This document discusses open courses and informal learning in a Web 2.0 world. It outlines several research questions about how self-learners use open educational resources to learn and how their learning can be supported. Specifically, it examines issues related to the production and formats of open resources as well as how learners participate in site-specific and topic-based online communities. The document also analyzes dimensions of course "openness" and models of open course design, including the stimulus-response model versus the divergence-convergence cycle model. Finally, it proposes additional research questions about hybrid open/for-credit courses, self-learners' needs, recognition of learning, and communication across different levels of learning.

1. Open Courses and Informal Learning in a Web 2.0 world:
A research agenda
Stian Håklev, OISE/University of Toronto
International Conference of Educational Technology and Computer, Changchun, July 15, 2011
July 11, 2011 - Creative Commons BY

2. An abundance of resources

3. 3

4. 4

5. doaj
5

8. Still many questions about production, formats,
metadata, etc.
But more importantly, how do self-learners use this
to learn? And how can we support their learning?

9. Site-specific information-centric communities

10. Long-term distributed topic-based communities

12. intro
open
ed
I
“Wiley
wikis”
Text
12

13. connnectivism
cour
Massive
Open
Online
Courses
13

16. Interesting issues related to this course

19. Time spent on meta-issues, and role of
instructors in an open course

20. Dimensions of course “openness”

21. Dimensions of course “openness”
transparency (people can see what we write)

22. Dimensions of course “openness”
transparency (people can see what we write)
no grades/coercion

23. Dimensions of course “openness”
transparency (people can see what we write)
no grades/coercion
no certification/assessment

24. Dimensions of course “openness”
transparency (people can see what we write)
no grades/coercion
no certification/assessment
less credibility/authority of instructors

25. Dimensions of course “openness”
transparency (people can see what we write)
no grades/coercion
no certification/assessment
less credibility/authority of instructors
instructors have less training/knowledge of subject area

39. Analyzing the course

40. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds

41. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds
Including blog comments

42. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds
Including blog comments
Etherpad import script

43. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds
Including blog comments
Etherpad import script
Post-hoc data analysis for research

44. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds
Including blog comments
Etherpad import script
Post-hoc data analysis for research
In-course visualization to course organizer or students

45. 35
43

46. 36
Teplovs (2010)

47. Analyzing the course
RSS feeds
Including blog comments
Etherpad import script
Post-hoc data analysis for research
In-course visualization to course organizer or students
Automatic interventions based on data analysis

48. Two models of a course
stimulus-response vs.
divergence-convergence cycle
improvable ideas

50. Stimulus,
response,
stimulus,
response,
...,
end of the course

59. Cycle of divergence and
convergence +
final product -
representation that can
be shared with others

60. Ideas are not fixed in
one spot - affords emergent
understanding of categories,
connections

61. Ideas are not fixed in
one spot - affords emergent
understanding of categories,
connections
Always have a shared up-
to-date representation of
the “state of the knowledge
of the group” - enables
knowledge talks

62. Alternative 1: A more web-savvy KF
APIs

63. Alternative 2: A KB open web overlay
Rise above
build-upons
initial post

65. Macro-collaboration and
micro-collaboration
Monologue to each other, or
dialgoue with each other

66. Other research questions
Hybrid (open + for-credit) courses
Who are self-learners? What are their needs?
Recognition of learning/accreditation
Motivation systems
Communication between different levels of learning
(individual, small group, group, network)

67. Thank you!
shaklev@gmail.com
http://reganmian.net/blog
: houshuangxx
CC BY
Thesis about Chinese Open Courses can be
downloaded in a variety of formats from http://
reganmian.net/top-level-courses