,Relevance (Education),Intermode Differences,Educational Quality,Educational Development,Barriers,Conventional Instruction,Online Courses,Educational Benefits,Higher Education

Traditional and affordable access to a university education is under siege from all sides. National realpolitiks and global economic downturns have driven open education into the mainstream to stand against educational elitism, the growing digital divide, and to support the core values that give education its fundamental credence as a human right. Indeed, open is good--open with measurable impacts is even better. In the final analysis, the future of open education is at a crossroads that must be driven by those core values that define education as an essential human right with a commitment to expanding access and strengthening academic quality.
The Concept of Openness behind c- and x-MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)
Author: Rodriguez, Osvaldo
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Online Courses,Open Education,Concept Formation,Learning Theories,Teaching Methods,Delivery Systems,Course Descriptions,Access to Education,Intermode Differences,Distance Education,Higher Education

The last five years have witnessed a hype about MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) presaging a revolution in higher education. Although all MOOCs have in common their scale and free access, they have already bifurcated in two very distinct types of courses when compared in terms of their underpinning theory, format and structure, known as c-MOOCs and x-MOOCs. The concept of openness behind each of the formats is also very different. Previous studies have shown that c- and x-MOOCs share some common features but that they clearly differ on the learning theory and pedagogical model on which they stand. In this paper we extend earlier findings and concentrate on the concept of &quot;openness&quot; behind each format showing important differences.
Improving Open Access through Prior Learning Assessment
Author: Yin, Shuangxu
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Prior Learning,Access to Education,Open Education,Distance Education,Pilot Projects,Needs Assessment,Evaluation Methods,Scoring Formulas,Cost Effectiveness,Barriers,Skill Analysis,Higher Education,Educational Practices,Educational Improvement,Foreign Countries

This paper explores and presents new data on how to improve open access in distance education through using prior learning assessments. Broadly there are three types of prior learning assessment (PLAR): Type-1 for prospective students to be allowed to register for a course; Type-2 for current students to avoid duplicating work-load to gain certification; and Type-3 mapping occupational skills as portfolio-needs analysis. In each of these some e-assessment can play a role, notably in Type-3 in distance education. Our previous research has been in Type-2 and we report the empirical results and challenges involved in practice. Moving beyond Type-2 we further report how e-Type-3 can improve our practice in the Open University of China--a very large ODL provider. We discuss the barriers and challenges being faced, and ways being explored to resolve these issues, to reduce the costs involved and to improve open access to learning.
From OER to PLAR: Credentialing for Open Education
Author: Friesen, Norm
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Open Education,Student Evaluation,Credentials,Educational Resources,Open Source Technology,Online Courses,Prior Learning,Recognition (Achievement),Educational Practices,Portfolio Assessment,Evaluation Methods,Educational Change,Change Strategies,Higher Education,Achievement Rating,Academic Achievement,Outcome Measures

Recent developments in OER and MOOCs (Open Educational Resources and Massive Open Online Courses) have raised questions as to how learners engaging with these courses and components might be assessed or credentialed. This descriptive and exploratory paper examines PLAR (Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition) as a possible answer to these questions. It highlights three possible connections between PLAR and open education which hold the greatest promise for credentialing open learning experiences: 1) PLAR may be used to assess and credential open educational activities through the use of exam banks such as CLEP (College Level Examination Program); 2) Learning occurring in xMOOCs (MOOCs based on already credentialed courses) and in other open contexts resembling &quot;courses&quot; may be assessed in PLAR through course-based portfolios; and 3) PLAR may also be enabled through the specification of &quot;gap learning&quot; facilitated through OER of many different kinds. After describing these options, the paper concludes that although the connections leading from open educational contexts to PLAR credentialing are currently disparate and &quot;ad hoc,&quot; they may become more widespread and also more readily recognized in the PLAR and OER communities.
From Resistance to Acceptance and Use of Technology in Academia
Author: Khalil, Sofia Matrosova
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Technology Uses in Education,Teacher Attitudes,Educational Technology,College Faculty,Resistance to Change,Performance Factors,Qualitative Research,Technological Advancement,Instructional Innovation,Etiology,Adult Learning,Educational Theories,Educational Environment,Teacher Motivation,Teaching Methods,Change Strategies

