A Typology of Institutional Practices for the Recognition of Open Learning in Europe [729] Home : OER15

Public Group Active 9 years ago

Tue, Apr 14 2015, 11:30am – 1:00pm

Authors: Gabi Witthaus, and Andreia Inamorato dos Santos

Room: Simon Gibson Suite Second Floor Main Building

Theme: Open Education Practice (OEP) and Policy

Type: Short Paper

Description

This paper reports on a study carried out from May to November 2014, as part of an investigation into institutional strategies used by European universities for opening up education, including the challenges and opportunities in the recognition of open learning achievements. The overall aim of the study was to support European policy development. The research team investigated institutional practices, attitudes and rationales for the types of recognition awarded for open learning, the factors that influenced decisions in this regard, and the contexts in which non-formal, open learning was recognised.

Desk research was conducted to obtain an overview of which institutions and collaborative groupings of institutions throughout Europe are recognising open learning, and what mechanisms they are using for such recognition. This data was complemented by six in-depth interviews – two with MOOC teachers, two with MOOC learners, and two with employers/employer bodies that were beginning to recognise open learning for continuing professional development purposes. The following key themes emerged from the data gathered:

Recognition is not a monolith, but rather, it manifests at several levels of formality, from badges/completion certificates up to verified certificates conferring ECTS credits.
The aspect of open learning that has the greatest impact on formality of recognition is the nature of the assessment implemented. Critical factors in determining robustness of assessment are identity verification, real-time supervision during examinations (whether conducted online or face-to-face), and the inclusion of comprehensive information about both the course content and the assessment procedures on the certificate.
Two other aspects of open learning have a significant impact on recognition – affordability of the assessment for learners, and learners’ eligibility for assessment and recognition. It was found that the MOOC providers that offer full recognition tend to either pass on the cost of the examination to the learners, or to only offer the examination and recognition to students enrolled on a programme at that institution.

Based on these findings, a typology of recognition types was generated, in which open learning initiatives are represented in the form of a diamond-shaped radar graph, with formality of recognition, robustness of assessment, affordability of assessment for learners and eligibility for assessment at each of the four points. A number of MOOCs and open learning initiatives were analysed using this tool, and the resultant models fell into six clusters of similar-shaped graphs. These clusters form the core of a new typology for recognition of open learning. It is anticipated that this typology will help academics and senior management in higher education institutions and employer bodies analyse their existing practices regarding recognition of open learning, comparing and contrasting them with those of other institutions, and to develop strategies for enhancing their recognition practices in the future.

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A Typology of Institutional Practices for the Recognition of Open Learning in Europe [729]

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