CVA / English Web Watch
Each month, the Canadian Vocational Association presents a survey of relevant links and documents on various specializations and topics related to the field. Please don't hesitate to send your comments and suggestions to info@cva-acfp.org.
We will add a PDF version of the bulletin to the monthly e-mail. This is to faciliate the printing of the document or enable you to upload it in an e-reader of your choice.
Note that the information in this publication does not necessarily reflect the position or opinion of the CVA/ACFP.
NEXT DACUM I PUBLIC WORKSHOPS IN 2014
- February 18-21 2014 Vancouver, BC
- February 24-27 2014 Halifax, NS
- April 7-10 2014 Edmonton, AB
- April 7-10 2014 Toronto, ON
- September 8-11 2014 St-John's, NL
- September 15-18 2014 Winnipeg, MB
- November 3-6 2014 Ottawa, ON
- November 17-20 2014 Calgary, AB
For more information on DACUM: www.cva-acfp.org/en/dacum-model.html
IN FOCUS
MOOC - Massively Open Online Course & eLearning
| ARTICLES and PAPERS | |
| >> | Introduction to MOOCs: avalanche, illusion or augmentation? Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are no strangers to the delivery of online content (e.g. Open Educational Resources, Virtual Learning Environments) but MOOCs have captured the press and public's interest in a way that few initiatives have in the past and as such have attracted extremes of both praise and skepticism. It is this paper's aim to provide an overview of the history and types of MOOCs, their global scope, and the associated risks and benefits of their use. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Policy brief; Source: UNESCO; |
| >> | Online Learning Gets Massive, Open MOOCs haven't yet hit the mainstream, but they could herald a shift in how employees acquire new skills. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Article; Source: Workforce; |
| >> | MOOC - The Resurgence of Community in Online Learning How massive open online courses (MOOCs) will impact the future of distance education. The presentation by Stephen Downes considers in some detail the nature and purpose of a MOOC in contrast with traditional distance education. He argues that MOOCs represent the resurgence of community-based learning and will describe how distance education institutions will share MOOCs with each other and will supplement online interaction with community-based resources and services. The phenomenon of 'wrapped MOOCs' will be described, and Downes will outline several examples of local support for global MOOCs. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Analysis; Article; Source: Half an Hour; |
| >> | Understanding the Building Blocks of Online Learning Series of 8 articles on Online Learning. Today's Web 2.0 tools (such as blogs, wikis and cloud computing) and social networking (MySpace, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter) enhance the ability of educators to address diverse audiences and allow them to pattern their teaching styles to many different needs and skill levels whether teaching in a traditional classroom, via distance education or a hybrid of each (often called blended learning). Tags: eLearning; Article; Source: Contact North; |
| >> | OERs and Open Online Course Discussion of the role of Open Educational Resources (OER) in MOOCs. Excellent tool to understand the concept. Tags: Open Educational Resources - OER; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Slides; Source: Stephen Downes; |
| >> | MOOCs Are Largely Reaching Privileged Learners, Survey Finds Related paper. The MOOC Phenomenon: Who Takes Massive Open Online Courses and Why? Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have commanded considerable public attention due to their sudden rise and disruptive potential. The student population tends to be young, well educated, and employed, with a majority from developed countries. There are significantly more males than females taking MOOCs, especially in BRIC and other developing countries. Students' main reasons for taking a MOOC are advancing in their current job and satisfying curiosity. The individuals the MOOC revolution is supposed to help the most — those without access to higher education in developing countries — are underrepresented among the early adopters. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Trends - analysis; Paper; Article; Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education; |
| >> | MOOC: What the research says This article presents a critical overview of the MOOC (massive open online course) in university education. We review the history of this innovative education delivery mode, highlight the main university actors who developed the MOOC, address the issue of the "openness" or cost-freeness of the MOOC, and describe how the MOOC works. We also discuss the issue of supergroups: how can 100,000 students be taught at once ? Tags: Massively Open Online Course - MOOC; Trend - analysis; Paper; Source: International Review of Technology in Higher Education; |
| >> | Open Universities Australia MOOCs attract 100,000 students Open Universities Australia's (OUA) MOOC platform, Open2Study, has reached 100,000 enrolments – with 53,000 students from more than 180 countries – since its launch in April. 32 courses are available on the platform, with 60% of enrolments now from overseas nations (the top 5 are from the US, India, the UK, Spain and Canada). Tags: Resources; News; Source: University World News; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; |
| >> | Opportunities and risks in the MOOC business model Series of articles on MOOCs - MOOCs Will Change the University Business Model - Online Courses Are a Double-Edged Sword - MOOCs Are Easy Targets, but Don't Count Them Out - There Is No Business Model for MOOCs Yet - Jury's Still Out on the MOOC Model - With MOOCs, the Strong Get Stronger. But Everybody Else... - Why I'm Skeptical About MOOCs - Let's Hope MOOCs Kill Classroom PowerPoints Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Article; Source: Wall Street Journal; |
