Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are usually six to ten weeks long.Participation tends to decrease as the courses progress, leading to low completion rates. This led to the question: Could shorter MOOCs contribute to learners' engagement, retention and success? This paper compares two versions of Study Skills MOOC, which shared the same content but were delivered in different length formats. One was deployed as a single six-week course and the other as two three-week blocks. In total, 617 people registered for the two versions. Data sources included learning analytics, surveys and the Spanish version of the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Both versions of the Study Skills MOOC resulted in increased participants' self-efficacy. However, learners enrolled in the version composed of two three-week blocks were also more engaged with course content, other students and the facilitators. Their retention and completion rates were higher than those in the longer version of the course. Reasons linked to goal proximity, motivation, interactions and social modelling are discussed.
The COVID-19 global pandemic resulted in the cancellation of face-to-face classes in Mexico, as it did across the world. This paper focuses on the experiences of 75 rural teachers in Mexico, who represent a minority in a country where approximately 80% of the population lives in urban areas. An online survey was administered to participants, who taught in a variety of schools, including K-12 and university settings. These participants shared how they changed their teaching practice, the challenges they faced, and the support they required. The digital divide represented a key challenge for both teachers and their students. In the face of inconsistent, unclear, or non-existent government support, most rural teachers showed commitment, resilience, and resourcefulness. They took control of, and responsibility for, their professional development by seeking ways to fill gaps in their knowledge and continue supporting their learners. Recommendations for institutional authorities and policy makers are discussed.
This study was conducted in a large Mexican organisation running a virtual corporate university. It aimed to evaluate students' perceptions of three types of interaction (learner-teacher, learner-content and learner-learner) and their views on the effectiveness of online courses in terms of satisfaction, learning and behaviours. Twenty-six employees who had studied at least one online course
Self-efficacy is a strong predictor of academic performance, and an area of interest for higher education institutions. This paper reports on a massive open online course (MOOC) on study skills, aimed at increasing self-efficacy. Participants (n=32) were from Mexico and Colombia, with ages ranging from 21 to 45 years. At the beginning and the end of the MOOC, learners answered a survey that included the General Self-Efficacy Scale, items on specific study skills, and space for optional comments. Findings show statistically significant increases in general self-efficacy after completing the MOOC, as well as in the perceived self-efficacy related to five out of six study skills. Comments suggest that participants are aware of and value their own improvement. For students, MOOCs can represent low-risk, formative opportunities to widen their knowledge and increase their self-efficacy. For academic institutions, well-designed MOOCs on study skills provide a means to support students.
This chapter focuses on the joint implementation of blended learning and active learning. The authors analysed 152 institutional websites containing definitions of these concepts. Blended learning is commonly, though arguably simplistically, viewed as the combination of face-to-face and online components. Active learning is often described as a pedagogical approach that engages students in higher-order thinking tasks, usually requiring collaboration with others. The authors systematically reviewed the literature on active blended learning (ABL). Health sciences is the most common field where empirical studies have been conducted. Most research used quantitative or mixed data and focused on the perspective of students. The tone of the discourse is predominantly positive, with an emphasis on the benefits of ABL. The chpater concludes by defining ABL as a pedagogical approach that combines sense-making activities with focused interactions in and outside the classroom. It puts forward a rationale and a framework for the implementation and scaling up of ABL in a higher education setting.
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