English Teacher (K12-EFL), always curious about new ways of using technology in education. I am also an enthusiast of online learning and the amazing web.I am also currently a researcher at the Laboratory of Distance Education (LEaD), Universidade Aberta, Portugal. I taught in the eLearning Pedagogy and the Educacional Multimedia Communication Master’s Programs at Universidade Aberta, Portugal. I participated as a co-author and facilitator in the online teaching training program developed at Universidade Aberta (part of the Innovation Program in Distance Education], with courses both for Universidade Aberta’s professors and tutors, and for other Portuguese universities as well.My master's dissertation, "From Web 2.0 to eLearning 2.0: Learning in the Network" is available in an online version @ https://josemota.pt/aprendernarede (Portuguese only, but there's an abstract in English and, with the continuous improvement of Google Translator, I believe it's readable in other languages as well).My interests include eLearning 2.0, connectivism and networked learning, MOOCs, open distance learning and open educational resources. On a more broad perspective, I'm interested in cyberculture, edutech, literature, music, people and writing.
A introducao de uma educacao online aberta e massiva trouxe um novo espectro de possibilidades de... more A introducao de uma educacao online aberta e massiva trouxe um novo espectro de possibilidades desafiantes para ampliar o acesso a uma educacao de qualidade. No entanto, a maioria dos MOOCs oferecidos atualmente nao sao desenhados para capacitar e favorecer experiencias de aprendizagem colaborativas de qualidade, nao sendo, portanto, adequados para serem implementados num ambiente institucional formal. Neste artigo, apresentamos o modelo pedagogico iMOOC desenvolvido na Universidade Aberta portuguesa (Universidade Aberta, UAb). Demonstramos como a sintese entre uma abordagem conectivista e uma abordagem mais estruturada permite ultrapassar o fosso entre oportunidades de aprendizagem massivas nao-formais e o ensino superior formal. Palavras-chave : MOOC, Modelo Pedagogico Virtual, iMOOC, Educacao Aberta, Pedagogia Online. iMOOC: An Institutional Pedagogical Model for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Abstract : The emergence of a massive open online education brought about a new se...
Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) r... more Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) representa, de certa forma, o convergir de muitos dos aspectos que marcam as mudanças sociais e culturais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico, nomeadamente com a Web 2.0, e que acabam por ter, inevitavelmente, um forte impacto na educação e na concepção da aprendizagem. Contudo, embora existam aspectos consensuais em torno da noção de PLE, regista-se uma diversidade de perspectivas e enfoques que tornam difícil chegar a uma única definição estável e que albergue toda essa diversidade. Procuramos, neste artigo, dar conta dessa variedade de abordagens, centrando-nos nas perspectivas mais relevantes nesta área. Começamos por referir as origens e fundamentos deste conceito; damos, em seguida, conta de algumas das definições avançadas e das características atribuídas aos PLEs; discutimos, depois, a sua relação com os ambientes virtuais institucionais, geralmente designados VLEs (Virtua...
Collaborative learning is in the genetic code of online education, which is based, for the most p... more Collaborative learning is in the genetic code of online education, which is based, for the most part, on a socio-constructivist approach. Interaction among students and between these and the teacher has always been highly valued, along with the nurturing of a learning community capable of providing an environment favorable to the development of knowledge and competences in a shared manner. However, the emergence of web 2.0 as a cultural and social phenomenon has sharply widened, diversified and deepened, on the one hand, the possibilities for online communication, collaboration and cooperation, and, on the other hand, the very notion of community. With respect to Education, one might say that there was a transition from a closed and inflexible concept of e-Learning, centered on contents and the use of LMS, with low interaction (or none at all) among students and between these and the teacher, that had gained some weight, to e-Learning 2.0, learner-centered, more personal and flexibl...
