Open AccessOpen Online Courses and the Democratization of Knowledge for Vulnerable Groups
Author(s) -
Elena Bárcena,
Timothy Read,
Monica Vilhelm
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
european distance and e-learning network (eden) conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2707-2819
DOI - 10.38069/edenconf-2021-ac0031
Subject(s) - democratization , software deployment , context (archaeology) , perspective (graphical) , inclusion (mineral) , massive open online course , experiential learning , online learning , knowledge management , open education , computer science , pedagogy , sociology , mathematics education , psychology , political science , world wide web , social science , democracy , geography , artificial intelligence , politics , law , operating system , archaeology
This article builds on a body of literature (e.g., Daniel, 2012; Portmess, 2013; O’Mahony Salmon, 2014) where the potential of MOOCs for the democratization of knowledge has been claimed. The authors highlight four key characteristics that have been seen to be essential in the design, development and deployment of open online courses for vulnerable groups, in order to maximise student participation, interaction, and learning in such educational scenarios. These characteristics are instructional design for social inclusion, three degrees of accessibility, inclusive language, and Activeness. They will be analysed from a practical and experiential perspective in the context of a Language MOOC (massive open online course) developed by the authors’ research group, although they are relevant for any other type of open online course. They will be argued to facilitate any future access to information in general, once the course has finished, and as such, represent a catalyst for the democratization of knowledge.