So, during topic 2 I have dived especially into the world of MOOC and open learning eductaion. My previous experience of MOOCs from a teacher perspective is limited but I have joined a hand ful MOOCs on my own in the role of a student. My main purpose was to get inspired to improve my skills and competence in teaching my campus courses. I believe that MOOC can definitly contribute to higher eductaion in terms of inspiring individals to be students, as well to educate the “mass”. Ofcourse there are som limitations with MOOCs and they should not replace higher eductaion. Weller (2014) described that is MOOCs were to replace higher eductaion, they would need to find ways of realising the following:

• Dealing with student appeals
• Coping with a diverse range of students and abilities
• Ensuring quality control of content
• Developing assessment methods and procedures that can be defended
• Ensuring robustness of service
• Ensuring accreditation reliability and trustworthiness
• Complying with numerous regulations on issues such as accessibility
• Ensuring a supply of high- quality course production
• Providing pastoral care.

However, motivations for adopting an open approach include e.g., Increased audience,  Increased reuse (i.e,– Others can take what you have created and combine it with other elements, adapt it and republish.),  Increased access (i.e., – Possibility to reach disadvantaged groups.  This may mean open access such that no formal entry qualifications are required to study (Weller, 2014). So, based on this, I was intersted in how our university actually works and support open education. I was very pleased with how supportive OUR university was in this issue, but also found out that it is very person-dependent. It is not yet implemented in every university. However, this might soon change. According to UNESCO (https://creativecommons.org/2019/06/04/unesco-oer-recommendation-one-step-closer-to-adoption/), open eductaion is on the march in order to establish  equal learning opportunities for people.

With this said, I am very inspired to start my own MOOC, that would be super cool, and fun.

References:

Weller, M. (2014). Battle for Open: How openness won and why it doesn’t feel like victory. London: Ubiquity Press.