This study focused on the potential contribution of xMOOCs, OER units and different stakeholders to opening up higher education. The main research questions were: “Which MOOCs can potentially be adapted for use in opening up Rwandan higher education?” (1) “Which OER units can potentially be adapted for use in opening up Rwandan higher education?” (2) and “What is the potential contribution of different stakeholders in Rwandan higher education to opening up this level of education?” (3).
The study had a transformative mixed method design and consisted of two major components: The Research component and the Parallel development component. Research was conducted on ten xMOOCs, ten OER units, 105 learners, 85 academics, one institutional leader and four policy documents. Parallel to research, the researcher was involved in different initiatives, including contribution to the related literature, mentoring learners and raising awareness of the need for opening up higher education in Rwanda.
Research findings showed that two xMOOCs and one OER unit can be adapted for direct use in opening up higher education in Rwanda if open educational services and enabling policies are available. Learners were willing to engage in different self-determined open learning practices and academics were willing to contribute to opening up education in different ways. No evidence of institutional leaders/policy makers’ intention to recognise academics’ engagement in open educational practices and support assessment of accomplishment from open learning for credit could be identified. As for the outcomes of the Parallel development component, they include the development of a national policy on open, distance education and eLearning and mentees’ moves from 1) intention to drop out to a distinction and 2) a pass grade to a first class.
The study results may benefit educators and institutions that are interested in opening up higher education and learners, including underprivileged ones, who are interested in transformative learning.
This presentation is made possible with the support of the Global OER Graduate Network (GO-GN): http://go-gn.net/