O objetivo primordial deste simpósio é desenvolver uma reflexão partilhada em torno daquilo que p... more O objetivo primordial deste simpósio é desenvolver uma reflexão partilhada em torno daquilo que podemos considerar ecologias de colaboração, cooperação e aprendizagem online e das formas como diferentes espaços virtuais podem ser utilizados para promover e apoiar a aprendizagem com uma forte dimensão social. Os Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) proporcionam algumas funcionalidades interessantes e relevantes em contextos formais de aprendizagem, mas estão muito orientados para as necessidades e objetivos das instituições e do processo de ensino (Siemens, 2008; Mott & Wiley, 2009). São pouco flexíveis e, por si só, não promovem uma aprendizagem em rede que aproveite o potencial da web 2.0 e em que os aprendentes tenham um papel mais ativo e um maior controlo sobre o processo (Siemens, 2008; Brown, 2008; ; Mott & Wiley, 2009). O conceito de Personal Learning Environment (PLE), enquanto tentativa de descrever as formas como os utilizadores interagem online com recursos, pessoas e con...
RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia
La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta e... more La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta educativa está impulsando la expansión del aprendizaje digital y abierto en la educación superior. A medida que este movimiento se expande por todo el mundo, las universidades de educación a distancia entran en una crisis. El aprendizaje potenciado por la tecnología está ahora diseminado por todas las instituciones y la mayoría también ha adoptado prácticas educativas abiertas cómo consecuencia del gran impacto de los MOOC. En este nuevo contexto de rápido crecimiento, caótico e inestable, detener expertise basada en la investigación, una infraestructura dedicada y personal especialmente capacitado podrá ya no ser considerado cómo necesario para que las instituciones puedan ofertar educación a distancia o en línea. Además, van surgiendo nuevos proveedores no institucionales de educación superior no formal, ofertando cursos y programas de aprendizaje abierto en línea o semi-presencial. Lej...
RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia
La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta e... more La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta educativa está impulsando la expansión del aprendizaje digital y abierto en la educación superior. A medida que este movimiento se expande por todo el mundo, las universidades de educación a distancia entran en una crisis. El aprendizaje potenciado por la tecnología está ahora diseminado por todas las instituciones y la mayoría también ha adoptado prácticas educativas abiertas cómo consecuencia del gran impacto de los MOOC. En este nuevo contexto de rápido crecimiento, caótico e inestable, detener expertise basada en la investigación, una infraestructura dedicada y personal especialmente capacitado podrá ya no ser considerado cómo necesario para que las instituciones puedan ofertar educación a distancia o en línea. Además, van surgiendo nuevos proveedores no institucionales de educación superior no formal, ofertando cursos y programas de aprendizaje abierto en línea o semi-presencial. Lej...
O presente artigo resulta de uma reflexão colectiva que os autores têm vindo a desenvolver tendo ... more O presente artigo resulta de uma reflexão colectiva que os autores têm vindo a desenvolver tendo em vista a implementação de cursos online ao nível da Pós-Graduação na Universidade Aberta.
—The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilit... more —The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilities for widening access to quality education. However, most of MOOCs in offer today are not designed to empower learners and favour quality collaborative learning experiences, thus not being suited for use in a formal institutional setting. In this paper we present the iMOOC peagogical model developed at the Open University of Portugal (Universidade Aberta-UAb.pt) and demonstrate how a synthesis between a connectivist approach and a more structured one enables true bridging between non-formal massive learning opportunities and formal higher education.
Most current MOOC models basically follow a trend originated at the top US universities that is b... more Most current MOOC models basically follow a trend originated at the top US universities that is broadly identified in the literature as xMOOCs. These models are proving to be inconsistent with the European standards for formal higher education due to their low-level of learner support and lack of an enriched pedagogical approach. Within the framework of the EU-funded project Elearning, Communication and Open-data: Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning (ECO) a research team from a pool of institutions with experience in MOOC design conceived a model that attempts to meet the above-referred challenge. In this paper we present a description of the model and its most innovative features, its theoretical foundations and context of development, as well as scenarios of implementation.