| >> | cMOOCs and Global Learning: An Authentic Alternative In this paper, we will focus on a type of MOOC called a cMOOC because it is based on the theory of connectivism and fits the definition of an open educational resource (OER) identified for this special edition of JALN. We begin with a definition of the cMOOC and a discussion of the connectivism on which it is based. Definitions and a research review are followed with a description of two MOOCs offered by two of the authors. Research on one of these MOOCs completed by a third author is presented as well. Student comments that demonstrate how a cMOOC can facilitate intercultural connections are shared. We end with reflections, lessons learned, and recommendations. Tags: Paper; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Source: The Sloan Consortium; |
| >> | Crowdsourcing to Assess MOOCs: A Position Paper The argument against assessment in MOOCs is that traditional means are impossible due to the volume of students. Crowdsourcing provides quality assessment through its diversity and in its patterns of open discourse. Crowdsourced responses help the assessment activity to serve as a knowledge building tool for both the student and the participating community. The authors advance the argument that two indices of learning are a student's ability to integrate learning elements and the subsequent discourse initiated by the student's integration. Tags: MOOC - assessment; Position paper; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers; |
| >> | Shall We MOOC? A SWOT Analysis at the Program Level MOOCs have been a fast-paced and well-publicized educational trend. Designing and delivering a MOOC is a time-intensive endeavor and as such requires careful consideration before becoming involved. Our public research university has yet to become a MOOC provider, but we have been pushed to consider what role our Instructional Systems program and faculty members might play should MOOCs become an institution-supported endeavour—or even as leaders or experimenters in this realm. We conducted a SWOT analysis focusing at the program level to assess the conditions related to designing and delivering a MOOC. Our findings show that reputational issues come heavily into play, as does the need for resources. We conclude that for a motivated faculty member who can identify sufficient personal rewards for the time expended on a MOOC, it may be worth the effort. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Analysis;Paper; Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. publishers; |
| >> | Will MOOCs kill university degrees? MOOCs presage a period of great change in higher education, but they will not kill off the traditional degree. And so far there are insufficient numbers of graduates to force big shifts immediately. But MOOCs will prompt more rapid innovation in a sector facing enormous pressures over the cost of its basic product. Eventually the full-time residential four-year degree (three in Europe) could start to look out-of-date. Online education allows colleges to innovate with regard to the quality, length and cost of their offerings. It should be possible to offer shorter and cut-price degrees that are demonstrably equivalent (in terms of employability) to the degrees of today. Already there is pressure on publicly funded universities to accept online credits, and the American Council on Education says that it will evaluate MOOCs for college credit. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Article; Source: The Economist; |
| >> | Harvard plans to boldly go with 'Spocs' Keep up, keep up. If you've only just caught on to the concept of online university courses called Moocs, then you're in danger of falling behind again. Harvard is moving on to Spocs - which stands for small private online courses. The smaller class size will allow much more rigorous assessment and greater validation of identity and that will be more closely tied to what kind of certification might be possible. Tags: News; SPOCS - Small private online courses; Trends; Source: BBC; |
| >> | MOOCs as Neocolonialism: Who Controls Knowledge? Online courses are taught primarily by instructors from Western countries, raising questions about whether they ignore other teaching traditions and approaches to learning. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Article; Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education; |
| >> | Advice for Online Learning What is the biggest challenge facing online and distance learning today? - What is the biggest opportunity that online and distance learning has today? - Keeping in mind the biggest challenge and the biggest opportunity for online and distance learning today, what is the one key step that post-secondary education could take to move online learning to the next level? - Conversely, what is the one thing to absolutely avoid? - Which current or emerging technology has the potential of radically transforming online and distance learning? Thirteen experts from around the world were asked to reply to these 5 key questions. Tags: FAQ; eLearning; Source: Contact North; |
| >> | Canada/Alberta. Training on the job and at home The Southern Alberta Institute of Technology program lets apprentices combine class with online work hoping that the Apprentice Blended Learning Program will free up more classroom space and, in doing so, will allow more apprentices to attend college each year. Tags: News; eLearning; Alberta; Canada; Apprenticeship - programs; Shortage - workforce; Skills - shortage; VET - trends; Source: Edmonton Journal; |
| >> | India. Enabling access to vocational training content on cellphones A Chennai-based firm offers videos of course modules that students can access on mobile phones for free. Tags: India; VET - development; mLearning; Initiative; News; Source: Livemint via EVTA - European Vocational Training Association; |
| >> | USA. A Catholic Case Against MOOCs Instead of following the hype, Roman Catholic colleges can treat education as a moral enterprise that develops human dignity and social justice. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Trends; Article; Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education; |
