30.1.2013 9.30AM Lecture Theatre 12
Thank you for supporting e-Fiesta 2013.
Open Learning.
What is it? Why should I care? How do I get involved?
Come, find out more on 30th January. Be part of e-Fiesta 2013. This event will provide an opportunity for lecturers, researchers, and student teachers at NIE to be part of the global movement of open learning. NIE e-Fiesta is an annual event organised by Centre for e-Learning, Office of Teacher Education.
Open Education Matters : Why is it important
Everyone has a right to be educated, yet only a few have access to school. Hence, open education - is important. Open Educational Resources (OER) will increase access to, improve the quality of, and reduce the costs of education. OER gives everyone the opportunity to learn!
A mission of NIE is to excel in teacher education. To do that, NIE must keep up, stay ahead, or be a leader of meaningful change in education. One of the biggest changes in the entire educational landscape is access to open tools, courses, and resources. This is evidenced by the number of Ivy League or notable universities backing the key players such as Coursera, EdX, Udacity, Open Learning Initiative, iTunes U, etc.
Password: OER
Tuition costs are rising. Textbooks are outdated within a year, especially for Science and Mathematics. Sometimes there are very good and current educational materials accessible online, with videos, free textbooks and lesson plans. The interactive lessons can teach what students do not seem to get in the classroom.
What can academic staff in NIE do about Open Learning?
You can take advantage of the systems and strategies already put in place by CeL. For example, we have collaborated with Apple to establish NIE in iTunes U, an open platform with which to offer our courses freely to the rest of the world. As an example, A/P Chang Chew Hung offers a Geography course in iTunes U. Of the 193 learners in his course, only 60 are student teachers in NIE.
Why Open Education Matters?
Open Education is a global movement that aims to bring quality education to teachers and students everywhere. High quality learning materials are put on the web that anyone can access for free. Open educational resources are being created by the world's most respected institutions and scholars. Open education - Knowledge as a public good.
What is the impact of open learning on NIE staff and student teachers?
Other than a shift in mindset, open learning helps our stakeholders and NIE. Our stakeholders near and far have access to top quality resources by NIE for free. In addition, teachers tend to teach the way they are taught. If our teacher educators model open learning behaviours, our student teachers are more likely to repeat them when they become full-time teachers.
Open learning makes teaching transparent. This allows teacher educators to get valuable critique and feedback which, in turn, will improve the quality of teaching methods and materials.