News & Events

ECO’s Masterclass at eMOOCs 2016 Conference

By | Conferences MOOC, News about ECO | No Comments

18.02.16 – ECO Project is deploying a team of 10 experts to the upcoming edition of eMOOCs 2016, for a pre-conference event. Designed as a multidisciplinary workshop and in the hope to encourage collaborative learning and active participation for all those attending, the event is announced as a “Masterclass” under the title: Intercreativity and Interculturality in designing MOOCs and in applying business models.

eMOOCs2016, is the European MOOCs Stakeholders Summit, organized by the University of Graz and Graz University of Technology, in Austria. The conference will include three tracks: Institutional & Corporate, Experience, Research and a Pre-Conference MOOC

As for ECO’s Masterclass, it will consist of two parts related to the design of sMOOCs and to sustainable business models for MOOCs. The first part will actively guide you through the activities in creating a sMOOC. sMOOCs (seamless/social MOOCs) are based on constructivist and connectivist pedagogical theories which foster intercreativity and interculturality. The basic principles of these concepts will be introduced and translated to design guidelines of MOOCs. Next, the pedagogical model will be discussed and illustrated with several examples. The implementation process of the sMOOC model in the ECO project will be described by two local partners, based in Germany and Italy. In addition, discussion will spin around ECO Project’s sMOOC “step by step” (6 languages, several European partners). This transversal course acted as a regulator of quality because it was designed calling on all the teams and their best practices. It also augmented interculturality and intercreativity across institutions and countries.

The second part will introduce the participants to the different business models for MOOCS as developed by ECO partners. The audience will be guided through different business models at different (stakeholders) levels, starting by business models at the MOOC level using principles of the freemium model. Next, business scenarios at the institutional level will be discussed, in close related with business providers. Lastly different governmental business models will be illustrated.

Experts:

Chair: Darco Jansen, EADTU, The Netherlands

  • Divina Frau-Meigs and Adeline Bossu, U Paris 3-Sorbonne, France
    Sara Tejera, UNED, Spain.
    António Teixeira, António Moreira Teixeira, U Aberta, Portugal
    Alessandra Tomasini, Polimi, Italy
    Sünne Eichler, Sünne Eichler Beratung für Bildungsmanagement, Germany
    Vicente Montiel, TABARCA, Spain

Details: Monday, 22.02.2016, 09:30-12:00, Room. Nr. HS 01.13

Open University of the Netherlands

Closing year 2 of ECO project in Heerlen

By | Meeting, News about ECO | No Comments

11.01.2016 – At the end of project year 2 the ECO consortium members will meet in Heerlen, NL on the 13th of January from 10:00 until 17:00h. The meeting is hosted by the Open University (OU).

Outcomes of this meeting will be published on the ECO website shortly.

Microsoft junta-se ao Projeto ECO Project atraves da UNED

Microsoft joins ECO project through UNED

By | News about ECO | No Comments

27.11.2015 – Microsoft has become contributing member and ambassador for ECO Project: collaboration will be mainly focused on dissemination tasks, while OpenMOOC-supported courses will be hosted on Microsoft Azure cloud computing solution.

Microsoft is the new associate partner at ECO Project, thanks to a Framework Agreement signed in Madrid on 25th of November, with Spain’s National University of Distance Education (UNED).

The agreement, signed by UNED’s rector Alejandro Tiana and Microsoft Ibérica’s President, Pilar López, reflects both institutions’ commitment to promote the implementation of cutting-edge technologies on teaching contexts. The venture aims to encourage open, online and massive education, while setting up an innovative educational environment meant to become an international reference on Information and Communication Technologies.

