scholarly journals Undergraduate Students’ Experiences of the Use of MOOCs for Learning at a Cambodian University

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 336
Author(s):  
Riccardo Corrado ◽  
Erica Pretorius ◽  
Gert van der Westhuizen

Currently, some universities in Cambodia are exploring the usage of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which can support education by allowing cost-free independent learning for university students. For effective implementation, it is fundamental to understand the current Cambodian ecosystem, how universities implement MOOCs for teaching, and how students use them for learning. Due to a current gap in the literature on this matter, this research work aims to investigate students’ awareness of MOOCs, usage, and difficulties encountered with their adoption for learning. This research work is a case study of a university in Cambodia, and it adopts a mixed-mode approach involving a quantitative questionnaire, followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews. Currently, many students are not aware of MOOCs, and regarding those using them, they report a low level of organized effort, which points out to the fact that students are in general not very organized and systematic in the way they approach learning using MOOCs. Furthermore, a major issue still lies in the way these courses are implemented in the curriculum and the learning activities, underlined by the type of ICTs affordances currently exploited by the usage of MOOCs for learning.

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (13) ◽  
pp. 5307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cervi ◽  
José Manuel Pérez Tornero ◽  
Santiago Tejedor

Smartphones have become a key social tool: They have changed the way people consume, receive and produce information, providing potentially anyone with the opportunity to create and share content through a variety of platforms. The use of smartphones for gathering, producing, editing and disseminating news gave birth to a new journalistic practice, mobile journalism. Incorporating mobile journalism is, thus, the current challenge for journalism educators. Our article aims at discovering whether new models of education, such as massive online courses, can help mobile journalism training. The research focuses on the first pilot project of a massive open online courses (MOOC) on mobile journalism, the Y-NEX MOOC. By assessing structure, functioning and participants’ opinion, the objective is to discover if MOOCs prove to be useful tools in mobile journalism training. Results show that this model of distance open learning can be helpful for mobile journalism training, providing some recommendations for improvement.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Zary ◽  
Patrik Hernwall

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are an innovation in higher education (Grajek, 2014). Faculty has challenges in designing MOOCs since most have mainly experience in developing campus-based courses. As MOOC platform are introduced in campus-based courses, it is important to investigate how this learning environment impacts on the design of MOOCs in relation to online environments. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the influence of variations in the learning environment on the design of MOOCs. A comparative case study approach was chosen to investigate two types of learning environments. The focus was on the similarities, differences and trends. The data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews. The answers were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. The pedagogical approach and learning content were the components that were mostly influenced. The targeted learners and the assessment of the learning activities were partly influenced. The learning environment didn’t impact on the course description, intended learning outcomes and aimed competencies. The study contributed to knowledge on the influence of the learning environment on the design of MOOCs. Increasing understanding of the learning environment among faculty will contribute to a better design, implementation and evaluation of MOOCs and ultimately for the students’ benefit.


2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laila Zary ◽  
Patrik Hernwall

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are an innovation in higher education (Grajek, 2014). Faculty has challenges in designing MOOCs since most have mainly experience in developing campus-based courses. As MOOC platform are introduced in campus-based courses, it is important to investigate how this learning environment impacts on the design of MOOCs in relation to online environments. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the influence of variations in the learning environment on the design of MOOCs. A comparative case study approach was chosen to investigate two types of learning environments. The focus was on the similarities, differences and trends. The data collection was performed using semi-structured interviews. The answers were analyzed using a qualitative content analysis. The pedagogical approach and learning content were the components that were mostly influenced. The targeted learners and the assessment of the learning activities were partly influenced. The learning environment didn’t impact on the course description, intended learning outcomes and aimed competencies. The study contributed to knowledge on the influence of the learning environment on the design of MOOCs. Increasing understanding of the learning environment among faculty will contribute to a better design, implementation and evaluation of MOOCs and ultimately for the students’ benefit.


The diffusion of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is significantly changing the way people learn and update their knowledge and competencies. Although the benefits characterizing MOOCs, which leverage on free and open access to know-how and digitized materials, there are some challenges which call for improving and enhancing the existing methods and approaches for MOOCs design. By combining theory and practice, this paper presents a process of MOOCs design based on a double-loop phase of evaluation. Specifically, the paper provides evidences on how to take advantage of the learners’ and teachers’ feedback to redesign or rethink the course’s architecture, and especially the storyboard and blueprint. A pilot application of the proposed approach has been made to design a course dealing with entrepreneurship domain, and in particular with crowdfunding. The results of the application are presented to validate the approach and provide teachers and course’s designers with some recommendations.


2012 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-31
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Gumpenberger

Abstract This article presents the results of a case study conducted in Bó’áo, a small town on Hǎinán Island currently undergoing rapid transformation. Triggered by the founding of the Boao Forum for Asia, an unknown fishing village has turned into an important location for conferences and tourism. On the basis of Grounded Theory this case study focuses on migrant workers from mainland China, using qualitative semi-structured interviews in order to explore the causes behind this migration influx to Bó’áo. In addition, this paper investigates the way these migrants organise their lives in this small town by raising the question of social integration within the local society—a topic largely neglected in the general academic discourse in and on China. The results of this study show that the level of education determines both reasons for migration as well as the way the migrant workers organise their everyday lives and the way in which they interact with locals. This paper also scrutinises common concepts of integration, e.g. the need to acquire the language spoken by the majority.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer W.M. Lai ◽  
Matt Bower ◽  
Yvonne Breyer ◽  
John De Nobile

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have been a popular trend in the online learning landscape. However, MOOC learners have expressed their dissatisfaction with the courses or problems with course management. To develop a widely accepted MOOC, the main aim of this study is to investigate the characteristics of MOOCs by using eight themes: learning outcomes, affective elements, behaviours, design, technology elements, pedagogy, presence and institutional environment. Using the case study approach, we explored the practices of four MOOCs in an Excel specialisation by using student unsolicited feedback, the literature and the analysis of the MOOCs by researchers. We analysed the learners’ posts on the official forums with auto-code sentiment and text search functions in Nvivo 12 Plus. The results of this study showed that high-rated MOOCs had approximately 74.7% of positive sentiments on discussion forums, with 1.2% negative and 24.1% neutral. The results indicated that MOOCs helped learners improve their level of knowledge in the subject area. Teachers/instructors also play a very significant role, and they have to provide clear explanations in different concepts. To conclude, this study intends to offer guidelines to researchers, educators, and MOOC designers to create successful MOOCs by focusing on the eight dimensions.


2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 117-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeeb Nami ◽  
Virginia Bodolica ◽  
Martin Spraggon

This case study follows the entrepreneurial journey initiated by a group of undergraduate students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and examines the decisions made and lessons learned along the way. Uncovering the intricacies of the process of business ideation, the case analyses the predisposing conditions that led to the establishment of the Bulb’s Station—a vending booth offering exclusively homemade food. A particular emphasis is placed on analysing the two major experiences that the partners had running the booth, namely, at the 2016 AUS Global Day and the 2016 UAE National Day Celebration at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). By providing detailed information regarding the type, variety, quantity and pricing of dishes on the menu, the reader is brought to estimate the extent to which the booth’s operation was successful at each of the two events. Based on prior challenges and shortcomings in adopted strategies, the partners are now confronted with the critical question of whether to turn the Bulb’s Station into a start-up company in the food industry in the UAE.


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