Abstract:

The Open Virtual Mobility (OpenVM) Erasmus+ project is a strategic partnership which aims at the enhancement, development and recognition of Open Virtual Mobility skills in the context of the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) through the creation of the OpenVM Learning Hub and a MOOC. In order to do so, the project has been structured into six Outputs along with a seventh outcome on the Quality Assurance Framework (QAF). The first Output (Output 1) is dedicated to the analysis and exploration of the skills needed for successful engagement and learning experience in virtual mobility in open educational contexts. The second is for the design, implementation and sustainable maintenance of the Learning Hub, the online site for Open Virtual Mobility Skills, in which diverse resources such as MOOCs and OER are available to facilitate development and recognition of Open Virtual Mobility skills. The third, fourth and fifth Outputs are dedicated to the components the Learning Hub and OpenVM MOOCs: the e-assessment of OpenVM skills (Output 4), the recognition of OpenVM skills with Open Credentials based on the Open Badge standard (Output 5) and tools to improve collaboration (matching tool) and the management of OpenVM skills (skill directory) in relation to existing competency frameworks such as ESCO (Output 3). In Output 6, all the elements are joined together to develop a set of OpenVM MOOCs based on a sequence of miniMOOCs in which the skills are developed into three levels of proficiency. This interconnected project plan is based on the QAF strategy in which especial focus has been given to the Self-Regulated Learning aspect. The pedagogical quality axis recommends a learning design which promotes autonomous learning and facilitates students’ processes of decision-making based on their self-regulated skills [1,2], and is coherent with the set of OpenVM skills from Output 1, in which two of the eight skill clusters include autonomous learning and active, self-regulated learning skills [3]. The QAF process is based on the Design Based Research approach in which all elements are designed, implemented and evaluated in an iterative cycle of production, by which education innovation is improved and current knowledge is informed and thus new knowledge generated. Currently, half-way through the project, first designs have been produced and implemented in pilot editions, which are now being quality-assessed and evaluated in user-tests.This current work will present the quality approach of the learning design of the OpenVM MOOCs based on the principles of Self-Regulated Learning.

References:
[1] I. Buchem, G. Tur, G. and S. Urbina, S. (2018). “Quality assurance for attainment, assessment and recognition of virtual mobility skills in context of open education. QA Framework in the Open Virtual Mobility project”, Edulearn Conference 2-4 July 2018, 2018. Retrieved from https://iated.org/concrete3/view_abstract.php?paper_id=65036
[2] G. Tur, S. Urbina, and G. Ubachs, “Open Virtual Mobility. Output 07.A1.1: Quality Assurance Framework. Final draft”, 2018. Open Virtual Mobility, Retrieved from https://www.openvirtualmobility.eu
[3] O. Firssova, and K. Rajagopal, “Open VM Competence Framework”. Open Virtual MObility, 2018 Retrieved from https://www.openvirtualmobility.eu/topics/outputs

Keywords:

Quality assurance, virtual mobility, open virtual mobility, open education, self-regulated learning.