VOOCS for VET teacher professionalization: Lessons learned from the EU Erasmus+ Pro-VET project

Lessons learned

In the survey, project partners were asked to reflect on Pro-VET and compose a series of concrete lessons, with regard to collectively developing VOOCs. The following main lessons can be drawn:

• Developing VOOCs is a puzzle: developing requires the team to constantly navigate between ambitions, goals, appropriate pedagogy, available resources and what is technically possible within the platform and used architecture of the course. Sometimes one has to compromise in all that. And stay realistic (overambition).
• The availability and quality of the needed hard- and software: hard- and software are key resources in developing good VOOCs. A good and appropriate platform to host the VOOC for example, the features of the platform are determined for its design. For instance, a design using peer-review assessment activities will be only possible on a platform offering this assessment functionality. Furthermore, a recording studio, webcam’s, microphones, editing software for example to make high quality content.
• ICT literacy and pedagogical competences of team members: the quality of the team is especially important. Developing VOOCs requires members with sufficient ICT skills, for building the VOOC as well as members with pedagogical competences thinking about designing the content and pedagogical principles underlying.
• Appropriate pedagogy: taking an online course is something different to participating in real-life synchronous educational settings. Sounds obvious, however, an important aspect while designing a VOOC. Important aspects are for instance: length, intensity, work pace, active vs. inactive learning, interactivity, listening, assignments etc.
• Help participants in taking the course: partners suggested to prepare instructions for participants to use the software tools and platforms in use as well as to provide them with support throughout the training process.
• Privacy and rights: take account of participants privacy and the rights connected to materials and methods incorporated.
• Make it attractive and personal: make your courseware more personalized, convenient, interactive and user-friendly to reduce the impersonal nature of any MOOC.
• Interests and needs of target groups: the target groups are of utmost importance to any MOOC. Do not think for them, closely involve them in the development process, from beginning to the end.