Quality Models for Open, Flexible, and Online Learning

This article is based on research conducted for the European CommissionEducation & Training 2020 working group on digital and online learning(ET2020 WG-DOL) specifically regarding policy challenges, such as thefollowing: 1) Targeted policy guidance on innovative and open learningenvironments under outcome;2) Proposal for a quality assurance modelfor open and innovative learning environments, its impact on specificassessment frameworks and its implication for EU recognition and transparencyinstruments. The article aims to define quality in open, flexible,and online learning, particularly in open education, open educationalresources (OER), and massive open online courses (MOOC). Hence,quality domains, characteristics, and criteria are outlined and discussed,as well as how they contribute to quality and personal learning so thatlearners can orchestrate and take responsibility for their own learningpathways. An additional goal is to identify the major stakeholders directlyinvolved in open online education and to describe their visions, communalities,and conflicts regarding quality in open, flexible, and online learning.The article also focuses on quality in periods of crisis, such as duringthe pandemic in 2020. Finally, the article discusses the rationale and needfor a model of quality in open, flexible, and online learning based on threemajor criteria for quality: excellence, impact, and implementation fromthe learner’s perspective.

Developing Theoretical Relativistic Framework for Research in Open and Flexible Learning： A New Trend in Educational Research

The purpose of research study was to develop a theoretical relativistic framework for research in open and flexible learning environment because it is a new dimension in the field of education. Developing a theoretical relativistic framework for any research study is first and prime step in walking on the track to reach the distinction set by the researcher. Open and flexible learning is a new trend in education, enriched with ICT-use as a basic demand of the 21st century generation in all parts of the globe. So, it requires a theoretical framework for its initiation, implementation, development and evaluation which is relatively developed and advanced from the existing framework. In any research study the literature review is carried out in order to develop, build or construct a theoretical framework. The researcher of the study has observed while attending the international conference on ODL （AAOU, 2013） that most of the studies require theoretical underpinning for ICT-use in education. The researcher assume that being a new trend in education to use ICT for teaching learning purpose; it requires conceptual clarity and theoretical background of the user and researcher, because, without theory the practice is wastage of money, time and energy and it becomes ineffective and requires relatively new conceptual development. So, the problem stated by the researcher for the study was： Developing theoretical relativistic framework for research in open and flexible learning： A new trend in educational research. The objective of the study was integrating the interrelated concepts to build a pnemonological network for identifying the constructs in ICT-rich open and flexible learning environment. The study was significant because it provided theoretical background for conducting research in ICT-use for teaching and learning through open and flexible systems; whether blended or online learning and training. The methodology used by the researcher was qualitative and interpretive because there were reviewing of literature and meta-analysis for building the framework. The data were analyzed and interpreted by the researcher for the findings and drawing conclusions. On the basis of conclusions the researcher has made suggestions and recommendations for conducting research in open and flexible learning environment by using this theoretical relativistic framework. The framework was named as Virtual Learning Environment Framework （VLEF）.

The Model of Open and Distance Learning for Teaching Indonesian Through Socio-Cultural Approach and Psychological Aspects to Students of Indonesian for Foreign

This study aims to find out the effect of the model of ODL （Open and Distance Learning） for teaching Indonesian for foreign and whether this model of ODL implements socio-cultural and psychological approaches. The students＇ learning of Indonesian for foreign is in so many aspects that it must be considered from both psychological aspects of students＇ language and cultural aspects. The research was carried out on foreign students＇ studying Indonesian language. The research method used action research. ODL model developed this concerning how the students are anxious in foreign language learning and language use in accordance with Indonesian culture. The model of ODL for teaching foreign Indonesian uses the Internet facilities such as email, Skype, VolP, Google Talk, circulating document with comments, chat, forum, CD, audio-video, stream media player, and e-learning system. Based on the results of this study which is that students study the model ODL for teaching Indonesian through socio-cultural approach and psychological aspects and students of Indonesian for foreign improve their ability to use the Indonesian language, students are able to converse fluently in Indonesian in accordance with Indonesian culture

LeNS China:A Chinese learning network on sustainability for the development and diffusion of teaching materials and tools on design for sustainability

