Need analysis: This IO will directly build on the results from the IO1 and IO2 to create a holistic approach to the digital pedagogy where training on tools, digital competences and pedagogy come together. Our need analyses conducted by Italian and Turkish partners and literature review show that lecturers were trained with how to use certain tools provided by their institutes. Very little of them are trained in digital pedagogy and how to prepare their lectures accordingly. It is also observed that very little proportion of the lecturers are familiar with how to access existing OERs, how to create new ones, how to blend teaching materials with existing OERs, how to share, and what license regulation is.

Target groups: HE instructors; anyone who is interested in teaching tools, digital pedagogy, and online learning; experts; lifelong learners

Elements of innovation: We aim to build a MOOC-based community where lecturers can learn more about the digital pedagogy and guideline which is created in IO2, discuss issues regarding online or hybrid lectures, exchange practice and create a community space between experts and academic staff. We will provide a digital tools catalogue contextualised in authentic use case scenarios and digital reorganisation guidelines plus crowdsourced eLearning tool tutorials in different languages. The initial expert consultation and tool tutorials will be provided by the partner organisations, however, it is expected that the community will maintain itself as it grows. Even though there are a lot of available tools and descriptions of how to use them, the digital hub where they can exploit use cases and expert support is rare if not none.

Expected impact and transferability potential: The main expected impact of this IO is to build an online community that reaches beyond the partner institutions and sustains itself even after the project lifetime. We aim that the lecturers could improve the quality of their online and hybrid lectures based on the principles of digital pedagogy benefiting from the created digital hub. The content produced in this IO will be used in IO4 and IO5. Also, the MOOCs, tutorials, and the digital hub will be openly available, which can be used by other organisations for training purposes beyond our training programme. The produced materials will be in at least 5 languages of the project partners. We expect at least 150 participants per language. Moreover, the digital hub welcomes anyone who wants to contribute to their languages which will expand the reach of the project to beyond the EU.

How: In order to create the MOOCs and run it to build a community around it, we will follow the connectivist learning approach that explains how Internet technologies have created new opportunities for people to learn and share information across the World Wide Web and among themselves. Connectivism also supports that much learning can happen across peer networks that take place online. Therefore, we create MOOCs and a digital hub with linked tutorials to tools and other external OERs where embedded forums allow the lecturers to discuss among themselves and reach outside resources where they can guide themselves based on the nature of their domain. These kinds of MOOCs are called connectivist MOOCs, cMOOCs in the literature. The choice of MOOC platforms or arrangements for the publishing of MOOCs will take into account the impact, sustainability and dissemination principles to reach larger audiences. In order to regulate the moderation of forums, we are aware of the 90:9:1 Principle (van Mierlo’s 1 percent Rule) which explains inequity in participation in online systems supporting behaviour change in that 90 percent of participants are passive Lurkers, 9 per cent Contributors who contribute sparingly, and 1 percent Superusers who create the vast majority of the content. Therefore, in the beginning of the project, we will provide expert help by partners to preserve enough numbers of Superusers and Contributors so that enough and quality content will be available to attract 90% of lurker lecturers.

Steps:

IO3.1 Collection of eLearning tools with complimentary videos and case scenarios

IO3.2 Design of MOOCs in five languages to be used in training sessions based on the pedagogy and guidance developed in IO2

IO3.3 Building of an multilingual expert team to provide expert help in forums

Partners involvement: Wonderful Education Srl  will be the leading partner in this intellectual output as the company possesses strong expertise in building evidence-informed eLearning and learning design tools for lecturers, with a focus on supporting digital education, as well as expertise in building and managing online teacher and educator communities.

Collection of tools and preparing tutorials: The business partners Octaedro Publishing and Wonderful Education will be responsible for creating the collections of eLearning tools for distance education and preparing for tutorial videos, monitoring the forums in the relevant sections. Managing the preparation of multiple languages for support.

Design and authoring MOOCs on digital pedagogy and guidance and distance/hybrid higher education in practice: Wonderful Education will lead the design processes, based on the Framework and our university partners will be responsible for creating the relevant MOOCs (as a series if convenient) in different languages (i.e. part of the video, subtitles, complimentary materials). Monitoring the forums and providing expert help: At the beginning of the implementation of forums within the digital hub and MOOCs, experts will be provided by the partners. By the end of the project, it is expected that the community built through dissemination events will maintain the functionality of the forum. In the beginning, 3 experts per country will be recruited for the expert team.