Open(ing up) Education and OpenupEd MOOCs

1. Open(ing up) Education
and OpenupEd MOOCs
Fred Mulder
Chair EADTU’s OpenupEd Initiative
UNESCO Chair in OER at OUNL
(former Rector OUNL 2000 – 2010)
1
2013 EADTU Conference
24 October 2013
Paris (France)

2. 2012 EADTU
Conference
presentation:
my last slide …
2

3. Page 3
Heading for ‘Opening up Education’,
European OUs should jointly …
… seriously consider a transition to become
(the) European OER Universities
… enter the MOOCs world with EU-OU style MOOCs
which will clearly have more added value for learners
than the rather basic US-based MOOCs
Major profiling qualities:
[high-quality learning materials] [for independent learners]
[no rigid schedules] [certification?]
[different languages] [specific European themes]
[………]
3

4. EU: ‘Opening up Education’
> 25/9 launched: Finally but Timely <
> Relevant and Significant <
> Phrasing plus Budget (2014-2020) <
> Broad Scope (DGs CONNECT + EAC) <
Innovative teaching and learning for all through ICT
Reshaping/modernizing EU education through OER
Digital competencies, infrastructures, interoperability
Equity, quality, visibility, licensing, certification
> Concerted effort / integrated approach <
4

5. OuE well-chosen umbrella
Open(ing up) Education (OuE)
seems a subtle change to OE
but is pretty relevant …
> OuE underlines the dynamics and the process <
(there is no fixed model for education over time)
> OuE can adequately accommodate diversity <
(there is no single ideal model for education)
Brings in Nuance
5

6. What’s really new in OuE?
Not so much …
> ICT for teaching and learning <
> Equity and Quality <
> Infrastructures <
> Digital competencies <
> Digital content <
But more so …
Open Educational Resources (OER)
& MOOCs being part of O(u)E
6

7. Page 7
What about Open?
Open Education
 Open Learning (1971 OU-UK; other OUs)
 Open CourseWare (2001: MIT)
 Open Educational Resources (2002: UNESCO)
 Open Education (2008: Cape Town Declaration)
 Massive Open Online Courses (2011: xMOOCs / 2008:
cMOOCs)
Opening up Education (2013: EU)
7

8. What about Open in OER?
“OER are teaching, learning, and research resources
that reside in the public domain or have been released
under an intellectual property license that permits
their free use and re-purposing by others.
Open educational resources include full courses,
course materials, modules, textbooks, streaming videos,
tests, software, and any other tools, materials,
or techniques used to support access to knowledge.”
(Hewlett Foundation)
8

9. What about Open in O(u)E?
OER is NOT Open Education …
… 5COE Model ...
3 supply side components
Open Educational Resources (OER)
Open Learning Services (OLS)
Open Teaching Efforts (OTE)
2 demand side components
Open to Learners’ Needs (OLN)
Open to Employability & Capabilities development (OEC)
9

10. Page 10
Five Components for Open Education
(5COE) Model
Open
Education
OER
OLS OTE
10
OLN OEC
Open to
Employability &
Capabilities
development
Open to
Learners’
Needs
Open
Learning
Services
Open
Teaching
Efforts

11. Page 11
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
11
0% 100%
Example nr. 1
Institutional profile
(fully converted to OER)
in Open(ing up) Education

12. Page 12
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
12
0% 100%
Example nr. 2
Institutional profile
(more traditional, but …)
in Open(ing up) Education

13. Page 13
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
13
0% 100%
Example nr. 3
Institutional profile
(more traditional, but …)
in Open(ing up) Education
in the FUTURE …

14. Page 14
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
14
0% 100%
Example nr. 4
Typical xMOOC
as positioned
in Open(ing up) Education

15. Page 15
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
15
0% 100%
Example nr. 5
Typical cMOOC
as positioned
in Open(ing up) Education

16. Page 16
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
16
0% 100%
Not recommended
to have all sliders
extreme left or
extreme right
… with an exception for OER …

17. Page 17
‘Fingerprints’ in 5COE model
OER
OLS
OTE
OLN
OEC
Indeed 100% OER can be beneficial
and proper in all cases regardless of:
> institutional identity
> learning philosophy
> educational sector
> political context
and … for ALL LEARNERS!17
0% 100%