Massive open online courses (MOOC) have been dramatically expanding online learning opportunities... more Massive open online courses (MOOC) have been dramatically expanding online learning opportunities due to the emergence of new platforms and MOOC aggregators that facilitate access and search for courses according to the needs of each user, growing from a selection of specialist courses to an offering of hundreds of courses on major online platforms with millions of registered users. All this has caused a very interesting debate about their influence in the future of higher education. Initially, MOOCs were seen as a form of providing better education for all, offering the opportunity to study with the best teachers for free and promoting the development and management of specific learning communities for people with less access to education. However, different studies show that people who enroll and participate in a MOOC generally have higher education qualifications. However, MOOCs have been receiving criticism for their high rate of attrition. Even if this is justifiable in view of the millions of participants that can be enrolled in the same course, each of them with its own different learning needs and motivations. But studies about this issue have not considered the analysis of the learning experience designed. This is basically an expression of the prevalence of an old and inadequate traditional academic model that ignores the potential of open education in general, and MOOCs in particular, for example the social collaboration aspects. Given these concerns, the Galileo University in Guatemala and the Open University of Portugal initiated a research collaboration on issues of design and development of an educational model based on the use of learning artifacts, resorting to cloud based tools to improve the learning experience and achieve better results. In this paper we depict the first stages of this comparative study. The MOOCs experiences from both the Open University of Portugal and the Galileo University prove, independently of the basic pedagogical approach used, learner satisfaction and, most importantly, the success of the learning experience cannot be measured by completion rates. This cannot be a quality indicator for non formal open forms of education delivery. In fact, participants in MOOCs are typically non homogeneous groups of learners with quite different backgrounds and expectations and, ultimately, aiming at different learning outcomes. As the experiences presented also demonstrate, the improvement in the quality of MOOC offering depends on how much more flexible and adjustable to different contexts and needs the learning opportunities provided can become. According to the results of the institutional experiences shown, the real success factor in a MOOC is the level of engagement obtained from course participants and this can be highly improved by the use of learning artifacts based on cloud based tools.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a disruptive new development in higher education which co... more Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a disruptive new development in higher education which combines openness and scalability in a most powerful way. They have the potential to widen participation in higher education. Thus, they contribute to social inclusion, the dissemination of knowledge and pedagogical innovation and also the internationalization of higher education institutions. However, one of the critical elements for a massive open language learning experience to be successful is to empower learners and to facilitate networked learning experiences. In fact, MOOCs are designed for an undefined number of participants thus serving a high heterogeneity of profiles, with diverse learning styles and prior knowledge, and also contexts of participation and diversity of online platforms. Personalization can play a key role in this process. The iMOOC pedagogical model introduced the principle of diversity to MOOC design, allowing for a clear differentiation of learning paths and also virtual environments. In this article the authors present a proposal based on the iMOOC approach for a new framework for personalizing and adapting MOOCs designed in a collaborative, networked pedagogical approach by identifying each participant’s competence profile and prior knowledge as well as the respective mobile communication device used and to generate matching personalized learning. This paper also shows the results obtained in a laboratory environment after an experiment has been performed with a prototype of the framework. It can be observed that creating personalized learning paths is possible and the next step is to test this framework with real experimental groups.
Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) r... more Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) representa, de certa forma, o convergir de muitos dos aspectos que marcam as mudanças sociais e culturais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico, nomeadamente com a Web 2.0, e que acabam por ter, inevitavelmente, um forte impacto na educação e na concepção da aprendizagem. Contudo, embora existam aspectos consensuais em torno da noção de PLE, regista-se uma diversidade de perspectivas e enfoques que tornam difícil chegar a uma única definição estável e que albergue toda essa diversidade. Procuramos, neste artigo, dar conta dessa variedade de abordagens, centrando-nos nas perspectivas mais relevantes nesta área. Começamos por referir as origens e fundamentos deste conceito; damos, em seguida, conta de algumas das definições avançadas e das características atribuídas aos PLEs; discutimos, depois, a sua relação com os ambientes virtuais institucionais, geralmente designados VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments); e, por fim, descrevemos algumas tentativas importantes de operacionalização prática de um personal learning environment.. Palavras-chave: Aprendizagem online, e-learning, e-learning 2.0, personal learning environment, web 2.0.
Historically, elearning has adopted the most common pedagogical models in Distance Education and ... more Historically, elearning has adopted the most common pedagogical models in Distance Education and it has been gaining increasing importance, as Higher Education Institutions are offering more and more online degrees. However there is a gap between theory and practice. What are the actual pedagogical models followed by the teachers online? Do they follow the theoretical models or do they adopt a mix of different models? What is the role of the services and tools available in the pedagogical practices, namely the Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)? How are Higher Education Institutions adapting themselves and which are the future trends for elearning? This paper tries to shed some light on these questions based on two interviews: one to Prof. Graham Attwell and the other to Prof. José Lagarto. Showing some skepticism about the adoption of elearning by Universities, the interviewees consider that PLEs are indeed capable of bringing a quality increase in the learning process. They also consider it is necessary to adopt several pedagogical models in elearning.