It is a shared opinion that sustainable development requires a system discontinuity, meaning that radical changes in the way we produce and consume are needed. Within this framework there is an emerging understanding that an important contribution to this change can be directly linked to decisions taken in the design phase of products, services and systems. Design schools have therefore to be able to provide design students with a broad knowledge and effective Design for Sustainability tools, in order to enable a new generation of designers in playing an active role in re-orienting our consumption and production patterns. This paper presents the intermediate results of the LeNS China, the Learning Network on Sustainability of Chinese design Higher Education Institutions aiming at curricula development on Design for Sustainability. The project is a regeneration of the LeNS Asian-European multi-polar network project financed by the European Commission. LeNS China is taking in consideration the local needs, interests and opportunities could represent a significant enabling platform capable to sensitise, support and empower a new generation of Chinese design educators, designers and entrepreneurs to reach design practice throughout an open collaborative learning approach. The paper will firstly introduce the LeNS project and its ethos, and then the LeNS China network will be described in terms of the state of the art of design for sustainability and its education in China, the scope and the objective, the results achieved so far and the next steps.

SPOC教学模式背景下提高开放大学学生自主学习能力研究

SPOC教学模式以其跨时空、自由化、个性化等特点而被广泛应用于教学实践中。然而在实施过程中,开放大学教师往往重点关注课程资源的建设,而忽视了学生自主学习能力的培养与知识的构建。通过SPOC教学模式与传统教育模式与的比较发现,SPOC教学模式在学生课程学习的控制力、知识构建以及教学效果反馈的时间上不如传统教学模式;为了解决这些问题,培养与提高开放大学学生自主学习能力,帮助学生构建知识的逻辑体系,提出了相应的建议。

WhatsApp as a Tool for Integration and Motivation in Distance Education

This article was based on a Distance Education project in the Pedagogy course which, for a semester, through active methodology, reviewed the contents of the course to increase the knowledge of these students as well as to carry out a pilot test of Hybrid Teaching. The research aimed to contribute to studies on the use of WhatsApp as a tool that favors the integration and motivation of students in Online and Hybrid Teaching. The project included classes before the classroom lessons, physical and online presence of tutors and teachers, communication via WhatsApp, e-mail, Facebook and the online course platform to review and raise the course fee, raising doubts and encouraging the participation and integration of each student. The object of the study was the use of WhatsApp throughout the course, due to the adhesion of students and teachers using it as a tool for integration and motivation for the graduates of the 17 poles participating in the project. It is a descriptive research with a quantitative approach and characterized by a survey. 104 students participated in the survey, which guarantees a confidence level of 93%. A questionnaire was elaborated and requested, via Google Forms, to understand aspects of integration and motivation, containing 10 questions using the five-level Likert scale. It was possible to verify that the tool presented a 77% satisfaction index with the use of WhatsApp considering its positive influence in the best use of the studies while 90% considered WhatsApp important in the integration of students with students, and teachers with students. Also corroborated that the student interacts better with the studies when there is an interpersonal relation present, in this case, through the classes of study and face-to-face held weekly and the immediate communication provided by WhatsApp group chats. Finally, there was a strong correlation (r = 0.8) between the intensity of satisfaction with the use of WhatsApp in this project and the satisfaction with the continuity of the use of WhatsApp in other courses.

The Impact of COVID-19 and FAIR Data Innovation on Distance Education in Africa

Prior to the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, distance education, a mode of education that allows teaching and learning to occur beyond the walls of traditional classrooms using electronic media and online delivery practices, was not widely embraced as a credible alternative mode of delivering education, especially in Africa. In education, the pandemic, and the measures to contain it, created a need for virtual learning/teaching and showcased the potential of distance education. This article explores the potential of distance education with an emphasis on the role played by COVID-19, the technologies employed, and the benefits, as well as how data stewardship can enhance distance education. It also describes how distance education can make learning opportunities available to the less privileged, geographically displaced, dropouts, housewives, and even workers, enabling them to partake in education while being engaged in other productive aspects of life. A case study is provided on the Dutch Organisation for Internationalisation in Education(NUFFIC) Digital Innovation Skills Hub(DISH) project, which is implemented via distance education and targeted towards marginalised individuals such as refugees and displaced persons in Ethiopia,Somalia, and other conflict zones, aiming to provide them with critical and soft skills for remote work for financial remuneration. This case study shows that distance education is the way forward in education today, as it has the capability to reach millions of learners simultaneously, educating, lifting people out of poverty, and increasing productivity and yields, while ensuring that the world is a better place for future generations.