Signing agreement between Microsoft and UNED for ECO Project

Signing agreement between Microsoft and UNED for ECO Project

In the photo, back row: Alejandro Silva (University of Zaragoza, ECO Learning Project), Ángela Benavides (UNED, ECO Learning Project), Patricia Ventura (UNED, ECO Learning Project), María Dolores Castrillo (UNED, ECO Learning Project), Elena Martín Monje (UNED, ECO Learning), Gonzalo Díe (Director Sector Publico, Microsoft Ibérica), María García Alonso (vice chancellor Continous Learning Programs, UNED), Sara Osuna (Coordinator ECO Learning Project,UNED), Javier Viñulaes (Geographica, Manager Technical Workgroup WP3, ECO Learning Project), Vicente Montiel (Tabarca Consulting, Manager Buiness Development Workgroup WP6, ECO Learning Project), Víctor Tienda (BIC Euronova, Project ECO Learning), Oscar Sanz (VP of Education, Microsoft Ibérica). Sitting at the table: Pilar López Álvarez (President of Microsoft Ibérica), Alejandro Tiana Ferrer (Lord Rector of the UNED).

As associate partner at ECO Project, Microsoft will contribute with its wide experience and knowledge on digital communication in order to help disseminating the Project’s activities and results. The agreement focuses on promoting the use of MOOCs among the European academic community through Microsoft’s subsidiaries throughout the continent. Microsoft will also play an active role designing and developing such courses, mainly addressed to educators and focusing on didactic applications of MS technologies.

Planned collaboration actions include the migration of UNED’s open code platform OpenMOOC to Microsoft Azure, the company’s cloud computing solution. It will be the largest migration carried out by Microsoft in Europe’s education context to the moment, and shows the company’s support to open code and its will to contribute to the sector’s digital transformation.

In addition, ECO Project’s 4.000 expected e-teachers will be offered the use of Office 365 service.

black tie on Flag of France

Declaration of solidarity with Paris after terrorist attacks on November 2015

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Events as the ones last night on November 13th not only are an attack on a nation, but also an attack on humanity. Our proyect ECO cannot stand impassive against these acts. Our educative and communicative model is based on the pillar of democracy, interculturally aligned with basic human rights which dismiss

  • Both imposition and intolerance
  • Both agression and violence
  • Both martyrdom and submission

For this and even more so now we believe in what we are developing within ECO. We believe in education as a axis of human evolvement. We believe in democracy and participation. We believe in plurality and liberty.

We will continue to work in resisting and condemning terrorists´ attacks and stand in solidarity with all of our ECO partners, teachers and students and with the people of France.

Signed: All partners of the ECO project

people ecolearning

What is happening with MOOCs in Europe?

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What are MOOCs? What is happening in the world of digital online education? Which online courses are good for me? Why should consider designing my own MOOC?

What is the MOOC development?
The developments in the field of Massive Open, online Courses (MOOCs) are moving very rapidly and the options these format offers teachers are very relevant. MOOCs by their sheer online and open nature, are accesible anywhere and by anyone. For you as a teachers they offer the opportunity to teach participants far beyond the classroom and reaching out to participants that would otherwise never be able to enjoy neither the contents of the material, nor your methodology.

Breaking barriers
MOOCs allow you to break the barrier of time, place, age, gender and social class. Educators and managers in the field of e-learning all over the world are extensively discussing the framdwork for the full potential of MOOC-teaching to grow into a reality. If you would like understand what the MOOC-movement iss about, how it can positevely impact your teaching career or be actively part of it, attend one of the MOOC conferences or ask your management board to represent your teaching institute.

MOOC Conference Agenda 2015

15-18 September Toldeo, ES ECTEL, tenth European Conference on technology enhanced learning,Design for Teaching and Learning in a networked World. www.ec-tel.eu
14-16 October Sun City, SA ICDE; Growing capacities for sustainable distance e-learningprovision. www.unisa.ac.za/icde2015/
29-30 October Hagen,DE EADTU, Technology-based teaching and learning lead to the transformation of higher education. conference.eadtu.eu/
19-21 November London, UK EQAF, 10th European Quality Assurance Forum
Taking stock and looking forward.
www.eua.be/events/upcoming/EQAF-2015
2-4 December Berlin, DE Oeb, shaping the future of Learning. www.online-educa.com/

 

news

Press release

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16 New, online, all-access free courses and 1 do-it-yourself course on designing a digital programme for a large amount of participants including the use of social media for peer review.

