ECO MOOC Archives - Ecolearning

Nov 17

"How to Succeed in the English B1 Exam" 3ed EN

“How to Succeed in the English B1 Exam” back with news!

By Sara Osuna Acedo | News, News about ECO | No Comments

THE THIRD EDITION OF ECO MOOC “HOW TO SUCCEED IN THE ENGLISH B1 EXAM” HAS BEEN CANCELLED

A new edition of our renowned ECO MOOC “How to Succeed in the English B1 Exam” is back with news on the 22nd of November. This six-week course is aimed at learners interested in taking an English B1 Level Language test and understanding the different components of this type of exam. The course focuses on learning strategies and tips to prepare for language tests efficiently. The main goal of this free online course is to help prepare students for any English B1 Level exam, such as “Prueba libre de idiomas UNED CUID”. This standardized test comprises all linguistic skills (listening, reading, speaking and writing) and fulfills the requirements of official language accreditations, such as ACLES.

“How to Succeed in the English B1 Exam” 3ed EN

Some other important goals of the course:

To show participants the different components of the English B1 level exam.
To describe the assessment and marking criteria.
To share learning strategies and tips to help students succeed in the test.
To practice collaboratively written and oral English, creating a community of learning in which peer feedback is encouraged.

What does it mean to have a B1 Certificate in English? Having a B1 certificate in English is the key to success in many countries. While a degree and complementary courses can open doors, a B1 certificate in English can be an equally important part of your pitch for employment and further academic training. Due to the Bologna Process requisites, university students need to prove their language competence at different stages and for many purposes such as Erasmus mobility, graduating, entrance to master programmes, among others.

The MOOC starts next week but you already can enrol here. We are looking forward to seeing you aorund!

Oct 19

A video is worth a thousand pictures. Videos for teaching, learning and communication

By ECO Digital Learning | News | No Comments

Video is an essential component of most Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other forms of on-line learning.

We successfully launched our 3rd edition of our MOOC: Videos for teaching, learning and communication by The University of Manchester. The course started on the 3rd of October and will end the 4th of December. You can still enrol!

Video content plays a central role in most MOOCs and other forms of on line learning. It is typically the main form of content delivery as well as the greatest cost driver of MOOC production.

MOOC videos tend to be structured as short pieces of content, often separated by assessment questions. Splitting videos into 2-3 minute segments or 6-minute chunks maximizes viewer engagement.

windows-movie-maker-screen
Two video production styles that are featured prominently in many MOOCs: the talking head style, where the instructor is recorded lecturing into the camera, and the tablet capture with voice-over style. Do-it-yourself (DIY) is another popular one. When choosing a production style, it is important to keep in mind the video’s goals and desired results.

Windows Movie Maker screen.

Video production, in nearly all cases, is the most expensive component of creating a MOOC, but it does not have to be. In many cases, opting for a lightweight production process is a great way to achieve educational objectives, while at the same time reducing cost.

Many smart phones and web cams are able to record in high definition, and many free on line resources exist that make the filming and editing processes accessible to non-professionals. In this course, we will share with you copyright-free resources you can use and teach you how to use them.

The relevance of quality for on-line learning videos are hard to make given the many variables and diverse populations involved.

High-quality video content might, therefore, be especially important to keep MOOC students interested in the course. The importance of a video’s production value depends on its context and audience.

This MOOC is available to individuals from all around the world, who want to teach. It is for any learner who wants to: teach or communicate via the medium of video.

Delivering content clearly on video requires a different set of skills than those required for classroom teaching. This course is also catered to those just interested in gaining Social Media Marketing Skills. You will be able to utilize the knowledge you have gained from completing the course and apply these Web 2.0 skills to create videos for teaching and communication.

A test shoot can be a valuable source of feedback for both the instructor and the production team.

Following the idea of being ‘Massive’ and starting applying your Web 2.0 skill, why not share it on your Social Media sites, with your friends, and see if they might like to join them on this course too?

We look forward to seeing you there! – Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from: Hansch, A., McConachie, K., Hillers, L. and Prof. Dr. Schildhauer,T. (2015). TopMOOC Research Project .
‘The Role of Video in Online Learning: Findings From the Field and Critical Reflections‘.