MOOCs Research

CILT has been researching learning in open online courses since the beginning of the MOOCs project in 2014. In 2016 - 2017, research was conducted into open education practices among academics involved in producing UCT MOOCs, as part of the global multi-year Researching Open Education Resources for Development (ROER4D) project. From 2018 - 2021, a collaborative research project entitled ‘Perspectives from South African MOOC takers: understanding transitions in and out of learning and work’ funded by CHED investigated the expressed value of taking a MOOC for working professionals and registered university students living in the region.

 Research outputs

 Journal articles and book chapters

Small, J., Deacon, A., Walji, S, Jaffer, T and Jawitz, J. (2019). Building capabilities: Using MOOCs to make transitions in work. Open Praxis, vol. 11 issue 4, October–December 2019, pp. 427–441. 2019 Open Education Global Conference Selected Papers DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.4.1027

Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J., Small, J., Jaffer, T. (2019) Seizing opportunities: MOOC takers making time for change.  Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (CriSTaL): Vol 7 No SI (2019): Special issue: Teaching and Learning in Uncertain Times. Papers from the HECU9 Conference. http://cristal.epubs.ac.za/index.php/cristal/issue/view/13

Czerniewicz, L., Deacon, A., Walji, S. & Glover, M. (2017). OER in and as MOOCs. In C. Hodgkinson-Williams & P. B. Arinto (Eds.), Adoption and impact of OER in the Global South (pp. 349–386). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.604414 

Walji, Sukaina; Deacon, Andrew; Small, Janet & Czerniewicz, Laura. (2016). Learning through engagement: MOOCs as an emergent form of provision in the Distance Education, 37(2), 208-223. VoR, doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2016.1184400, MS at http://bit.ly/2bg8mNS. 

Czerniewicz, Deacon, Small & Walji. (2014) Developing world MOOCs: A curriculum view of the MOOC landscape . Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies,  Volume 2, Issue 3, July 2014, pp. 122-139  

Conferences presentations and papers 

Small, J., Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T, and Lester, S. (2019). Ready to succeed in life: Using MOOCs to make transitions in work  presentation at the Open Education Global Conference. 26-28 November 2019, Milan, Italy

Conference presentation promo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCCBB9DABI&feature=youtu.be

Walji, S.,  Deacon, A., Small, J., Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T., Lester, S. (2019). Making it Count: How MOOC Takers in African Countries Use and Value Their Learning: Considering the role of certificates. Presentation  at World Conference on Online Learning 2019. 3-7 November 2019, Dublin, Ireland

Walji, S., Jaffer, T. and Jawitz, J.  (2019) How learners in African countries are finding value in MOOCs Online seminar for e/Merge Africa, 27 June 2019

Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J.,  Jaffer, T. and Small, J. (2018) Seizing opportunities: African MOOC-takers making time for change. Presentation at Contemporary Higher Education Conference (HECU9): 15-16 November 2018, Cape Town

Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T. and Deacon, A. (2018) MOOCs in and out of the curriculum. Presentation at the Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) Conference, 20-23 November 2018, Port Elizabeth

Deacon, A., Jaffer, T., Jawitz, J., Small, J. and Walji, S.  (2018)  Wrapping of a Social Innovation MOOC Published in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on e-Learning ICEL, Cape Town Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 5-6 July 2018. Edited by Professor Eunice Ivala

Walji, S., Deacon, A., Jawitz, J., Small, J. and Jaffer, T.  (2018) Understanding How Participants Use Open Online Courses for Transitions Published in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on e-Learning ICEL, Cape Town Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 5-6 July 2018. Edited by Professor Eunice Ivala

Walji, S., Deacon, A., Jaffer, T., Jawitz, J., Small, J. (2018). Transitions for the Future: How African learners value MOOCs from the University of Cape Town. Poster presented at Coursera Partners Conference, March 2018, Tempe, Arizona.

Deacon, A; Jawitz, J; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) MOOCs and Transitions: Pathways in and out of learning and work. Proceedings of the Fourth Biennial Conference of the South African Society for Engineering Education, pg 60-69.

Jawitz, J; Deacon, A; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) Producing MOOCs: Evaluating Institutional Gains. Presentation at Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) conference, November 2017, Durban

Deacon, A; Jaffer, T; Jawitz, J; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) Wrapped MOOCs: What is being valued and reused? Presentation at the Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) conference, November 2017, Durban

Glover, Ml; Czerniewicz, L; Walji,S; Deacon, A; Small, J. (2016). Approaches from the literature: Activity Theory, new tools and changing educators' practices. Poster for presentation at Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa, North West University, Potechefstroom, South Africa, 17 - 20 November 2015.

Czerniewicz, L; Glover, M; Deacon, A; Walji, S. (2016). MOOCs, openness and changing educator practices: an Activity Theory case study. Paper presented at the Networked Learning Conference, Lancaster, England, 9 - 11 May 2016.