OPEN  LEARNING  ECOSYSTEM  FOR  THE  MILITARY  IN  THE  DIGITAL  AGE    

Stella  C.S.  Porto,  DSc  &  MDE  Jacklyn  Thompson,  MDE  

 Master  of  Distance  Education  &  E-­‐Learning  

The  Graduate  School  University  of  Maryland  University  College  

 Link  to  Presentation  in  Prezi:  

http://prezi.com/qyezaq8tj1jj/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share        This  presentation  discusses  how  MOOCs,  OERs,  digital  badges,  and  e-­‐portfolios  have  converged  as  pieces  of  a  learning  ecosystem  puzzle  that  supports  an  open  and  sustainable  framework  for  lifelong  learning  for  adults  in  all  professional  fields  with  special  relevance  for  those  in  the  military.      Description  The  importance  of  educational  provisions  for  those  stationed  abroad  and  their  families  has  been  a  pillar  for  institutions  adopting  different  forms  of  flexible  education.  There  is  also  the  understanding  that  adult  learners,  including  the  military,  acquire  skills  and  knowledge  through  activities  and  experiences  in  the  workplace.  There  is  a  need  for  an  explicit  recognition  and  validation  of  such  demonstrated  experiences  so  they  can  be  mapped  onto  formal  education  paths  for  further  professional  development.      In  recent  literature  it  is  hard  to  miss  the  references  to  MOOCs  (Massive  Open  Online  Courses),  OERs  (Open  Educational  Resources),  badges  and  e-­‐portfolios.  These  terms  have  in  time  converged  as  pieces  of  a  puzzle  that  supports  an  open  access  framework  for  lifelong  learning  in  the  digital  age.  This  presentation  discusses  how  such  pieces  of  this  learning  ecosystem  puzzle  fit  together  and  what  kinds  of  standards  are  needed  in  order  to  support  a  flexible  and  sustainable  learning  framework  for  adults  in  all  professional  fields,  with  special  relevance  for  those  in  the  military.      E-­‐portfolios  have  become  a  standard  practice  in  the  education  and  employment  fields,  and  are  well  recognized  as  a  major  tool  for  supporting  lifelong  learning  and  learner-­‐centered  approaches  to  education.      A  digital  badge  is  a  way  to  display  talents  and  competencies,  both  practical  and  academic.  The  idea  is  that  a  badge  is  a  widely  accepted  digital  symbol  that  acknowledges  and  recognizes  certain  skills  and/or  competencies.  Thus,  displaying  badges  in  one’s  e-­‐portfolio  is  a  natural  method  for  portraying  professional  achievement.      The  amount  of  OERs  currently  available  on  the  web  is  massive,  but  not  always  easy  to  find.  Assessing  the  quality  of  such  materials  can  also  be  a  complex  process.  The  adoption  of  these  resources  by  institutions  is  slowly  evolving,  still  depending  on  standards  and  quality  assurance  processes.  For  individuals  with  adequate  readiness  to  navigate  the  web  and  the  ability  to  learn  on  their  own,  OERs  can  be  of  significant  value  at  no  cost.      Much  of  the  impact  of  the  MOOC  wave  in  education  is  still  unfolding.  Since  MOOCs  are  completely  free  of  cost,  they  open  up  many  possibilities  for  exploration  of  a  variety  of  topics.    Besides  the  push  for  being  

translated  into  college  credits,  MOOCs  can  also  be  a  promise  of  recognized  education  directly  by  employers  looking  for  proof  of  competencies  and  abilities  and  not  necessarily  a  formal  degree.      In  this  presentation,  participants  will  learn  and  discuss  about  the  challenges  and  promises  of  these  different  initiatives.  They  will  be  able  to  delineate  how  the  pieces  of  the  learning  ecosystem  puzzle  should  evolve,  so  they  hold  the  potential  of  working  perfectly  together  as  a  response  to  the  needs  of  continuous  professional  development  and  recognition  of  competencies  and  skills  for  a  broad  range  of  adults,  new  and  old  to  the  job  market,  including  military  transition  to  civilian  life.  The  focus  of  the  presentation  is  on  the  synergy  of  these  initiatives  and  how  this  opens  up  a  bright  path  for  military  and  veterans  in  pursuit  of  professional  development  within  a  highly  accessible  framework.    Bibliography    Batson,  T.  (2012).  Definition  of  “ePortfolio”.  Batson  Blog.  The  Association  of  Authentic,  Experiential  and  

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