A introducao de uma educacao online aberta e massiva trouxe um novo espectro de possibilidades de... more A introducao de uma educacao online aberta e massiva trouxe um novo espectro de possibilidades desafiantes para ampliar o acesso a uma educacao de qualidade. No entanto, a maioria dos MOOCs oferecidos atualmente nao sao desenhados para capacitar e favorecer experiencias de aprendizagem colaborativas de qualidade, nao sendo, portanto, adequados para serem implementados num ambiente institucional formal. Neste artigo, apresentamos o modelo pedagogico iMOOC desenvolvido na Universidade Aberta portuguesa (Universidade Aberta, UAb). Demonstramos como a sintese entre uma abordagem conectivista e uma abordagem mais estruturada permite ultrapassar o fosso entre oportunidades de aprendizagem massivas nao-formais e o ensino superior formal. Palavras-chave : MOOC, Modelo Pedagogico Virtual, iMOOC, Educacao Aberta, Pedagogia Online. iMOOC: An Institutional Pedagogical Model for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) Abstract : The emergence of a massive open online education brought about a new se...
Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) r... more Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) representa, de certa forma, o convergir de muitos dos aspectos que marcam as mudanças sociais e culturais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico, nomeadamente com a Web 2.0, e que acabam por ter, inevitavelmente, um forte impacto na educação e na concepção da aprendizagem. Contudo, embora existam aspectos consensuais em torno da noção de PLE, regista-se uma diversidade de perspectivas e enfoques que tornam difícil chegar a uma única definição estável e que albergue toda essa diversidade. Procuramos, neste artigo, dar conta dessa variedade de abordagens, centrando-nos nas perspectivas mais relevantes nesta área. Começamos por referir as origens e fundamentos deste conceito; damos, em seguida, conta de algumas das definições avançadas e das características atribuídas aos PLEs; discutimos, depois, a sua relação com os ambientes virtuais institucionais, geralmente designados VLEs (Virtua...
Collaborative learning is in the genetic code of online education, which is based, for the most p... more Collaborative learning is in the genetic code of online education, which is based, for the most part, on a socio-constructivist approach. Interaction among students and between these and the teacher has always been highly valued, along with the nurturing of a learning community capable of providing an environment favorable to the development of knowledge and competences in a shared manner. However, the emergence of web 2.0 as a cultural and social phenomenon has sharply widened, diversified and deepened, on the one hand, the possibilities for online communication, collaboration and cooperation, and, on the other hand, the very notion of community. With respect to Education, one might say that there was a transition from a closed and inflexible concept of e-Learning, centered on contents and the use of LMS, with low interaction (or none at all) among students and between these and the teacher, that had gained some weight, to e-Learning 2.0, learner-centered, more personal and flexibl...
O objetivo primordial deste simpósio é desenvolver uma reflexão partilhada em torno daquilo que p... more O objetivo primordial deste simpósio é desenvolver uma reflexão partilhada em torno daquilo que podemos considerar ecologias de colaboração, cooperação e aprendizagem online e das formas como diferentes espaços virtuais podem ser utilizados para promover e apoiar a aprendizagem com uma forte dimensão social. Os Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) proporcionam algumas funcionalidades interessantes e relevantes em contextos formais de aprendizagem, mas estão muito orientados para as necessidades e objetivos das instituições e do processo de ensino (Siemens, 2008; Mott & Wiley, 2009). São pouco flexíveis e, por si só, não promovem uma aprendizagem em rede que aproveite o potencial da web 2.0 e em que os aprendentes tenham um papel mais ativo e um maior controlo sobre o processo (Siemens, 2008; Brown, 2008; ; Mott & Wiley, 2009). O conceito de Personal Learning Environment (PLE), enquanto tentativa de descrever as formas como os utilizadores interagem online com recursos, pessoas e con...
RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia
La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta e... more La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta educativa está impulsando la expansión del aprendizaje digital y abierto en la educación superior. A medida que este movimiento se expande por todo el mundo, las universidades de educación a distancia entran en una crisis. El aprendizaje potenciado por la tecnología está ahora diseminado por todas las instituciones y la mayoría también ha adoptado prácticas educativas abiertas cómo consecuencia del gran impacto de los MOOC. En este nuevo contexto de rápido crecimiento, caótico e inestable, detener expertise basada en la investigación, una infraestructura dedicada y personal especialmente capacitado podrá ya no ser considerado cómo necesario para que las instituciones puedan ofertar educación a distancia o en línea. Además, van surgiendo nuevos proveedores no institucionales de educación superior no formal, ofertando cursos y programas de aprendizaje abierto en línea o semi-presencial. Lej...
RIED. Revista Iberoamericana de Educación a Distancia
La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta e... more La necesidad de aumentar la escalabilidad, la interoperabilidad, y la flexibilidad de la oferta educativa está impulsando la expansión del aprendizaje digital y abierto en la educación superior. A medida que este movimiento se expande por todo el mundo, las universidades de educación a distancia entran en una crisis. El aprendizaje potenciado por la tecnología está ahora diseminado por todas las instituciones y la mayoría también ha adoptado prácticas educativas abiertas cómo consecuencia del gran impacto de los MOOC. En este nuevo contexto de rápido crecimiento, caótico e inestable, detener expertise basada en la investigación, una infraestructura dedicada y personal especialmente capacitado podrá ya no ser considerado cómo necesario para que las instituciones puedan ofertar educación a distancia o en línea. Además, van surgiendo nuevos proveedores no institucionales de educación superior no formal, ofertando cursos y programas de aprendizaje abierto en línea o semi-presencial. Lej...
O presente artigo resulta de uma reflexão colectiva que os autores têm vindo a desenvolver tendo ... more O presente artigo resulta de uma reflexão colectiva que os autores têm vindo a desenvolver tendo em vista a implementação de cursos online ao nível da Pós-Graduação na Universidade Aberta.
—The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilit... more —The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilities for widening access to quality education. However, most of MOOCs in offer today are not designed to empower learners and favour quality collaborative learning experiences, thus not being suited for use in a formal institutional setting. In this paper we present the iMOOC peagogical model developed at the Open University of Portugal (Universidade Aberta-UAb.pt) and demonstrate how a synthesis between a connectivist approach and a more structured one enables true bridging between non-formal massive learning opportunities and formal higher education.
Most current MOOC models basically follow a trend originated at the top US universities that is b... more Most current MOOC models basically follow a trend originated at the top US universities that is broadly identified in the literature as xMOOCs. These models are proving to be inconsistent with the European standards for formal higher education due to their low-level of learner support and lack of an enriched pedagogical approach. Within the framework of the EU-funded project Elearning, Communication and Open-data: Massive Mobile, Ubiquitous and Open Learning (ECO) a research team from a pool of institutions with experience in MOOC design conceived a model that attempts to meet the above-referred challenge. In this paper we present a description of the model and its most innovative features, its theoretical foundations and context of development, as well as scenarios of implementation.
Massive open online courses (MOOC) have been dramatically expanding online learning opportunities... more Massive open online courses (MOOC) have been dramatically expanding online learning opportunities due to the emergence of new platforms and MOOC aggregators that facilitate access and search for courses according to the needs of each user, growing from a selection of specialist courses to an offering of hundreds of courses on major online platforms with millions of registered users. All this has caused a very interesting debate about their influence in the future of higher education. Initially, MOOCs were seen as a form of providing better education for all, offering the opportunity to study with the best teachers for free and promoting the development and management of specific learning communities for people with less access to education. However, different studies show that people who enroll and participate in a MOOC generally have higher education qualifications. However, MOOCs have been receiving criticism for their high rate of attrition. Even if this is justifiable in view of the millions of participants that can be enrolled in the same course, each of them with its own different learning needs and motivations. But studies about this issue have not considered the analysis of the learning experience designed. This is basically an expression of the prevalence of an old and inadequate traditional academic model that ignores the potential of open education in general, and MOOCs in particular, for example the social collaboration aspects. Given these concerns, the Galileo University in Guatemala and the Open University of Portugal initiated a research collaboration on issues of design and development of an educational model based on the use of learning artifacts, resorting to cloud based tools to improve the learning experience and achieve better results. In this paper we depict the first stages of this comparative study. The MOOCs experiences from both the Open University of Portugal and the Galileo University prove, independently of the basic pedagogical approach used, learner satisfaction and, most importantly, the success of the learning experience cannot be measured by completion rates. This cannot be a quality indicator for non formal open forms of education delivery. In fact, participants in MOOCs are typically non homogeneous groups of learners with quite different backgrounds and expectations and, ultimately, aiming at different learning outcomes. As the experiences presented also demonstrate, the improvement in the quality of MOOC offering depends on how much more flexible and adjustable to different contexts and needs the learning opportunities provided can become. According to the results of the institutional experiences shown, the real success factor in a MOOC is the level of engagement obtained from course participants and this can be highly improved by the use of learning artifacts based on cloud based tools.
