Online Distance learning and M/VOOCs

The Internet and consequently online learning, or ‘e-learning’, have revolutionized our lives and the world of education. Whereas education traditionally predominantly took place in teacher-driven, classroom face-to-face settings, learning can nowadays take place by students anywhere and anytime. Recently, due to the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, e-learning seems to have been further rooted in mainstream educational landscapes globally.

Various concepts are being used: Online Distance Learning, Online Learning, Distance Learning, Online Distance Education, Blended Learning etc. For Pro-VET and more specifically for this MESH guide, we have focused on the concept of Online Distance Learning or ODL as a specific form of e-learning (Cheawjindakarn et al., 2012). In ODL, learners can participate in tailored learning, in their own pace, from home or basically from anywhere in the world. ODL comes in many shapes and forms, important however is whether it is done synchronous or a-synchronous. Students can for instance participate in synchronous online video conferences or take an open schedule a-synchronous online course. ODL comes with opportunities and challenges. Well known opportunities are its flexibility (in location, time, pace), reach and low costs. ODL needs to be applied in contexts with sufficient support and guidance as well as attention to social learning. When applied in less social learning oriented approaches to learning, a potential lack of social contact, guidance and support, interaction, and lacking of suitable space for learning are challenges. Basic requirements are moreover ICT-equipment as well as internet access. If not executed properly, students may develop feelings of isolation which in extreme forms can heavily harm their motivation and general mental and physical well-being. ODL moreover requires participants access to (for them) suitable physical places to take their course (concentration problems). ODL furthermore supposes students as well as teachers to have well developed ICT skills (Kara et al., 2019). In fact, many have acknowledged that good ODL courses may require structural involvement of specialists such as screenwriters, editors and perhaps even actors (Park and Shea, 2020). These opportunities and challenges have recently become apparent worldwide with the COVID-19 pandemic in which ODL became the norm overnight (Abduhamad, 2020; Adedoyin & Soykan, 2020). In short, ODL is potentially a valuable form of education when well developed, carefully implemented and supported with social learning oriented

In Pro-VET ODL took shape as Massive, Open, Online Courses (MOOCs). In the project, they were called VOOCs for Vocational Open Online Courses as the project focusses on professionalization of teachers in Vocational Education and Training (VET). MOOCs are basically free, open access, online courses aimed at unlimited numbers of participators. Deng et al. (2019) put it as followed: “MOOCs are open, large-scale web-based courses designed and delivered by accredited higher education institutions and organizations in which anyone with a smart device and internet connection can participate, regardless of age, gender, geographic location, or education background” (p. 48). MOOCs cover a plethora of subjects and come in all shapes and sizes (see for instance www.mooc.org). Jacoby (2014) distinguishes between so called connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCS) and extended MOOCs (xMOOCS). Whereas the first is grafted on connectivism, openness and participatory teaching, the latter more on pre-set course content from a more behaviorist approach to learning. MOOCs furthermore generally integrate both pre-developed course materials such as lectures, short movies, talks, texts, imagery as well as synchronous interactive elements such as real-time dialogues or discussions with teachers and or peers (Palacios Hidalgo et al., 2020). Since the rise of the phenomenon in 2008, much work has been done on the value of MOOCs for learning and education. Despite well recorded strengths and limitations, MOOCs are generally considered to have great potential for learning and education (Palacios Hidalgo et al., 2020). MOOCs can be hosted in many ways. The Pro-VET VOOCs were all based on Moodle. Moodle – or Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment – is widely acknowledged as an effective, low-threshold, user-friendly, open-source learning platform and learning management system (LMS). It has been successfully used as a learning environment on many levels as well as by many institutions and sectors worldwide (Gamage et al., 2022).