| DOCUMENTS | |
| >> | Australia. National VET e-Learning strategy 2012-2015 The National VET E-learning Strategy for 2012-2015 will play a key role in enabling the Australian training sector to take advantage of the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN) to make major advances in the achievement of government training objectives. Coordinated action to develop sector-wide capability in using the new technological environment will, at the same time, stimulate innovative approaches to increasing participation in training and work, and improving the skill levels of the Australian workforce. Tags: VET - development; eLearning; Strategy 2012 -2015; Government program; Australia; Source: Government of Australia/Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education; |
| >> | Australia. VET E-standards updated for 2013 Updated set of standards for creating accessible and reusable e-learning content. The VET e-standards are a national set of technical standards recommended for underpinning all e-learning content and systems in the sector. Tags: VET - standards 2013; eLearning; Australia; Source: Australian Flexible Learning Framework; |
| >> | Canada. A feasibility study for a distance education program for Canadian academic credential assessors The report examines the feasibility of offering an on-line distance learning university program for academic credential assessors in the provinces and territories. It determined the numbers, characteristics, and attitudes of potential users of the educational program; it also sought input on course information from key stakeholders, including academic assessment agencies. Tags: eLearning; Field: Credential assessment; Study - feasibility; Curriculum - development; Target group: Academic assessors; Canada; Source: CICIC - Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials; |
| >> | USA. Not Yet Sold: What Employers and Community College Students Think About Online Education New survey data from employers and community college students raise important questions about the state of online education today. Both groups remain skeptical about the value of this fast-spreading mode of learning. Important findings from this research include the following: 1. Most employers would prefer a job applicant with a traditional degree from an average school over one with an online degree from a top university. 2. Most community college students agree online classes require more discipline from students, but they are split on whether they teach students the same or less than in-person classes. 3. Many community college students who take online classes wish they could take fewer than they currently do. Tags: Target group: Students; Target group: Employers; eLearning;United States of America;Survey;Document;Source: Public Agendavia Academica Group; |
| >> | Europe. Feasibility of an electronic platform for adult learning in Europe Feasibility assessment and cost analysis of an Electronic Platform for Adult Education (EPALE) to: identify the most useful features and functionalities of EPALE and the costs and benefits of such features and functionalities; consider the models for providing EPALE and associated costs and the approaches to disseminating information about EPALE; and provide estimates of the potential costs to establish, promote and maintain EPALE. This was with a view to shaping any commissioning of the development of a platform. Tags: Andragogy; Education - policy;eLearning;Adult education;Feasibility - study;Source: European Commission; |
| >> | A guide to open educational resources Open educational resources (OER) are learning and teaching materials, freely available online for anyone to use. Examples include full courses, course modules, lectures, games, teaching materials and assignments. They can take the form of text, images, audio, video and may even be interactive. Tags: Guide; Open Educational Resources - OER; Source: JISC - Joint Information Systems Committee; |
| >> | The Professors Behind the MOOC Hype What is it like to teach 10,000 or more students at once, and does it really work? The largest-ever survey of professors who have taught MOOCs, or massive open online courses, shows that the process is time-consuming, but, according to the instructors, often successful. Nearly half of the professors felt their online courses were as rigorous academically as the versions they taught in the classroom. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Survey; Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education; |
| >> | Workforce Development Services Framework In the new connected workplace, current training, e-learning or blended learning services, which take a top-down, "command and control" approach to organising and managing "Learning" will not be appropriate to support these new ways of working and learning. The Workplace Development Services (WDS) framework has therefore been developed to help organisations understand the range of new services and activities that will be required, as well as the tools and platforms to power these activities, and the new skills and mindset involved. Tags: eLearning; Target group: Curriculum developers; Target group: Employers; Charts; Document; Trends; Workforce - development services; Framework; Source: Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies and the Social Learning Centre; |
| >> | Distance Learning for Health: What Works - A Global Review of Accredited Post-Qualification Training Programmes for Health Workers in Low and Middle Income Countries This document summarises findings of a global review whose aim was to identify patterns of success and impact, and outline likely trends in the nature and provision of distance learning for health in low and middle income countries, hence informing future policy, research and investment in distance learning for health workers. Tags: eLearning; Lower and Middle-income countries; Document; Best practice; Field: Health; Target group: Health personnel; Source: LIDC - London International Development Centre; |
| OTHER | |
