Digital University:

Learning and teaching

Digital University: An Introduction

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The presentation explores the impact of digitalization on university

systems. It comprises three sections:

1) Digital teaching and learning

2) Digital libraries and open access

3) Digital services

First, the presentation offers an overview of university digitalization both

at international and national level; second, it illustrates the main trends

and future perspectives. Finally, it proposes a set of indicators to measure

digitalization and some key policy messages.

Agenda

Digital teaching and learning

Overview

Recent trends

Future perspectives

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OVERVIEW

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Open Educational Resources (OER)

WHAT ARE OER? Any educational resources (including curriculum maps, course materials, textbooks, streaming videos, multimedia applications, podcasts, and any other materials that have been designed for use in teaching and learning) that are openly available for use by educators and students, without an accompanying need to pay royalties or licence fees.

(UNESCO OER Forum, 2002)

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ICT and Learning

ICT-based developments affect learning:

Where and When: off-campus courses, learning at a time and pace of their

choosing

Online learning (E-learning)

Blended/Hybrid learning (supplement to traditional teaching)

Open Educational Resources (OER)

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses)

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An example: MOOCs

Studenti

Corsi

Università

Growth of MOOCs N

um

ero

di c

ors

i

Source: Class Central

# registered students and market share by provider

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37.0% 17.3% 11.5% 11.1% 8.8%

Source: Class Central

MOOCs distribution by subject

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Source: Class Central

OER: The international framework (1/2)

United Nations

17 UN Sustainable Development Goals - The Education 2030 Framework For Action

UNESCO

Paris OER Declaration, formally adopted at the 2012 World Open Educational

Resources (OER) Congress held at the UNESCO Headquarters in Paris

UNESCO and Commonwealth Learning, Guidelines for Open Educational

Resources (OER) in Higher Education (2011-2015)

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OER: The international framework (2/2)

European Union

Communication “Opening up Education: Innovative teaching and learning for all through new Technologies and Open Educational Resources”, 25.09.2013

Communication “A renewed EU agenda for higher education”, 30.5.2017

Communication, “EU digital education action plan”, January 2018 EU’s first major intervention in the field of digital education since the 2013

“Opening up Education” Communication. Concrete measures such as establishing a Europe-wide platform for digital higher

education and enhanced cooperation, a digital connection between universities’ information systems and a European student card

RECENT TRENDS

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Current trends: EUA Report, E-learning in European HE Institutions

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Published in 2014, 249 HE

Institutions involved in 38

Countries

Current trends: EUA SURVEY, Trends in 2015: Learning and teaching in European Universities (1/2)

451 HE Institutions

involved in 46 Countries

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Current trends: EUA SURVEY, Trends in 2015: Learning and teaching in European Universities (2/2)

HE Institutions and e-learning44% strategy or policy in place

27% developing strategy or

policy

13% strategy or policy at

Faculty/Department level

10% other or not available

7% no strategy nor policy

Current trends: Joint ResearchCentre (JRC) reports

JRC IPTS Report (2016): Validation of Non-formal MOOC based Learning: An Analysis of Assessment and Recognition Practices in Europe (OpenCred)

JRC IPTS Report (2015): OpenCases: A catalogue of mini cases on open education in Europe

JRC IPTS Report (2016): How are higher education institutions dealing with openness? A survey of practices, beliefs and strategies in five European countries OpenSurvey

JRC IPTS report (2016): OpenCases: Case Studies on Openness in Education

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Current projects: The example of IOT-OPEN.EU

IOT-OPEN.EU project is funded by the EU under the Erasmus+ programmeKA2 (Strategic Partnership for Higher Education). It aims to support the creation of a e-learning module in Internet of Things (IoT)

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Main limitations

Digitalization has been measured mainly through surveys

and questionnaires

Non exhaustive institutions mapping (not the whole

European University system was involved in surveys)

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FUTURE PERSPECTIVES

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Moving beyond limitations: Measuring learning

Learning analytics

WHAT IS IT? “The measurement, collection, analysis andreporting of data about learners and their contexts for thepurposes of understanding and optimising learningand the environments in which it occurs”.

(1st International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge, 2011)

Implementing successful Learning analytics is a crucialchallenge

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Moving beyond limitations: A possible set of indicators # students in e-learning programmes (and % foreign students)

# e-learning programmes (and # supported languages)

# WI-FI access and broadband speed

# access to computer rooms

# students’ access to online libraries

# access to student portal

# online courses and registered students (and # supported languages)

# online degree programmes and registered students (and # supported

languages)

# MOOCs and registered students (and # supported languages)

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Key messages (1/2)

The strong impact of digitalization on teaching and learning is a hotlydebated topic both at academic and at policy level. The debate alsoconcerns the implementation of online teaching and learning standardsboth at national and international level

Improving e-learning allows:

A more effective use of teaching time and more flexibility in the learning offer, both for

"conventional" students and for those attending lifelong learning courses

As a crucial component of the European Higher Education Area, it can promote

harmonization as envisaged by the Bologna Process

There are few or no references to some important elements of online teaching, such as Internazionalization

Connection with the research activity

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Universities promoting e-learning

strategies should:

Develop didactic structures to coordinate and support

e-learning activities at institutional level

Assess online learning through internal quality

assurance processes as happens for regular learning

Avoid the risk that blended learning becomes

traditional learning with a bit of ICT

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Key messages (2/2)