These brand new online courses are for you, the teacher and they will help you understand the potential of new technologies for your classroom. 17 Massive Online courses called MOOCs were launched as pilot earlier in 2014 covering various topics and in 6 different languages. But all from the same springboard: the ECO Learning MOOC platform, a pan-European registration point for course participants and those who may want to become digital teachers. The project´s central message Learn. Teach. anywhere, everywhere refers not only to the freely accessible nature of these massive online courses, but also in the social inclusive concept behind the methodology. From April 20th onwards the second round of the tried, tested and improved MOOCs commences. Each MOOC round last for 8 weeks, guided by a teacher or group of teachers. If you want to discover what distance learning, digital learning and in addition how to design your own digital course, becoming a member of the ECO platform is an excellent way of discovering what a new era of digital learning and teaching has to offer.

The ECO Project Consortium is constituted by 22 universities and companies from Europe and Latin America* and funded by the European Commission.

All MOOCs can be accessed via https://portal.eco-learning.eu, where new users will be prompted to create a login (+3 minutes):

In English:
1.       Videos for teaching, learning and communication

In German:
2.       E-Learning-Projektmanagement an Schulen (E-learning and project management at schools)

In Portugese:
3.       Introdução aos Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (Introduction to basic Geographic Information systems GIS)
4.       Competências digitais para professors ((Digital competences for teachers)
5.       Necessidades Educativas Especiais. Como ensinar, como aprender (Special education needs. How to teach, how to learn).

In Italian:
6.       Introduzione alla matematica per l’università: Pre-Calculus (Preparation course mathematics for university: Pre-Calculus)
7.       M’appare il mondo: dalle carte alla Terra digitale partecipata (Geomatics course)

In Spanish
8.       Sexualidad Amigable y Responsable (Friendly and non-abrasive sexuality)
9.       Flipped Classroom
10.     Comunicación y aprendizaje móvil  (Mobile communication and learning)
11.     Alfabetización Digital para Personas en Riesgo de Exclusión: Estrategias para la Intervención Socioeducativa (Digital literacy for people with high risk of social exclusion. Strategies for digital socioeconomic intervention).
12.   Recursos Educativos Abiertos. Aplicaciones pedagógicas y comunicativas (Open educational resources: pedagogical and communicative applications).
13.   Competencias creativas para el profesorado (Creativity MOOC Camp) (Creative teacher competencies)
14.   Artes y tecnologías para educar (Arts and technologies for education)

In  French:
15.   DIY Education aux médias et à l’information – (DIY Media and information Education)
16.   MPSW : « Ma pédagogie à la sauce web 2.0 » (My pedagogy web 2.0-style)

E il MOOC trasversale per progettare il tuo MOOC in tutte le lingue precedenti:
17. Social sMOOC step-by-step

*European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, FEDRAVE – Fundação para o Estudo e Desenvolvimento da Região de Aveiro, Geographica, Humance, Open Universiteit Nederland, Politecnico Di Milano, Reimer IT, Riverthia, Sünne Eichler Beratung Für Bildungsmanagement, Tabarca Consulting, Telefónica Learning Services, Universidad de Cantabria, Universidad de Oviedo, Universidad de Quilmes, Universidad de Valladolid, Universidad de Zaragoza, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, Universidad Manuela Beltrán, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Universidade Aberta, Université Sorbonne Nouvelle and University of Manchester.

A growing MOOC movement highlights ECTS

By | Accreditation, Credits | No Comments

By Darco Jansen, Programme Manager at EADTU

EADTU – coordinating the HOME project – recently published a report on Institutional MOOC strategies in Europe. The report showcases data on the perception and objectives of European higher education institutions on MOOCs and the main drivers behind the MOOC movement. In addition, the report draws a comparison between similar studies conducted in the United States in 2013 and 2014.

This report observes substantial differences between US and EU education institutions. Not only are European institution more involved in MOOCs than the US, and the number of European institutions with MOOC involvement is rising, but MOOCs are also perceived as a sustainable method for offering courses in Europe. It seems that in Europe the institutions are increasingly developing a positive attitude towards MOOCs and have positive experiences regarding the added value of MOOCs.