| >> | Webinar. What Can MOOCs Mean for the Corporate World? - The 'state-of-the-MOOC': the MOOC phenomenon has taken the higher education world by storm, and seems to trigger as much debate as participants. What are the emerging trends, platforms, proof of impact, statistics and business models? - What's in a word?: What does MOOC mean to you? What is the essence behind the acronym? What could it mean for corporate training? - Imagine all the MOOCs: A few imaginary cases for MOOCs in corporate settings. * You need to register to view the recording Tags: Target group: Corporate World; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Webinar; Source: Training magazine; |
| >> | Video. Success in a MOOC A description of the five steps that will help you succeed in a MOOC. Tags: Methodology; MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Video; Source: Dave Cormier; |
| >> | Infographic. Mapping The Future Of Education Technology If it's true that 65% of today's grade school students will work in jobs that don't exist yet, then we better get ready for some drastically different learning environments. Tags: Infographic;Trend - education 2020; Source: Fast Company via EVTA - European Vocational Training Association; |
| >> | Courses. Coursera Coursera is an education company that partners with the top universities and organizations in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free. Our technology enables our partners to teach millions of students rather than hundreds. Coursera currently offers 545 free, online courses in several languages: English, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, German, Ukrainian, Arabic, Italian and Japanese. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Course - open access; Resources; |
| >> | Resources. Mobile Learning Mobile or m-learning involves the use of broadband connected devices – smart phones, tablet devices, e-readers, and laptop computers – so that students can connect to learning opportunities either synchronously or asynchronously from anywhere in the world. The mobility has two dimensions - the students are not restricted to a classroom or any other physical location, and the devices are easily portable and usable for communication and collaboration, as well as information delivery. Tags: mLearning; Resources; Source: Contact North |
| >> | Love Apptually: Apps to support learning This resource has been designed to assist vocational education and training (VET) practitioners and learners to select applications (apps) for mobile devices that support VET teaching and learning. Tags: eLearning; mLearning; VET - vocational education and training; Apps; Resources; Source: Government of Australia/Queensland state/Department of Education, Training and Employment via Scoop.it! @Andreas__Link; |
| >> | Resources. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are courses offered online across the world with no charge for learners. The courses offer content at the college and university level, but do not offer credit. They make extensive use of short video lectures, often by leading professors, supplemented by online assignments and assessment and peer-to-peer discussion. Total MOOC enrolment in 2013 is estimated at between 3.6 million and 5 million learners. The average completion rate is usually quoted at being below 10%. Tags: MOOC - Massively Open Online Course; Resources; Source: Contact North; |
| >> | Online or e-learning mode of Skill Development courses? A debate started to untangle the relevance and effectiveness of offering online skills development courses, and the challenges related to neglecting the importance of face-to-face instruction. * Search using the title 'Online or e-learning mode of Skill Development courses?' * Needs a one-time free registration to access the Forum Tags: eLearning; Course - development; Skills - development courses; Forum thread; Source: UNESCO-UNEVOC; |
| NEWS in BRIEF | |
| >> | The 5 Ws in the E-Learning adoption for Enterprises Success of Large organizations depends on their ability to keep information flowing across their departments so that it can reach the appropriate people at the right time. People have the ability to learn at every moment. The firm's ability to assess, improve, motivate, and maintain their employee's knowledge, actively affects the ability of the organization to succeed. |
| >> | Canadian postsecondary enrolments and graduates, 2011/2012 Almost 2 million students were enrolled in Canadian postsecondary institutions during the academic year 2011/2012, a 1.9% increase from the previous year. Enrolment increased in all fields of study except education, three fields of study accounted for nearly one-half of total enrolment: the humanities (18.3%); business, management and public administration (17.6%); and social and behavioural sciences and law (13.0%). These have been the top three fields of study for over a decade. |
| >> | MOOCs Forum MOOCs Forum is the only international publication dedicated exclusively to shaping the future development, design, and deployment of massive, open, online courses (MOOCs). |
| >> | European Union. Green light for Erasmus+: More than 4 million to get EU grants for skills and employability Aimed at boosting skills, employability and supporting the modernisation of education, training and youth systems, the seven-year programme will have a budget of €14.7 billion - 40% higher than current levels. |
More services offered by the CVA
CVA Membership. If you received this E-mail from a colleague and you would like to sign up for your own subscription to the free CVA/ACFP bulletin, become a CVA member: you only need to go the CVA website and fill out the membership form.
LinkedIn. Also, join the Canadian Vocational Association in LinkedIn and share your ideas, your experiences and your resources with the other members of the community.
Twitter. Follow us!
Scoop.it! and Delicious. Find all the entries of the CVA/ACFP newsletter, including the tags.
For comments or questions regarding the bulletin, or if you want us to add one of your resources in the bulletin, write us at cvaacfpbulletin@gmail.com.
