MOOCs in the European Opening up Education context

Fred Mulder
UNESCO/ICDE Chair in OER at OUNL (former Rector OUNL 2000 2010) Chair EADTUs OpenupEd Initiative

eMOOCs 2014 12 February 2014 Lausanne

EU: Opening up Education

25/9 launched: Finally but Timely Relevant and Significant

Phrasing plus Budget (2014-2020)

BROAD SCOPE (DGs CONNECT + EAC)
1. Innovative teaching and learning for all through ICT 2. Reshaping/modernizing EU education through OER Digital competencies, infrastructures, interoperability

Equity, quality, visibility, licensing, certification

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

Pan-European 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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OpenupEd partnership
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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OpenupEd courses
Around 40 at the start (now close to 200) 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 (>100 courses)
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OpenupEd common features

Openness to learners (in OUs tradition) Digital openness (e.g. OER-based) 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

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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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 but centralized for quality

Branding: commonality in our eight features (contributing to opening up education) OpenupEd quality label requirement (launched last week CC licensed) Continuous monitoring Research and evaluation (common surveys; longitudinal)

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OpenupEd: perspective
Not to compete with Coursera, edX, FutureLearn,

Open to partnering with the whole spectrum of universities, governments, other MOOCs initiatives
Offer the OpenupEd quality label to the MOOCs world

Reach out to open universities in Africa, Asia and Latin America

Contribute to the EU modernization agenda for HE Showcase MOOCs indeed can contribute to open education (if based on OER)

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Call for Europe to

Not aim for uniformity, instead cherish diversity (language, cultural context, educational philosophy) Create symmetry and reciprocity in partnerships Partners to be committed to their own case in their own way

Move from exclusiveness to inclusiveness (Erasmus+)

Address the whole of education Embrace openness in its full spectrum and potential (Its about OER and sharing knowledge)

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www.openuped.eu
THANK YOU!
fred.mulder@ou.nl darco.jansen@eadtu.eu

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