One topic that was highlighted is the degree of accreditation when it comes to MOOC valoration. The report compares responses between US-institutions and Europe on the following question: “Credentials for MOOC completion will cause confusion about higher education degrees?” The results are shown in figure below:

ECO MOOC credentials

A large majority of European higher education institutions disagree on the claim that credentials for MOOC completion will cause confusion about higher education degrees while a majority in the US agrees. Therefore Europe does not fear credentials for MOOC completion.

The dispersed opinions between US and EU institutes can most likely be explained by the embedded ECTS framework in Europe, which provides a sound base for recognition of credentials across institutions and countries. Institutions in Europe that already offer MOOCs are more confident in giving credentials for MOOCs. In addition a EUA study indicates a growing pressure on European institutions to recognise learning outcomes and award credits both for their own MOOCs and those delivered by other institutions. Additionally, recognition of non-formal learning is a formally declared EU-strategy.

The ECO project already offers MOOCs with formal ECTS credits, i.e. those ECO sMOOCs not only provide a non formal certificate (certificate of participation of (verified) certificate of completion) but also offer a formal credit that is validated as a formal degree.  In a parallel post on the ECO Learning Blog, the possible impact ECTS accreditation on the need of tertiary education is discussed.

The ECO sMOOC starts 30th of March 2015 and will offer 3 ECTS credits. This is a course on how to design MOOCs and will be offered in six different languages. You can register at here.

This publication is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Number of MOOCs we need worldwide

By | Sin categoría, Statistics, Technology in education | No Comments

By Darco Jansen, Programme Manager at EADTU

The ECO project is running for 3  years from February 2014 until January 2017. The coming period we will launch more MOOCs by ECO partners (so called second and third iterations). In the final project year we will select about 4.000 teachers who will be able to create their own MOOCs. At the end we are aiming for the provision of minimal 500 MOOCs.

Currently Europe diposes of 1014 MOOCs (see European MOOC Scoreboard). Globally this number is over 4000 MOOCs. But how many do we actually need? Let us figure out ratios that make sense.

Need for tertiary education

Nearly one-third of the world’s population (29.3%) is under 15. Today there are 165 million people enrolled in post-highchool tertiary education. Projections suggest that participation will increase significantly the coming years with a peak at 263 million in 2025. Accommodating the additional 98 million students would require more than 4 major universities (30,000 students) to open every week for the next 15 years.

Are MOOCs a solution to world’s need for tertiary education? It is favourable to be ambitious and try and calculate the number of MOOCs you need to educate these additional 98 million students.  To be able to do this, let us make make the following assumptions:

  1. A master is 60-120 ECTS or about 20 to 40 courses of 3 ECTS or an average of 30 courses of 3 ECTS each.
  2. If a student wishes to complete a master in 4 to 10 years (on average 6 years). Consequently every student each year should complete 5 HE courses of 3 ECTS each and that over the course of 6 (consequitive) years.
  3. Over a period of 15 years 2,5 sstudent (15years/6years) has the need for 5 HE courses each year
  4. If the goal is to educate 98 million students to a master level for the next 15 years. Hence each year we need to offer about (5*98.000.000/2,5)= 196.000.000 certificates of HE course of 3 ECTS.
  5. Each MOOC (on average) attracts 25.000 participants of which 10% (2.500) complete successfully. So about 2.500 gets a certificate that counts for as a Masters Degree (ECTS credit). So with 1 MOOC we are able to issue a certificate to 2.500 participants. If we were to offer 1X MOOC 4 times a year, this equals 10.000 certificates.

In conclusion: the total number of MOOCs to accomplish this ca. 196.000.000/10.000 MOOCs = 19.600 MOOCs.

How can this be achieved?

A. 4 Major universities (30,000 students) to open, every week for the next 15 years

B. Develop 19.600 MOOCs that offer ECTS credits to 10.000 students each year

But this thought experiment brings upon another question. Rory McGreal during EMOOCs, 2014 in Lausanne questioned why we are not changing educational model and increase number of students? The answer to thi question is partly answered in this article on the ECO platform.

