MOOC Courses and the Future of Higher Education


Book Description

During the last decades, our society is witnessing an authentic revolution that, in a dizzying manner has deeply influenced, modified, and transformed the way of life of human beings. This constant and unstoppable revolution is transmuting all areas of our life: social, cultural, personal, labor, economic, training, etc. This new society is characterized by a high generation of knowledge and the constant and fluid processing of information. In this macro-context, the MOOC phenomenon emerged. MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) courses are based on the principles of massive, free access to all materials and resources offered online. This new didactic path can be constituted in an innovative techno-social tendency, especially oriented in the panorama of Higher Education to stimulate university improvement, open opportunities at the same time for education and training or, simply, derive towards a new business model for the universities. In addition to being an entry point for the popularization of science and knowledge, the future possibilities are enormous and are being studied in all their various dimensions. Many initiatives as a result have been developed to implement this new form of education. MOOC Courses and the Future of Higher Education presents the latest research theories and current examples of MOOC courses practices in Higher Education. The chapters represent an extensive assortment of interpretations and practices examples of MOOC courses, across areas as varied as teaching methodologies, instructional innovations, educational technology, etc. This work is structured in three sections, the first one covers the university institution in the knowledge society, the second analyzes the MOOC training proposals, and the third discusses the future role of MOOCs. Technical topics discussed in the book include: The Virtualization of Teaching in Higher EducationTraining and Professional Development at the e-UniversityTaxonomy of MOOCsMOOC: Strengths and WeaknessesMOOCs and the Scientific Community: Challenges and InnovationMOOC PlatformsDirectory of MOOC ResourcesMOOC: Reflections of the Future




The Cambridge Handbook of Undergraduate Research


Book Description

Undergraduate Research (UR) can be defined as an investigation into a specific topic within a discipline by an undergraduate student that makes an original contribution to the field. It has become a major consideration among research universities around the world, in order to advance both academic teaching and research productivity. Edited by an international team of world authorities in UR, this Handbook is the first truly comprehensive and systematic account of undergraduate research, which brings together different international approaches, with attention to both theory and practice. It is split into sections covering different countries, disciplines, and methodologies. It also provides an overview of current research and theoretical perspectives on undergraduate research as well as future developmental prospects of UR. Written in an engaging style, yet wide-ranging in its scope, it is essential reading for anyone wishing to broaden their understanding of how undergraduate research is implemented worldwide.




Research Anthology on Inclusivity and Equity for the LGBTQ+ Community


Book Description

For many decades, the LGBTQ+ community has been plagued by strife and human rights violations. Members of the LGBTQ+ community were often denied a right to marriage, healthcare, and in some parts of the world, a right to life. While these struggles are steadily improving in recent years, disparities and discrimination still remain from the workplace to the healthcare that this community receives. There is still much that needs to be done globally to achieve inclusivity and equity for the LGBTQ+ community. The Research Anthology on Inclusivity and Equity for the LGBTQ+ Community is a comprehensive compendium that analyzes the struggles and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community with a focus on the current climate around the world and the continued impact to these individuals. Multiple settings are discussed within this dynamic anthology such as education, healthcare, online communities, and more. Covering topics such as gender, homophobia, and queer theory, this text is essential for scholars of gender theory, faculty of both K-12 and higher education, professors, pre-service teachers, students, human rights activists, community leaders, policymakers, researchers, and academicians.




Cases on Historical Thinking and Gamification in Social Studies and Humanities Education


Book Description

Research on history education and historical thinking is becoming increasingly relevant internationally. The need for a renewal of history education is not only justified by the epistemology of history itself, but also by the demand for a methodological change in education in general, making students active protagonists in the construction of their learning and based on the development of competencies. Further study on the potential use of gamification within social studies and humanities education is required to understand its benefits and challenges. Cases on Historical Thinking and Gamification in Social Studies and Humanities Education proposes and analyzes gamification as a pedagogical innovation that can enable the renewal of the teaching and learning process of history, facilitating the active learning of historical thinking concepts while influencing students' conceptions of history as a discipline and as a school subject. Covering key topics such as historical thinking, social sciences, video games, and mobile learning, this reference work is ideal for historians, policymakers, researchers, scholars, academicians, practitioners, instructors, and students.







