Moocs and Open Education Around the World

As new digital forms of informal and formal learning proliferate, there is an increasing need to better understand how people in different regions of the world are implementing massive open online courses (MOOCs) and other forms of open educational resources (OERs). Educators, researchers, politicians, and countless others want to grasp what the outcomes of these initiatives are and how they can be improved. Current e-learning changes have caused institutions and organizations to grapple with issues of accreditation, credentialing, quality standards, innovative assessment, and learner motivation and attrition, among numerous other areas of concern.

In response, MOOCs and Open Education Around the World explores and illuminates unique implementations of MOOCs and open education across regions and nations. The book also focuses on the various opportunities as well as the dilemmas presented in this age of technology-enabled learning. What are the different delivery formats, interaction possibilities, assessment schemes, and business models? What are the key controversies or issues that need to be discussed and addressed? This edited collection explains MOOCs and open education trends and issues in a variety of locales, shares key research findings, and provides practical suggestions and recommendations for the near future.

Curtis J. Bonk is Professor of Instructional Systems Technology at Indiana University, USA, and an internationally recognized leader in open and distance learning. He is the author of The World is Open, The Handbook of Blended Learning, Adding Some TEC-VARIETY, and several other books.

Mimi M. Lee is Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Houston, USA, and a critical ethnographer, book author, and award winning educational researcher of STEM-related online teacher training, global and multicultural education, and more.

Thomas C. Reeves is Professor Emeritus of Learning, Design, and Technology at the University of Georgia, College of Education, USA, and an award-winning book author (Guide to Authentic E-Learning), instructional technology designer and evaluator, and researcher in developing countries.

Thomas H. Reynolds is Professor of Teacher Education at National University, USA, and a book author, online educator, and researcher in Web-based education and standards-based online assessment and innovations in e-learning. He is a former Fulbright scholar in both Peru and Colombia.