The document discusses designing MOOCs to support learning anytime, anywhere through situated learning experiences. It presents a theoretical framework that identifies different types of knowledge resources learners use in the meaning-making process, including contextual knowledge, prior knowledge, new conceptual knowledge, and relations between these resources. A case study is described that analyzed students' discourse during an outdoor learning activity on the Singapore River to identify which knowledge resource types were used. The findings showed students relied heavily on contextual resources and relations between contextual and new conceptual resources were important for developing new understandings. The discussion concludes MOOCs should support situated learning by providing contextual resources and scaffolding the development of new conceptual resources.

1. Designing MOOCs to Support Use of
Different Types of Knowledge Resources
in Learning Anytime, Anywhere
OE Global Conference 2016
Krakow, Poland
Esther Tan & Christian M. Stracke

2. 1. Research Context
2. Theoretical Framework
3. Case Study
§ Research design
§ Data analysis
§ Data findings
4. Discussion & Conclusion
Presentation Outline

3. Explore MOOC to support learning anytime, anywhere
Harness affordances of MOOCs & mobile technologies to
connect remote learners & learners on location to
contextualize and concretize the learning experience.
(Sharples, Kloos, Dimitriadis, Garlatti & Specht, 2015)
Research Context

4. 1. Outdoor Learning as Environmental Interaction
& Situated Learning
§ Technological affordances redefines learning spaces:
“…learning anytime, anywhere” (Milrad & Spikol, 2007)
§ The situatedness of the learning experience in
Outdoor learning (Kerawalla et al., 2012) & Mobile learning
(Sharples, Taylor & Vavoula, 2007)
§ “knowing as activity by specific people in specific
circumstances” (Lave & Wenger, p. 52)
***The criticality of understanding learners’ interaction with the specific learning
context to create and construct knowledge in the meaning-making process.
Theoretical Framework

5. 2. Knowledge Resources for Situated Learning
Theoretical Framework
Prior
knowledge
New
Conceptual
Knowledge
Contextual
knowledge
Figure 1: Knowledge resources in collaborative meaning-making process (Fischer & Mandl, 2005)
Learning
materials &
information on
a given topic
Existing
knowledge
learners possess
on a given topic
New theoretical
concepts owing to
interaction with the
situated learning
context

6. Participants (Future School @ Singapore Project)
§ School of Science & Technology
§ 2 classes of secondary two students
§ High ability (Group A) & mixed ability (Group B)
Case Study

7. Process-oriented design to frame learners’ discourse and
interaction with the environment and with peers
1. Learning objectives
2. Task Type
3. Level of pre-structuring
4. Technology mediation
Research Design

8. 1. Learning objectives:
§ Inquiry-based Learning: BIG Question
(BIG: Beyond Information Given)
§ Collaborative Knowledge Building
§ Integrated conceptual understanding
(History, Geography & Biology)
Research Design

9. BIG Question: Why does civilisation begin at the mouth
of a river?
Research Design
Figure 2: Singapore River Mystery Trail

10. 2. Task Type:
§ Task structuredness:
well-structured to ill-structured task
Research Design
Task type Description of tasks
Performative 1. Measure the river water conditions
Knowledge
Generative 2. Describe the ideal water conditions
Knowledge
Synthesis 3. Discuss the importance of water quality

11. 3. Level of pre-structuring
§ Position the learning trail as part of formal
curriculum with pre & post-trail phase
§ Provide an unstructured activity for small groups
to pursue their own research inquiries after
the completion of all trail activities
Research Design
Pre-Trial
Tune-in
Activity
In-Trail
Activities
Post-Trial
Summary
of learning

12. 4. Technology mediation
§ Web-based platform hosting trail activities
§ Virtual facilitation: broadcast alert & feedback
§ Data-loggers & iPad with embedded apps
Research Design
Figure 3: Students measure water conditions and enter responses in the web-based platform

13. 1a. What types of knowledge resources
do learners use in the meaning-making
process in a situated learning context?
1b. How can we design MOOCs to support
the meaning-making process and to
enhance the quality of the learning
experiences of ‘anytime, anywhere’?
Research Questions

14. Data Source
§ Audio footage: verbatim transcription
§ Video footage
§ Field notes
Data Analysis
§ Content analysis: use of semantic boundaries, i.e.,
discussion threads, ideas and turn of talks to define an
unit of analysis (Chi, 1997)
§ Coding scheme on content dimension (Fischer & Mandl, 2005)
to investigate the use of different knowledge resource types
Data Source & Analysis

15. Data Findings
Figure 4: Frequency of Knowledge Resources Types Used in Group Discourse
Note: CR= Contextual Resources, NCR= New Conceptual Resources, CR & NCR = Relations between
Contextual Resources and New Conceptual Resources, PKR = Prior Knowledge Resources, CR & PKR =
Relations between Contextual Resources & Prior Knowledge Resources.

16. § Both groups showed high usage of CR as compared to
other knowledge resource types
§ Both groups generated higher number of CR & NCR
statements than CR & PKR statements
§ Both groups showed that CR & interaction with the
physical environment play a significant role in
learners’ ability to develop NCR
§ Development of NCR is contingent on the
interaction with the rich physical affordances
Data Findings

17. 1. Learning Anytime, Anywhere (Situated Learning)
§ Involves (environmental) interaction with a specific context
§ Involves re-contextualisation & concretising the different
types of knowledge resources in that specific context
2. Design MOOCs to support situated learning context,
i.e., to connect MOOCs learners & learners on site
§ Includes provision of a baseline contextual resources
§ Includes supporting development of new contextual resources
§ Includes scaffolding development of new conceptual resources
to facilitate the co-construction of new knowledge and/ or
advancing knowledge
Discussion & Conclusion

18. § Fischer, F. & Mandl, H. (2005). Knowledge Convergence in
Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning: the Role of
External Representation Tools. The Journal of the Learning
Sciences, 14 (3), 405-441.
§ Lave, J. & Wenger, E. (1991). Situated learning: Legitimate
peripheral participation. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
§ Milrad, M., & Spikol, D. (2007). Anytime, anywhere learning
supported by smart phones: Experiences and results from the
MUSIS project. Journal of Educational Technology & Society,
10(4), 62-70.
Reference

19. § Orion, N., & Hofstein, A. (1994). Factoring that influence learning
during a scientific field trip in a natural environment. Journal of
Research in Science Teaching, 31(10), 1097-1119.
§ Sharples, M., Taylor, J., & Vavoula, G. (2007). A Theory of Learning
for the Mobile Age. In R. Andrews and C. Haythornthwaite (Eds.),
The Sage Handbook of Elearning Research (pp. 221-247).
London: Sage,
§ Sharples, M., Kloos, C. D., Dimitriadis, Y., Garlatti, S., & Specht, M.
(2015). Mobile and Accessible Learning for MOOCs. Journal of
Interactive Media in Education, 2015 (1).
Reference

20. Asst. Prof. Dr. Esther Tan
Esther.Tan@ou.nl
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Christian M. Stracke
Christian.Stracke@ou.nl
Contact Information

21. Thank you...
Questions & Discussion