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a disruptive new development in higher education which co... more Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a disruptive new development in higher education which combines openness and scalability in a most powerful way. They have the potential to widen participation in higher education. Thus, they contribute to social inclusion, the dissemination of knowledge and pedagogical innovation and also the internationalization of higher education institutions. However, one of the critical elements for a massive open language learning experience to be successful is to empower learners and to facilitate networked learning experiences. In fact, MOOCs are designed for an undefined number of participants thus serving a high heterogeneity of profiles, with diverse learning styles and prior knowledge, and also contexts of participation and diversity of online platforms. Personalization can play a key role in this process. The iMOOC pedagogical model introduced the principle of diversity to MOOC design, allowing for a clear differentiation of learning paths and also virtual environments. In this article the authors present a proposal based on the iMOOC approach for a new framework for personalizing and adapting MOOCs designed in a collaborative, networked pedagogical approach by identifying each participant’s competence profile and prior knowledge as well as the respective mobile communication device used and to generate matching personalized learning. This paper also shows the results obtained in a laboratory environment after an experiment has been performed with a prototype of the framework. It can be observed that creating personalized learning paths is possible and the next step is to test this framework with real experimental groups.
Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) r... more Resumo: A noção (ou noções) de Personal Learning Environment (Ambiente Pessoal de Aprendizagem) representa, de certa forma, o convergir de muitos dos aspectos que marcam as mudanças sociais e culturais provocadas pelo desenvolvimento tecnológico, nomeadamente com a Web 2.0, e que acabam por ter, inevitavelmente, um forte impacto na educação e na concepção da aprendizagem. Contudo, embora existam aspectos consensuais em torno da noção de PLE, regista-se uma diversidade de perspectivas e enfoques que tornam difícil chegar a uma única definição estável e que albergue toda essa diversidade. Procuramos, neste artigo, dar conta dessa variedade de abordagens, centrando-nos nas perspectivas mais relevantes nesta área. Começamos por referir as origens e fundamentos deste conceito; damos, em seguida, conta de algumas das definições avançadas e das características atribuídas aos PLEs; discutimos, depois, a sua relação com os ambientes virtuais institucionais, geralmente designados VLEs (Virtual Learning Environments); e, por fim, descrevemos algumas tentativas importantes de operacionalização prática de um personal learning environment.. Palavras-chave: Aprendizagem online, e-learning, e-learning 2.0, personal learning environment, web 2.0.
Historically, elearning has adopted the most common pedagogical models in Distance Education and ... more Historically, elearning has adopted the most common pedagogical models in Distance Education and it has been gaining increasing importance, as Higher Education Institutions are offering more and more online degrees. However there is a gap between theory and practice. What are the actual pedagogical models followed by the teachers online? Do they follow the theoretical models or do they adopt a mix of different models? What is the role of the services and tools available in the pedagogical practices, namely the Personal Learning Environments (PLEs)? How are Higher Education Institutions adapting themselves and which are the future trends for elearning? This paper tries to shed some light on these questions based on two interviews: one to Prof. Graham Attwell and the other to Prof. José Lagarto. Showing some skepticism about the adoption of elearning by Universities, the interviewees consider that PLEs are indeed capable of bringing a quality increase in the learning process. They also consider it is necessary to adopt several pedagogical models in elearning.
The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibiliti... more The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilities for the development of language learning. By opening up access to language education for all who are digitally connected, it contributes to increase the speed and outreach of the dissemination of one of the key transversal competences. Additionally, it allows also for the acceleration of the language learning processes through the use of very large communities of practice. However, most of the MOOCs in offer today are not designed in such a way as to empower learners and favour collaborative learning experiences. In this chapter we explore how the massive open education movement has been evolving and discuss what the design elements favouring massive collaborative language learning experiences should be. We present a methodological proposal for collaborative language MOOCs based on the iMOOC model, developed by a team of the Open University of Portugal (Universidade Aberta – UAb.pt).