The phenomenon of faculty's resistance to use technology in higher education is the focus of this research as a secondary reading of the existing relevant research with the purpose of analyzing factors of resistance and finding the solutions. This paper is an excerpt from a Doctoral dissertation and is focused on the causes of resistance and finding possible solutions to re-think resistance (Matrosova Khalil, 2011, 2012). It is hoped that the results of this study will contribute to the understanding of resistance factors, add to the development of the theoretical basis of re-thinking resistance, and to create a path for redirecting away from psychological defensive behavior expressed by faculty. This last aspect is characterized as part of emotional and behavioral resistance, which this research hopes to transform from a negative to a positive attitude towards change.
Comparing Communities of Inquiry of Portuguese Higher Education Students: One for All or One for Each?
Author: Moreira, José António
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Inquiry,Higher Education,Communities of Practice,Comparative Analysis,Blended Learning,Online Courses,College Students,Cooperative Learning,Cognitive Processes,Independent Study,Learning Processes,Undergraduate Students,Teaching Methods,Student Surveys,Factor Analysis,Item Analysis,Group Dynamics

The purpose of this study was to report evidence obtained in a survey based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework (Garrison, Anderson &amp; Archer, 1991; 2000) carried out in different groups. The study comprised 510 higher education students enrolled in blended online courses offered through Moodle platform during one semester. It considered students from different private and public Portuguese polytechnic schools and universities. Moreira &amp; Almeida (2011) have suggested that CoI framework is a valid, reliable, and efficient measure of its dimensions within the Portuguese population. Although similarities in aspects of social presence were discovered among polytechnic and universities students, the two groups showed some differences. In particular, it was observed that the polytechnic students appear to be a more robust community when compared to university students.
Pedagogical Quality Enrichment in OER-Based Courseware: Guiding Principles
Author: Misra, Pradeep Kumar
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Courseware,Educational Principles,Guidelines,Educational Quality,Open Education,Educational Resources,Open Source Technology,Quality Assurance,Material Development,Computer System Design,Design Requirements,Instructional Effectiveness,Instructional Design,Usability

This is a critical phase for Open Educational Resources (OER) movement: on one side the number of OER is increasing rapidly, and on other side debates about quality of OER-based courseware are heating up. These debates emanate from the fact that OER-based courseware are supposed to help users to follow a logical learning path and get an engaging, interactive, and enjoyable learning experience. There are two aspects of quality assurance in OER-based courseware: content and pedagogy. The content aspect primarily rests with subject experts, and pedagogical quality of courseware mainly lies in the hands of developers. Present trends reveal that mainly enthusiasts, working with some support from the institution management are designing and developing OER-based courseware. There seems a possibility that these enthusiasts are developing courseware without undergoing any specific courseware development training, and in the absence of proper knowledge and training about pedagogy, one can not be sure that the produced courseware will be of superior quality. In this backdrop, present paper discusses and details about a number of guiding principles for enrichment of pedagogical quality in OER-based courseware.
On the Role of Openness in Education: A Historical Reconstruction
Author: Peter, Sandra
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Open Education,Educational History,Educational Resources,Educational Development,Concept Formation,Open Source Technology,Access to Education,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators,Educational Innovation,Performance Factors,Influence of Technology,Higher Education

In the context of education, &quot;open(ness)&quot; has become the watermark for a fast growing number of learning materials and associated platforms and practices from a variety of institutions and individuals. Open Educational Resources (OER), Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), and more recently, initiatives such as Coursera are just some of the forms this movement has embraced under the &quot;open&quot; banner. Yet, ongoing calls to discuss and elucidate the &quot;meaning&quot; and particularities of openness in education point to a lack of clarity around the concept. &quot;Open&quot; in education is currently mostly debated in the context of the technological developments that allowed it to emerge in its current forms. More in-depth explorations of the philosophical underpinnings are moved to the backstage. Therefore, this paper proposes a historical approach to bring clarity to the concept and unmask the tensions that have played out in the past. It will then show how this knowledge can inform current debates around different open initiatives.
The Openness of the University of the Philippines Open University: Issues and Prospects
Author: Villamejor-Mendoza, Maria Fe
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Open Universities,Open Education,Performance Factors,Etiology,Change Strategies,Institutional Characteristics,Institutional Research,Teacher Surveys,Teacher Attitudes,Distance Education,Concept Formation,Benchmarking,Open Enrollment,Educational Assessment,Educational Indicators

