Massive Open Online Courses in India and China – Developments and Challenges [1526] Members : #OER17

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Thu, Apr 6 2017, 1:45pm – 2:45pm

Authors: Janesh Sanzgiri

Room: Conf. Hall

Theme: Policy & Practice

Type: Presentations

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Description

Research on Massive Open Online Courses has grown exponentially in recent years, with most studies suggesting MOOCs have been deepening rather than widening access to education. While media attention may have dwindled in the West, MOOCs are still gaining in popularity around the world. However, a recent study of empirical research between 2013-2015 by Veletsianos and Shepherdson (2016) found that close to 90% of all MOOC research emanated from the West (North America, Europe and Oceania). There is a distinct lack of voice of research and practice of MOOCs in the Global South. This presentation aims to provide an overview of the innovative ways in which the notion of the MOOC is being used in two developing world contexts – India and China, as well some of the challenges faced by institutions as well as learners.

Both India and China have a significant supply and demand challenge facing their respective higher educational systems. The number of university positions cannot keep up with the demand of a steadily growing population. Additionally, beyond a few elite universities, the vast majority of higher educational institutions are considerably lacking in resources and quality (British Council 2014; Lou et al. 2016).

Within these contexts, MOOCs are not seen as a disruptive force looking to replace the existing system, but rather as an internal response to the aforementioned challenges of quality and scale. In India, the Government is spearheading the SWAYAM platform, where smaller, resource-starved universities can offer up to 20% of total credit towards a degree via MOOCs. In China, a handful of independent MOOC platforms have been formed, delivering not just their own content, but also licensing and translating existing MOOCs from Western platforms like Coursera and edX into Chinese.

Still, some major questions remain to be answered. Does India’s experiment with providing formal credit for MOOCs actually improve the educational experience of learners at smaller institutions? Does the provision of Western MOOCs for China represent a form of neo-colonialism of higher education? What are the implications of governmental interest in MOOCs to those at the lowest rungs of society? This presentation will provide a look at the development of MOOCs in India and China, as well as what early research is beginning to reveal about the nuanced role MOOCs are playing in these contexts.

References

British Council, 2014. Understanding India : The future of higher education and opportunities for international cooperation.

Lou, J., Zheng, P. & Jiang, C., 2016. The Enlightenment of SPOC on Teaching Reform of Higher Education in China —— Based on the Perspective of Mastery Learning Theory. Science Journal of Education, 4(2), pp.95–100.

Veletsianos, G. & Shepherdson, P., 2016. A Systematic Analysis And Synthesis of the Empirical MOOC Literature Published in 2013-2015. International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning, 17(2).

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