The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibiliti... more The introduction of massive open online education has offered a new range of exciting possibilities for the development of language learning. By opening up access to language education for all who are digitally connected, it contributes to increase the speed and outreach of the dissemination of one of the key transversal competences. Additionally, it allows also for the acceleration of the language learning processes through the use of very large communities of practice. However, most of the MOOCs in offer today are not designed in such a way as to empower learners and favour collaborative learning experiences. In this chapter we explore how the massive open education movement has been evolving and discuss what the design elements favouring massive collaborative language learning experiences should be. We present a methodological proposal for collaborative language MOOCs based on the iMOOC model, developed by a team of the Open University of Portugal (Universidade Aberta – UAb.pt).
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Papers by José Mota
Initially, MOOCs were seen as a form of providing better education for all, offering the opportunity to study with the best teachers for free and promoting the development and management of specific learning communities for people with less access to education. However, different studies show that people who enroll and participate in a MOOC generally have higher education qualifications. However, MOOCs have been receiving criticism for their high rate of attrition. Even if this is justifiable in view of the millions of participants that can be enrolled in the same course, each of them with its own different learning needs and motivations.
But studies about this issue have not considered the analysis of the learning experience designed. This is basically an expression of the prevalence of an old and inadequate traditional academic model that ignores the potential of open education in general, and MOOCs in particular, for example the social collaboration aspects. Given these concerns, the Galileo University in Guatemala and the Open University of Portugal initiated a research collaboration on issues of design and development of an educational model based on the use of learning artifacts, resorting to cloud based tools to improve the learning experience and achieve better results. In this paper we depict the first stages of this comparative study.
The MOOCs experiences from both the Open University of Portugal and the Galileo University prove, independently of the basic pedagogical approach used, learner satisfaction and, most importantly, the success of the learning experience cannot be measured by completion rates. This cannot be a quality indicator for non formal open forms of education delivery. In fact, participants in MOOCs are typically non homogeneous groups of learners with quite different backgrounds and expectations and, ultimately, aiming at different learning outcomes.
As the experiences presented also demonstrate, the improvement in the quality of MOOC offering depends on how much more flexible and adjustable to different contexts and needs the learning opportunities provided can become. According to the results of the institutional experiences shown, the real success factor in a MOOC is the level of engagement obtained from course participants and this can be highly improved by the use of learning artifacts based on cloud based tools.
Conference Presentations by José Mota
Initially, MOOCs were seen as a form of providing better education for all, offering the opportunity to study with the best teachers for free and promoting the development and management of specific learning communities for people with less access to education. However, different studies show that people who enroll and participate in a MOOC generally have higher education qualifications. However, MOOCs have been receiving criticism for their high rate of attrition. Even if this is justifiable in view of the millions of participants that can be enrolled in the same course, each of them with its own different learning needs and motivations.
But studies about this issue have not considered the analysis of the learning experience designed. This is basically an expression of the prevalence of an old and inadequate traditional academic model that ignores the potential of open education in general, and MOOCs in particular, for example the social collaboration aspects. Given these concerns, the Galileo University in Guatemala and the Open University of Portugal initiated a research collaboration on issues of design and development of an educational model based on the use of learning artifacts, resorting to cloud based tools to improve the learning experience and achieve better results. In this paper we depict the first stages of this comparative study.
The MOOCs experiences from both the Open University of Portugal and the Galileo University prove, independently of the basic pedagogical approach used, learner satisfaction and, most importantly, the success of the learning experience cannot be measured by completion rates. This cannot be a quality indicator for non formal open forms of education delivery. In fact, participants in MOOCs are typically non homogeneous groups of learners with quite different backgrounds and expectations and, ultimately, aiming at different learning outcomes.
As the experiences presented also demonstrate, the improvement in the quality of MOOC offering depends on how much more flexible and adjustable to different contexts and needs the learning opportunities provided can become. According to the results of the institutional experiences shown, the real success factor in a MOOC is the level of engagement obtained from course participants and this can be highly improved by the use of learning artifacts based on cloud based tools.