The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students
The demographics of massive open online course (MOOC) analytics show that the great majority of learners are highly qualified professionals, and not, as originally envisaged, the global community of disadvantaged learners who have no access to good higher education. MOOC pedagogy fits well with the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Association for Learning Technology
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Research in Learning Technology |
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| Online Access: | http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/29369/pdf_30 |
| _version_ | 1818759618387509248 |
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| author | Diana Laurillard |
| author_facet | Diana Laurillard |
| author_sort | Diana Laurillard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The demographics of massive open online course (MOOC) analytics show that the great majority of learners are highly qualified professionals, and not, as originally envisaged, the global community of disadvantaged learners who have no access to good higher education. MOOC pedagogy fits well with the combination of instruction and peer community learning found in most professional development. A UNESCO study therefore set out to test the efficacy of an experimental course for teachers who need but do not receive high-quality continuing professional development, as a way of exploiting what MOOCs can do indirectly to serve disadvantaged students. The course was based on case studies around the world of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary education and was carried out to contribute to the UNESCO “Education For All” goal. It used a co-learning approach to engage the primary teaching community in exploring ways of using ICT in primary education. Course analytics, forums and participant surveys demonstrated that it worked well. The paper concludes by arguing that this technology has the power to tackle the large-scale educational problem of developing the primary-level teachers needed to meet the goal of universal education. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:45:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6139ef32681744deb3413c9d532a410f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2156-7077 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T06:45:35Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Association for Learning Technology |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Research in Learning Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-6139ef32681744deb3413c9d532a410f2022-12-21T21:17:30ZengAssociation for Learning TechnologyResearch in Learning Technology2156-70772016-04-0124011710.3402/rlt.v24.2936929369The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged studentsDiana Laurillard0London Knowledge Lab, UCL Institute of Education, London, United KingdomThe demographics of massive open online course (MOOC) analytics show that the great majority of learners are highly qualified professionals, and not, as originally envisaged, the global community of disadvantaged learners who have no access to good higher education. MOOC pedagogy fits well with the combination of instruction and peer community learning found in most professional development. A UNESCO study therefore set out to test the efficacy of an experimental course for teachers who need but do not receive high-quality continuing professional development, as a way of exploiting what MOOCs can do indirectly to serve disadvantaged students. The course was based on case studies around the world of information and communication technology (ICT) in primary education and was carried out to contribute to the UNESCO “Education For All” goal. It used a co-learning approach to engage the primary teaching community in exploring ways of using ICT in primary education. Course analytics, forums and participant surveys demonstrated that it worked well. The paper concludes by arguing that this technology has the power to tackle the large-scale educational problem of developing the primary-level teachers needed to meet the goal of universal education.http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/29369/pdf_30MOOCsblended learningdisadvantaged studentsteaching designerspeer learninglearning communityprofessional development |
| spellingShingle | Diana Laurillard The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students Research in Learning Technology MOOCs blended learning disadvantaged students teaching designers peer learning learning community professional development |
| title | The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| title_full | The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| title_fullStr | The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| title_full_unstemmed | The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| title_short | The educational problem that MOOCs could solve: professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| title_sort | educational problem that moocs could solve professional development for teachers of disadvantaged students |
| topic | MOOCs blended learning disadvantaged students teaching designers peer learning learning community professional development |
| url | http://www.researchinlearningtechnology.net/index.php/rlt/article/view/29369/pdf_30 |
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