In line with the above reasoning, with 45,000 MOOCs is is theoretically possible to issue 450.000.000 certificates each year and therefore educate 15% of the world population to a master (> 1 billion). In 2010 on average the OECD countries spent about 1,6% of their GDB on their tertiary education (see Education at a Glance, 2013). Imagine what would happen if only 1% of that budget is spent  by countries on the development and exploitation of MOOCs.

Although some state that education is not a mass customer industry (see for example Five myths about MOOCs ), one can (and must ) question how the need for affordable tertiary education can be provided.

The optimal solution is probably to continue opening universities (both traditional and distance teaching), as well as to encourage universities to develop high quality MOOCs. Given that we find ways that assist universities in aligning their MOOCs with their business models, the consequence will be better higher education for more people.

We already have produced more than 4000 MOOCs in three years. To accelerate this (and for economic reasons), ECO suggests to start re-using MOOCs for education in other languages and cultures instead of developing more and more from scratch. In the ECO project we are also focusing on open licence to support re-use and we will train teacher such that they will be able to develop MOOCs. From the 23rd of March 2015 the MOOC Design course will be available on the ECO Portal.

Let us seize the moment the opportunity.

When are MOOCs truly massive?

By | Completion rate, Ubiquitous learning | No Comments

By Darco Jansen, Programme Manager at EADTU

The ECO project (ECO: Elearning, Communication and Open-data: Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning) provides MOOCs in many European languages. This can be in English but also in Portuguese, French, German, Italian, etc. In the end, ECO want to activate teachers all over Europe to develop their own MOOCs in their own language suitable for their own local context and culture. This raises the question on the massive component of MOOCs. I.e. how many participants are needed to call an online course a MOOC?

To define a MOOC Wikipedia in their definition uses “aimed at unlimited number of participants“. But that may cause problems if the numbers go a lot higher than your technological resources can handle. Next, we also need to take into account the teacher time, i.e. the efforts of academic staff on pay-roll of institution offering the course. As MOOCs are for free it cannot rely heavily on teacher time.

Is there a critial Number of enrollments?

But how many enrolments should a course have to be called a MOOC? The record of number of enrolments for a MOOC until now is 226.652. But that is for a MOOC in the English language. We need to take into account that the number of people speaking good English: 480 million (330 million native + 150 million secondary, source Wikipedia. As such the record MOOC only targets about 0,047%.

Now take a European language less spoken: Lithuanian, with 4.8 million native speakers (3.5 – 4 million source: Lingvo). In order to be as successful as the record-holding MOOC in English, a Lithuanian course should have encompass ca. 2.267 participants. But typically a MOOC in the English language nowadays has about 5.000-50.000. So a typical MOOC in Lithuanian should have about 50 to 500 participants. Ofcourse this strongly depends on other factors as topic, demographic background (people with already a degree), etc.

Should we aim for an unlimited number of participants?

Consequently in the European context we need to be cautious about to fact that a course should be aiming at unlimited number of participants. For that reason the ECO project, together with the HOME project and OpenupEd, proposes that such a course should be designed for large number of participants. Operational criteria for MOOCs could be:

  • Number of participants is larger than can be taught in a ‘normal’ campus class room / college situation (>148 = Dunbar’s ratio)
  • The (pedagogical model of the) course is such that the efforts of all services (including of academic staff on tutoring, tests, etc.) does not increase significantly as the number of participants increases.

Hence, we should grab the opportunities offered by MOOCs and not overley focus on large volumes as observed with MOOCs in the English language. Alternatively we  need to focus on the opportunities that open and online learning movement offer as a means to educate many, ubiquitously in a flexible way, complying with the needs of today’s learners.

Tags: MOOC, massive, enrolments, definition

Videos for teaching, learning, and communication

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Hub 2 (ECO Project) will be evolving to a course with simulations, quizzes, lots of badges and use of web 2.0 and how to use it more effectively, for instance Twitter and you tube. Using audio is emphasised too in the video.

By Carol Fowler (@carolUoMan)