MOOCs and OER in the Global South: Problems and Potential

Abstract

This paper examines the problems and potential of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and Open Education Resources (OER) in the global South. Employing a systematic review of the research into the use of open online learning technologies in Southern contexts, we identify five interrelated themes emerging from the literature: 1) access to the Internet; 2) participant literacies; 3) online pedagogies; 4) the context of content; and 5) the flow of knowledge between North and South. The significance of Southern voice and participation is addressed in the final section, which concludes that on balance, the literature offers a qualified endorsement of the potential and actualities of MOOCs and OER in the global South. The ongoing tendency for the research literature to pay little heed to the agency of the social actors with the most to gain from these innovations is noted, opening up space for further research into the lived experience of online learners in the global South.

Social Justice and K-12 Teachers’ Effective Use of OER: A Cross-Cultural Comparison by Nations

“…Another important insight is that, in a crosscultural setting, translating existing OER into the local language is not sufficient (Hodgkinson-Williams & Trotter 2018). It is also important to consider the local context and recognize and respect cultural differences (King et al 2018;Lambert 2018).…”

“…OER are sometimes advertised as a panacea for overcoming educational inequity, but it is important to realize and resolve the existing gaps in access to OER, use of OER, and the impact of OER between the global south and north as well as between higher education and other educational contexts (Bozkurt, Koseoglu & Singh 2019;Cobo 2013;Cox & Trotter 2016;King, Pegrum & Forsey 2018). For example, King et al (2018) explain that most OER derive from the global north, which potentially threatens to overwhelm the global south with contextually irrelevant OER. In addition, Cox and Trotter (2016) reveal how important an institution's culture is for encouraging academic staff to adapt and produce OER.…”

“…First, this research found that cultural dimensions influenced K-12 teachers' effective use of OER, which indicated the importance of acknowledging the disparity in culture for those OER initiatives in K-12 settings. For example, we might encourage K-12 teachers to recognize the cultural differences and adapt OER with reference to local culture and norms (Hodgkinson-Williams & Trotter 2018;King et al 2018;Lambert 2018). Meanwhile, we would also encourage K-12 teach-ers to publish their adapted OER to benefit teachers with shared cultural values and increase the recognition of local culture in OER.…”

MOOCs in STEM Education: Teacher Preparation and Views

“…Research also shows that motivation plays a key role in completing MOOCs (Alraimi et al 2015 ; Barba et al 2016 ). Learners face some other problems during MOOCs, such as low teacher-student interaction, a lack of an open environment for discussion, and insufficient infrastructure (Ji and Cao 2016 ; Karlsson et al 2014 ; King et al 2018 ; Rice 2013 ; Christensen and Alcorn 2014 ). Insufficient infrastructure, reduced motivation, and the lack of feedback are the major obstacles to MOOCs because the completion rate for the most MOOCs is moderate.…”

A Clog on the Right to Quality Education through OER: A Case of Japan and Malaysia

“…What remains unclear is how international and domestic copyright laws actually affect OER initiatives in different countries. This calls for a more concentrated study done in different continents in order to fully exploit the full potential of OER (Bentley & Chib, 2016;King, Pegrum, & Forsey, 2018).…”