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pedagogy.ir > Global Vision > Inclusive Education
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Saturday, 20 February 2010 18:34 |
From Open Content to Open Course Models: Increasing Access and Enabling Global Participation in Higher Education - Tannis Morgan & Stephen Carey - IRRODL, Volume 10, Number 5, November 2009 Abstract: Two of the major challenges to international students’ right of access to higher education are geographical/economic isolation and academic literacy in English (Carey, 1999; Hamel, 2007). The authors propose that adopting open course models in traditional universities, through blended or online delivery, can offer benefits to the institutions and to the open education movement itself, in particular with non-Anglophone students. This paper describes the model and an implementation with undergraduate students in Canada, Mexico, and Russia. The implementation of the model was examined in three studies, which relied on data collected from student interviews, instructor observations and reflections, instructor interviews, course documents, and discussion forum transcripts. The authors note that the main benefit of an open course model is the development of academic literacy for students of English as an Other Language (EOL). Other benefits include 1) international course transfers, 2) breadth of professorial exposure for the students, 3) flexibility in professors’ employment and professional development, and 4) course credits for students. Some of the challenges include 1) varying levels of Internet access, 2) coordination of the participation of the instructors, and 3) different teaching and learning practices. The authors conclude that an open course model might be applied in various contexts, such as in disciplines where global perspectives are important, in applied/professional programs, and in distance or face-to-face courses. Also, the model is useful for students working together on research, case studies, or joint projects, and it could be applied within an institution to enhance inter-disciplinary content and approaches.
Keywords: Open access; OER; Open Education Resources; OpenCourseWare; open models; OCW; academic literacy; English as an Other Language
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Saturday, 20 February 2010 18:33 |
Digital Literacy for the Third Age: Sustaining Identity in an Uncertain World - Allan Martin - eLearning Papers, Nº 12, February 2009 Summary: The world in which we live – the world of late modernity – is characterized by a deep uncertainty; uncertainty not only about the foundations of social structure, but also about individual identity. Digital technology offers powerful tools for learning, for self-expression, and for the building, maintenance and sharing of identity. But for citizens of the third age, these aspects of the modern world pose a threat to their identity. Being able to use the technology appropriately in real situations is therefore important to any citizen. Technology has not changed the notion of what learning is, but it has opened up more avenues in thinking how it can be done. If we wish to empower seniors digitally we should focus on their goals for digital usage, the areas in which digital activity is socially meaningful and contribute directly to the development of meaning and identity. This paper presents a three-level model of digital literacy, understanding that by being aware of the challenges older citizens are facing in modern society we can consider more clearly the role which digital literacy, and its relation to learning, may play in addressing their predicament. Because of the particular uncertainties of the role of our seniors in society, digital literacy can be of great value as a means of social involvement and assertion. Gaining a literacy of the digital, senior citizens can retain a hold on the shape of their lives in an era of increasing uncertainty. In a society where inter-generational uncertainty is probably greater than it has ever been, it can also offer the possibility of a bridge of understanding across generations. Keywords: digital literacy; inclusion; learning; senior citizens, identity, third age, generation gap Full text: PDF |
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Saturday, 20 February 2010 18:31 |
Openness, Dynamic Specialization, and the Disaggregated Future of Higher Education - David Wiley and John Hilton III - IRRODL, Volume 10, Number 5, November 2009 Abstract: Openness is a fundamental value underlying significant changes in society and is a prerequisite to changes institutions of higher education need to make in order to remain relevant to the society in which they exist. There are a number of ways institutions can be more open, including programs of open sharing of educational materials. Individual faculty can also choose to be more open without waiting for institutional programs. Increasing degrees of openness in society coupled with innovations in business strategy like dynamic specialization are enabling radical experiments in higher education and exerting increasing competitive pressure on conventional higher education institutions. No single response to the changes in the supersystem of higher education can successfully address every institution’s situation. However, every institution must begin addressing openness as a core organizational value if it desires to both remain relevant to its learners and to contribute to the positive advancement of the field of higher education. Keywords: Open education; online learning; distance learning; higher education Full text: PDF |
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