This paper is a self-reflection on the state of openness of the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). An exploratory and descriptive study, it aims not only to define the elements of openness of UPOU, but also to unravel the causes and solutions to the issues and concerns that limit its options to becoming a truly open university. It is based on four parameters of openness, which are widely universal in the literature, e.g., open admissions, open curricula, distance education at scale, and the co-creation, sharing and use of open educational resources (OER). It draws from the perception survey among peers, which the author conducted in UPOU in July and August 2012. It also relies on relevant secondary materials on the subject.
The Use and Production of OER &amp; OCW in Teaching in South African Higher Education Institutions: Case Study
Author: Lesko, Igor
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Educational Resources,Open Source Technology,Courseware,Open Education,Use Studies,Material Development,Motivation,Relevance (Education),Instructional Materials,National Surveys,Teaching Methods,College Faculty,Teacher Developed Materials,Barriers,Usability,Certification,Institutional Characteristics,Appropriate Technology,Change Strategies,Technology Uses in Education

With thousands of materials having been produced and shared openly and freely on the Internet as Open Educational Resources (OER) or OpenCourseWare (OCW), the focus of the Open Education movement has shifted toward the need to demonstrate how such materials are being used, by whom and with what impact. This paper reports on the uses, the motivation for and perceived benefits of use, as well as the challenges of using or producing OER/OCW among academics at public Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in South Africa (SA). Findings revealed widespread use of OER/OCW amongst respondents in their teaching endeavors, with a number of reported benefits. Findings also revealed respondents' educational rationale for using or producing OER/OCW. Identified challenges to using or producing OER/OCW are related to licensing issues, institutional challenges or infrastructural problems. The paper proposes several recommendations to advance the use and production of OER/OCW in SA public higher education.
Networked Curricula: Fostering Transnational Partnerships in Open and Distance Learning
Author: González, María-Luz Cacheiro
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Partnerships in Education,International Cooperation,Distance Education,Educational Technology,Blended Learning,Technology Uses in Education,Networks,Shared Resources and Services,Curriculum,Higher Education,Case Studies,Qualitative Research,Questionnaires,School Responsibility,Barriers,Foreign Countries

Transnational Networked Curricula (TNC) provides many benefits to the institutions that offer them as well as to the different stakeholders involved, not only the students but also the academics, the institutions as a whole, and the wider society. Supporting Higher Education Institutions in enhancing and implementing international networked practices in virtual campus building is the main aim of the NetCU project, which has been developed by the EADTU, in partnership with 14 member organizations, from 2009 to 2012. The project outcomes intend to facilitate the future set-up of networked curricula in Higher Education institutions and potentially lead to more transnational partnerships in Open and Distance Education (ODE) and blended learning, showing challenges, obstacles and ways to overcome them. This paper presents the main products developed in the project, assesses its completeness and usage, and discusses on the challenges of curricula networking starting from the ideas and opinions shared in different stakeholders workshops organized under the NetCU project.
Technologies for Learner-Centered Feedback
Author: Costello, Jane
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Feedback (Response),Educational Technology,Technology Uses in Education,Guidelines,Educational Media,Educational Practices,Computer Mediated Communication,Appropriate Technology,Communication Strategies

As the number, type, and use of technologies to support learning increases, so do the opportunities for using these technologies for feedback. Learner-centered feedback is a core to the teaching-learning process. It is related to assessment in describing how learners perform in their learning, their gain in knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Feedback, types of feedback, guidelines for effective learner-centered feedback, and feedback's relationship to assessment are presented. Methods of providing feedback, for example, automated, audio scribe pens, digital audio, etc., and the related technologies are described. Technologies that allow instructors to make informed decisions about the use of various methods for feedback are discussed.
Community Members' Interference and Conduct of University Distance Learning Examinations in South Eastern Nigeria
Author: Unamma, Anthony Odera
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Community Involvement,Testing Problems,Testing Programs,Statistical Analysis,Operations Research,Facilitators (Individuals),School Surveys,Educational Malpractice,Barriers,Higher Education

