Result 2
NOOCs (NANO Open, Massive and Online Courses) in flexible methodologies

It is the result 2. The NOOCs (NANO Open, Massive and Online Courses) in flexible methodologies are the following:

  1. Connected and critical;
  2. Collaborative and research;
  3. Active and gamified;
  4. Inverted or Flipped;
  5. Design of flexible learning digital programs

This result is coordinated by Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) (Spain)

Needs
The aim is to provide online training to lecturers on flexible digital teaching practices (connected, collaborative and research, active and invested) and the creation of accessible and inclusive content. To do so, we will harness a blended methodology based on microlearning (microlessons and Nano Open Online Courses) predicated on a critical, social and network-based pedagogical model where critical and social teaching practices converge. Another objective is to create added value for the Erasmus+ programme by offering an online skills training programme in innovative, digital and multilingual methodologies.

Output Description
Each NOOC will have a duration of 25 hours (i.e., one week). Learners who complete the course and pass peer-to-peer evaluations will receive a certificate from the ECO Digital Learning spinoff. In addition, once they meet the requirements set by each university, UNED will award them 1 ECTS.
The programme will be available for implementation in any European university for three main reasons:

  1. it will be designed and taught in five languages, removing language barriers;
  2. it will boast open and free access through NOOCs on the OPENMOOC ECO (E-learning Communication Open-Data) Digital Learning independent platform, a European project funded by the CIF (Competitiveness and Innovation) EU OER programme giving free access to a list of Massive Open Online Courses in five languages;
  3. it will feature accessible and inclusive training programmes adapted to the visually and hearing impaired (videos are subtitled and the same content has been provided across different formats to facilitate access).

Elements of innovation
All the NOOCs share the three innovative elements indicated above: distributed pedagogical model; mixed and flexible model; microlearning programme and configuration as a NOOC.
The microlearning programme is based on microlessons or learning nuggets in multiple complementary formats, where content is fragmented into small steps to streamline the learning process. Content interconnection facilitates digital skills acquisition in an entertaining and agile fashion, interlinking theoretical content with practice, self-assessment activities, discussion and final evaluation, all in different formats. It is also taught as a NOOC. The model enables learning to be integrated into daily teaching practice by presenting short lessons and fast and streamlined activities. It permits learning tailored to individual faculty agendas, access to content anywhere/anytime, and the intercalation of active, reflective and critical, agile and interactive content.

Expected impact and Transferability potential
FACULTY:
The number of accredited teachers in training in flexible digital pedagogies will increase.
Increase of specialized knowledge in methodologies based on the theme of each of the five NOOCs.
UNIVERSITIES:
The project contributes to universities by providing them with a database of qualified and digitally accredited teaching staff.
They will increase their training resources in digital training since all NOOCs will be free and will remain open beyond the life of the project.
It will increase the competitiveness of universities by increasing the number of specialized, accredited and officially certified faculty in training in flexible digital pedagogies.

The impact obtained from R2 (NOOCs) will be measured if the following data are reached:

  • 5 digital training NOOCs translated into 5 languages.
  • Minimum of 100 universities as participants in the training process. Minimum of 20 universities per partner country.
  • Of which at least 500 teachers have completed and passed the 5 NOOCs. Minimum 50 per each country.

At least 80% of the teachers value the program and resources positively.
We will know how strongly the network is expanding by observing the contributions to the EPALE community, social network analyses and ReCoIn-TaD network (R4) registrations. More than 100 teachers from different countries will join the EPALE platform (blogs, forums and collaborative spaces: practice community and collaborative space).
Each NOOC focuses on a key theme in the training process.

WORK PLAN: September 2022 – July 2024

  1. December 2022 for definitive presentation of participating teachers and checks on learners who have signed up, plus raising of hurdles or challenges to definitive programme implementation.
  2. Online meeting (2) October 2022 to follow up on the achievement of objectives and comparison of difficulties in the work team. The goal will be to dig down on progress in the rollout of the educational resources and platform integration. Presentation of website and platform.
  3. Establish the taskforces for each NOOC: five specialised taskforces will be created in each NOOC and coordinated by the UNED as leader.
    • NOOC 1 (Coord. SD) y 2 (Coord. UNICT)
      • The first time the course is run they will operate from September 2022 to January 2023
      • The second time the course is run they will operate from February 2023 to June 2023
      • The third time the course is run they will operate from June 2023 to November 2023
    • NOOC 3 (Coord. UAb) y 4 (Coord. BFU)
      • The first time the course is run they will operate from February 2023 to June 2023
      • The second time the course is run they will operate from June 2023 to November 2023
      • The third time the course is run they will operate from November 23 to May 24
    • NOOC 5 [Coord.UNED]
      • The first time the course is run they will operate from June 2023 to November 2023
      • The second time the course is run they will operate from November 2023 to May 2024
      • The third time the course is run they will operate from May 2024 to September 2024

    In this phase, collaborative work, as it has been done, but with greater intensity between the spin-off for the integration of OERs in NOOC. And, also, together with the working groups of each university. In this way, the resolution of technical problems and the integration of all NOOC resources is guaranteed.

  4. Course implementation will be progressive. Each NOOC will be held three times. Course implementation will be progressive over the three years with the aim of improving the offering in line with previous experiences.
    • NOOC 1 and 2. (January 2023, June 2023, November 2023)
    • NOOC 3 and 4. (June 2023, November 2023, May 2024)
    • NOOC 5 (November 2023, May 2024, September 2024)
  5. Different work meetings will be held online via Teams or Zoom.

Pedagogical framework of the NOOCs
The aim is to provide online training to lecturers on flexible digital teaching practices (connected, collaborative and research, active and invested) and the creation of accessible and inclusive content. To do so, we will harness a methodology based on microlearning (microlessons and Nano Open Online Courses) predicated on a critical, social and network-based pedagogical model where critical and social teaching practices converge. Another objective is to create added value for the Erasmus+ program by offering an online skills training program in innovative, digital and multilingual methodologies.
All the NOOCs share the three innovative elements indicated above: distributed pedagogical model; mixed and flexible model; microlearning program and configuration as a NOOC.
The microlearning program is based on microlessons or learning nuggets in multiple complementary formats, where content is fragmented into small steps to streamline the learning process. Content interconnection facilitates digital skills acquisition in an entertaining and agile fashion, interlinking theoretical content with practice, self-assessment activities, discussion and final evaluation, all in different formats. It is also taught as a NOOC. The model enables learning to be integrated into daily teaching practice by presenting short lessons and fast and streamlined activities. It permits learning tailored to individual faculty agendas, access to content anywhere/anytime, and the intercalation of active, reflective and critical, agile and interactive content.
More information can be found in the attached link, where the theoretical framework of each of the methodologies is described.