Abstract

At the end of the first decade of the 21st century, the rapid growth in the MOOC offering brought about a new educational landscape, posing new challenges to teaching and learning, mainly due to massive participation, ubiquity and free enrollment. These courses embody a confluence of technological and pedagogical mediations yet to be fully explored. This study, applying an instrument of educational and interactive indicators on a MOOC (INdiMOOC-EdI) designed by the authors, seeks to ascertain the pedagogical components of MOOCs delivered in the Spanish language in order to establish which course features are platform dependent. An exploratory sequential mixed methods study was carried out on a total of 117 courses within 10 different platforms via an instrument developed and validated ad hoc. The data obtained is subjected to a content analysis for a qualitative perspective; while a quantitative perspective is obtained through a statistical analysis complemented with classification algorithms typical in data mining. The results suggest that the different platform providers condition the pedagogical design of the MOOC in five key areas: learning, activities and tasks, means and resources, interactivity and assessment. It concludes with a series of descriptive, educational and interactive indicators that can be a pedagogical benchmark for future MOOCs.

Abstract

Nine digital courses on deciphering and reading palaeography are analysed. The study focuses on their goals, taking into account the borrowings inherited from the previous educational materials. The article begins explaining the main terminology. Later, it summarizes the characteristics of the traditional system of learning palaeography, since the current online systems are based on it. The aim of this retrospective view is to determine which achievements belongs to the ancient system. Finally the advantages and the virtues of the new learning systems are discussed.  

Abstract

The library of the Spanish open university Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) is involved in distance learning of information skills in formal postgraduate courses. This paper discusses action levels, structure, content, method, learning resources, tutoring, etc., and describes the student evaluation exercises. The formation of teams and the functions performed by embedded librarians is explained. Finally, the results of satisfaction surveys and the convenience to continue these training activities are discussed.

Abstract

Despite the efforts made, there is still an alarming difference between the digital competence that teachers have and the one they should have in order to develop their students' digital competence. The lack of teacher training in safe and responsible use of ICT is a special cause for concern. Online courses in MOOC format meet all the required conditions to offer a possible solution to the unavoidable and urgent need for initial and in-service teacher training in this area of digital competence. However, there is currently no evidence in the literature on the effectiveness of these courses for this purpose. This study examines the instructional effectiveness of courses in MOOC format for teacher training in the safe and responsible use of ICT by analysing three different official courses. The courses were analysed using three different methods: a questionnaire to measure participants’ perceptions, pre-tests and post-tests to measure the knowledge acquired, and LORI (Learning Object Review Instrument) to measure the quality of digital educational resources created by the participants. The results suggest that online courses in MOOC format are an effective way to train teachers in the safe and responsible use of ICT, and that these courses can enable the development of digital competence in the area of content creation.