This research work was aimed at determining the degree of community members' interference in the conduct of university distance learning examination in South Eastern Nigeria. It was also aimed at finding out the factors responsible for the community members' interference, the ways by which interference is effected, the consequences and the strategies to improve the conduct of the examination. A survey descriptive research design was adopted. Information obtained was analyzed by using the Z-test statistical technique. Findings include community members reluctance to provide their infrastructural facilities at cheap rate; use of some spaces for religious worships when examinations are taking place; harassment and bribing of invigilators or examiners; conspiracy with some community members to throw paper balls containing answers into halls, etc. The study recommends preventive measures for minimizing interference during the examinations.
Empowering English through Project-Based Learning with ICT
Author: Marwan, Ardi
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Active Learning,Student Projects,Action Research,Technology Uses in Education,Vocational Education,Interviews,Observation,Teaching Methods,English Instruction,Beliefs,Pedagogical Content Knowledge,Technological Literacy,Semi Structured Interviews,Electronic Mail,Speech Communication,Speech Skills,Reading Skills,Educational Practices,Foreign Countries,Postsecondary Education

This paper reports the findings of an action research implementing project-based learning (PBL) with information and communication technology (ICT) in an English classroom. Twenty-five students from a vocational higher institution were interviewed after the conduct of three project activities over a six-week period. They were also observed while being exposed to a PBL teaching approach. Results of this study revealed that students could experience a more interesting and meaningful learning in a PBL English class. They were also becoming highly motivated to use English more intensively while exposed to this teaching approach. This research also proved that PBL with ICT could bring positive gains due to teacher's pedagogical and technological beliefs. Thus, it concludes that teaching with PBL and ICT would bring about a positive change once supported with teacher's belief about teaching and learning (pedagogical belief) and his belief about ICT (e.g., technology-supported learning offers better outcomes that that of the traditional one).
Reflections on Assessment in Open Distance Learning (ODL): The Case of the University of South Africa (UNISA)
Author: Letseka, Moeketsi
Date: 2013-00-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Foreign Countries,Distance Education,Open Education,Case Studies,Evaluation Problems,Student Evaluation,Formative Evaluation,Summative Evaluation,Course Descriptions,Course Evaluation,Predictor Variables,Higher Education

The article explores the challenges of assessment in open distance learning (ODL). The authors argue that ultimately assessment should be about improving the quality of teaching and effective learning. It should be based on making expectations explicit and public, setting appropriate criteria and high standards for learning quality, systematically gathering, analyzing and interpreting evidence to determine how well performance matches expectations and standards, and using the resultant information to document, explain, and improve performance. However, getting all these variables to work in ODL presents mammoth challenges. How can ODL lecturers validate and authenticate students' written work? How can they tell whether the students' submitted work sufficiently reflects their knowledge and understanding? South Africa has inherited an unequal, racially skewed and inequitable educational provision from its apartheid past. This poses serious challenge for assessing quality. The article therefore seeks to understand these context-specific challenges of ODL assessment at UNISA.
University Social Responsibility (USR): Identifying an Ethical Foundation within Higher Education Institutions
Author: Chen, Shu-Hsiang
Date: 2015-10-00
Type: Journal Articles
Subjects: Social Responsibility,Universities,Ethics,Sustainable Development,Models

Social responsibility is a responsibility not a requirement, of an organization for the impact of its decisions and activities on society and the environment, through transparent and ethical behavior that contributes to sustainable development, health and the welfare of society; which takes into account the expectations of stakeholders, is in compliance with applicable law and consistent with international norms of behavior, and is integrated throughout the organization and practiced in its relationship. By promoting sustainable development practices in the management at higher education institutions, universities can demonstrate their commitment to social responsibility practices. It should be embedded as part of the university's philosophy as a way of being, operating, and practicing. Social responsibility should be embedded into the core values and functions of universities' practices at every level. This paper explores the concept of university social responsibility (USR) and presents the SCOPE framework for identifying ethical issues in our modern day complex global world.