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Open education : from OERs to MOOCs
Jemni M., Kinshuk ., Khribi M., Springer International Publishing, New York, NY, 2016. 359 pp. Type: Book (978-3-662529-23-2)
Date Reviewed: Apr 27 2017

In chapter 7 of the book, the author (Spector) asks several questions:

What are massive open online courses (MOOCs) intended to accomplish [in the domain of learning]? Why have [open educational resources (OERs) and] MOOCs gained such attention and grown so rapidly in recent years? What is the impact of [OERs and] MOOCs on access to learning resources by underserved populations? What is the impact of MOOCs on learning? Are MOOCs changing the nature of distance learning? Are MOOCs transforming the nature of education? How might MOOCs evolve in the next five years?

While attempting to address such questions, this book, according to the book’s preface, “explores the potential of this emerging paradigm, and its rise and impact on openness in education” while focusing on “reviewing existing policies, initiatives, and international experiences, with the aim to promote the use of information and communications technology (ICT) in education primarily through the development and adoption of OER ... including implementation and licensing issues.”

The collection of 17 papers (published as chapters) contributed by as many as 53 authors and coauthors is edited by three scholars. The collection provides an overview of the current state of the art and also serves as a milestone for researchers to envision the areas of research in OERs and MOOCs. The editors’ preface precedes the collection.

Four out of 17 papers provide quite appreciable content of interest to MOOC practitioners, academic administrators, and policy makers. As an illustration, chapter 7 introduces MOOC concepts, its origin, types, goals, and impact and points toward the future of MOOCs. Chapter 10 provides a possible roadmap for institutions to establish policies on open online education quality. Chapter 13 talks about the importance of a suitable business model for ensuring the successful preparation and launch of MOOCs from the perspective of MOOC providers as well as creators. Chapter 14 reviews current and emerging practices for the quality assurance and quality enhancement of MOOCs while also discussing the importance of the use of international quality frameworks of MOOCs embedded in institutional quality processes.

Four other papers introduce region/country-specific practices and frameworks as case studies, and the remaining chapters provide good literature of academic interest for researchers in the field.

Viewed as a collection, practitioners and policy makers can definitely have an overview of the state of the art of OERs and MOOCs, whereas researchers can identify the research gaps in the area of online education and their impact for formulating new research proposals based on the frameworks developed by some scholars as given in the book. As an example of a research gap, there is no study or contribution from Indian scholars or practitioners in MOOCs, even though India has advanced considerably for creation and deployment of MOOCs with the encouragement of policy makers in higher education.

Viewed as a whole, I sense some disparity in the collection of papers, rather than a cogently sequenced assembly. Though each paper gives biographies of its author(s) and references for researchers, a subject index is missing. Perhaps in the next edition, a detailed subject index merits inclusion.

Reviewer:  C.S. Arora Review #: CR145231 (1707-0438)
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Computer Uses in Education (K.3.1 )
 
 
Education (J.1 ... )
 
 
Web-Based Interaction (H.5.3 ... )
 
 
Group And Organization Interfaces (H.5.3 )
 
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