18. Page 18
Going pan-European …
with OpenupEd MOOCs
MOOCs: predominantly US
where it all started as of 2011
and … expanded massively (Coursera, Udacity, edX)
some EU universities have joint US initiatives
platform launches in UK, Australia, Germany, Spain, France
TIME for a European initiative!
nice umbrella: the EC launch ‘Opening up Education’
that’s why OpenupEd is our name
reference to OpenupEd in EC’s ‘Opening up Education’
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19. Page 19
OpenupEd MOOCs
Launched April 25
Joint press release EADTU & European Commission
European values: Equity, Quality, and Diversity
> Learner at the Centre <
> High-quality Learning Materials <
> Self-study Model <
> Diversity in Language and in Culture <
In Tradition of acclaimed Open Universities model
First and so far only pan-European MOOCs initiative
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20. Page 20
OpenupEd partnership (EADTU)
At the launch, from the EU:
France, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands,
Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, the UK
Outside the EU, from:
Russia, Turkey, Israel
Planning to join, from the EADTU membership:
Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France (+1),
Greece, Ireland, Poland (2x), Slovenia, Spain (+1)
Open to other partners: 20 requests worldwide
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21. Page 21
OpenupEd courses
Around 40 at the start (now 80)
Wide variety in subjects and level
12 Languages
Scheduled or self-paced
20 to 200 hours of study
Recognition options:
certificates of completion/participation, or badges,
or paid for formal credit / ECTS (30 courses)
21

22. Page 22
OpenupEd common features
Openness to learners
Digital openness
Learner-centred approach
Independent learning
Media-supported interaction
Recognition options
Quality focus
Spectrum of diversity
Not meant to be a strict order
but rather to give general guidance
22

23. Page 23
OpenupEd: some stats
Since April 25:
10.5 million hits (last 4 months stable at 1.2 million)
125.000 unique visitors (30.000 April & May; since June 15.000)
7750 newsletter registrations
Most visits from Spain, Italy, Portugal, US,
and another 35-40 countries with significant numbers of visits
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24. Page 24
OpenupEd, a decentralized model …
Institutions themselves are leading
OpenupEd central communication portal,
a referatory to the institutional platforms
Driven by service to learners & society
(rather than by revenue)
Positioned in the public domain (not-for-profit)
(rather than the private sector)
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25. Page 25
… but centralized for quality
Branding: commonality in our eight features
Admission conditions
OpenupEd quality label requirement
Continuous monitoring
Research and evaluation
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26. Page 26
OpenupEd: six conditions to join
1 Position in national HE structure including QA & Accreditation
2 Institutional endeavour with evidence of QA for the MOOCs
3 Endorsement of the eight common features and
evidence of how these are applied to the MOOCs;
crucial are ‘openness to learners’ & ‘digital openness’
4 OpenupEd MOOC label required at entry & periodical renewal
5 The MOOC operation must be evaluated and monitored;
data and results must be shared within OpenupEd partnership
6 Payment of a moderate annual fee
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27. Page 27
OpenupEd: benefits for partners
Strong and distinctive quality brand
Collective exposure beyond national borders
Visibility and marketing potential
Opportunity to join cross-national projects with external funding
Opportunity to engage with the expertise and experience in the
OpenupEd partnership: (i) development of MOOCs (ii) operate
on a partner’s platform (iii) institutional evaluation & monitoring
Annual state-of-the-art meeting (part of EADTU Conference)
Explore further extension of ‘opening up education’ at institution
27

28. Page 28
OpenupEd: perspective
Growing number of courses and partners
Increase number of learners (almost no marketing so far)
Open to partnering with ‘traditional’ universities
Reach out to open universities in Africa, Asia and Latin America
Sharing expertise in perspective of opening up education for all
Contribute to the EU modernization agenda for HE
Showcase MOOCs can indeed contribute to open education
Indication of growing student enrolments in regular operation
and of increasing institutional prestige
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29. Page 29
ICDE Conference + MOOCs event
last week in China / my last slide …
Do we allow our institutions and their good work
for learners and society to be ‘DISRUPTED’?
> RE-ACTIVE strategy <
OR
Do we rediscover our mission and
fully utilize and profile the power of ‘OPEN’?
> PRO-ACTIVE strategy <
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30. Page 30
Aftercare / follow-up in China …
Strong feelings of urgency and momentum
since MOOCs are in the heart of the OU mission
Very promising talks with
OU leadership in Africa and Asia on:
> reaching out with OpenupEd to them in a
globally linked and decentralized model
> branding of an alternative MOOCs path in
the ceaselessly frontrunning OU approach
EADTU ‘sisters’ ACDE and AAOU may become engaged
Latin America to be explored …
30

31. www.openuped.eu
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THANK YOU!
fred.mulder@ou.nl