MOOCs, Open educational resources and social networking: bridging the gap between informal and formal learning

MOOCs and open educational resources (OER) provide a wealth of learning opportunities for people around the globe, many of whom have no access to formal higher education. OER are often difficult to locate and are accessed on their own without support from or dialogue with subject experts...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Niall Sclater
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Universidad de Alicante 2016-12-01
Series:Revista Mediterránea de Comunicación
Online Access:https://www.mediterranea-comunicacion.org/article/view/2016-v7-n2-moocs-open-educational-resources-and-social-networking-bridging-the-gap-between-informal-and-formal-learning
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Summary:MOOCs and open educational resources (OER) provide a wealth of learning opportunities for people around the globe, many of whom have no access to formal higher education. OER are often difficult to locate and are accessed on their own without support from or dialogue with subject experts and peers. This paper looks at whether it is possible to develop effective learning communities around OER and whether these communities can emerge spontaneously and in a self-organised way without moderation. It examines the complex interplay between formal and informal learning, and examines whether MOOCs are the answer to providing effective interaction and dialogue for those wishing to study at university level for free on the Internet.
ISSN:1989-872X