Competencias Docentes y Prácticas Educativas Abiertas en Educación a Distancia


Book Description

El proyecto "SINED-CLARISE para la educación a distancia" tuvo por objetivo el generar conocimiento en torno a modelos de enseñanza acordes con las necesidades de la educación a distancia y el enfoque de formación en competencias, a través de la creación de proyectos integrados en los que se conjuntaran los conocimientos y experiencias de investigadores y docentes especializados en dicha modalidad educativa. El movimiento educativo abierto constituyó el punto central del proyecto, conceptualizado este movimiento como las actividades educativas de acceso abierto que permite prácticas formativas que van desde el uso de recursos educativos abiertos (REA) disponibles en internet, la producción de materiales con licenciamiento abierto, la selección de REA a través de repositorios y conectores que actúan como infomediarios de los catálogos de REA, la diseminación de prácticas en entornos académicos, gubernamentales, institucionales, etc. y la movilización hacia las prácticas educativas.




International Approaches to Bridging the Language Gap


Book Description

In the age of information, an essential priority in the context of international education is the development of language learning and its inconsistencies. The gap between language and education has intermittently grown through time, with mistaken assumptions about how linguistic shortcomings are being solved around the world. Research on comparative educational approaches to teaching verbiage and the foundation of future language development are instrumental in positively impacting the global narrative of dialectal education. International Approaches to Bridging the Language Gap is a collection of innovative research on the methods and applications of second language teaching as well as social developments regarding intercultural learning. While highlighting topics including curricular approaches, digital competence, and linguistic disparities, this book is ideally designed for language instructors, linguists, teachers, researchers, public administrators, cultural centers, policymakers, government officials, academicians, researchers, and students seeking current research on the latest advancements of multilingual education.




Contribución al desarrollo de la sociedad del conocimiento


Book Description

La sociedad del conocimiento es aquella sociedad globalizada y altamente tecnologizada, mercantilizada y dinámica que existe, funciona y se desarrolla gracias al conocimiento, objetivado en instrumentos que poseen o deben poseer en su gran mayoría los seres sociales para actuar en esa sociedad". Esta es la definición de sociedad del conocimiento que se propuso durante el XVII Coloquio de Investigación Bibliotecológica. Dado que las formas de investigar, y por tanto de generar y transmitir conocimiento, empiezan a modificarse con la presencia de las tecnologías de información y con la globalización, la bibliotecología tiene que estudiar esta problemática.Los cambios no son sólo evidentes en la práctica bibliotecaria, ni son sólo los medios digitales las nuevas formas físicas en las que se representa el conocimiento, también la configuración de los ambientes en red está modificando las prácticas sociales de los espacios físicos, del acceso a la información, de los servicios, de las formas de trabajo, y de los usos y el manejo de la información. Ha surgido un nuevo fenómeno para la investigación bibliotecológica: el medio de información digital, pero también otros fenómenos que forman parte de la sociedad de la información como la globalización, la diversidad, la educación, el patrimonio cultural y ecológico, la inter y la multidisciplina. y la democracia, que de manera tan importante transforma la mentalidad de los integrantes de las sociedades. Esta obra da cuenta de lo anterior y pretende, a través de la revisión del cuerpo de conocimientos de la bibliotecología. coadyuvar a construir e innovar los fundamentos que subyacen a su propia producción de conocimiento: para poder generar un espacio en la sociedad del conocimiento.




Blended Learning: Convergence between Technology and Pedagogy


Book Description

This book focuses on essential aspects of the theoretical foundations that support blended learning (BL) as a teaching training modality in tertiary education. Analyzing the changes in the world of education that lead to new ways of thinking and learning, it redefines the concept of blended learning at a time of constant growth in many universities around the world. This involves a shared reflection on the role of technology in the current university teacher education programs, as well as on the role that pedagogy plays in increasingly technology-driven contexts. Furthermore, the book presents pedagogical approaches to guide university professors in the design and implementation of blended learning courses. To this end, it describes some of the major models and approaches to BL instructional design, and examines issues related to the quality of BL training and the indicators to measure it, in order to identify those models that contribute to a better understanding of the dimensions that increase its effectiveness.