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Online surveys are widely used in social science research as well as in empirical studies of open, online, and distance education. However, students’ responses are likely to be at odds with their actual behavior. In this context, we examined the discrepancies between self-reported use and actual use (i.e., learning analytics data) among 20,646 students in an open, online, and distance education system. The ratio of consistent responses to each of the 11 questions ranged from 43% to 70%, and the actual access to learning resources was significantly lower than self-reported use. In other words, students over-reported their use of learning resources. Females were more likely to be consistent in their responses. Frequency of visits to the open, online, and distance education system, grade point average, self-reported satisfaction, and age were positively correlated with consistency; students’ current semester was negatively correlated with consistency. Although consistency was not maintained between actual use and self-reported use, consistency was maintained between some of the self-report questionnaires (i.e., use vs. satisfaction). The findings suggested that system and performance data should be considered in addition to self-reported data in order to draw more robust conclusions about the accountability of open, online, and distance education systems.

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Almost all open educational resources (OER) definitions encompass key concepts such as the 5R activities and open licenses. However, little attention is given to the technical aspects and tools that allow the user to interact with these resources. This study aims to answer five research questions regarding (a) 5R activities, (b) open licenses and intellectual property, (c) technical aspects, (d) tools for developing OER, and (e) the topic of sustainability. To answer these questions, a systematic review of systematic reviews on OER was conducted following the reporting checklist of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Sixteen studies were eligible and included in this review. The main findings suggest that although most studies did not mention the term 5R exactly, they mentioned related terms, such as share and adaptation. There was also a tendency toward focusing on more legal issues than technical aspects. Besides, most of the studies that mentioned tools discussed them as platforms to access OER, not exactly tools that encourage users to develop or adapt resources in an easy way. In relation to sustainability, several studies highlighted the relevance of developing sustainable OER models, but only a few suggested approaches to sustain an OER project. Therefore, with this article, we hope to raise awareness of the importance of the technical openness and tools that might contribute to fostering users’ engagement with the OER, helping them to act as producers and contributors rather than mere passive receivers.

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The use of technology in higher education learning has been shown to increase student engagement. However, how its application can increase student engagement is still largely unreported in Indonesia, especially during and after COVID-19, when online learning was used massively and suddenly. This study aims to examine students’ engagement with online learning using a sequential explanatory mixed-method study design that is expected to produce in-depth information. The study involved a number of n = 775 students, with 149 participants who identified themselves as male (19.3%) and 626 participants who identified themselves as female (80.7%). The age range of the participants was 18 to 22 years (M-age = 20.12). Quantitative data analysis was carried out using descriptive tests and ANOVA variance tests, while qualitative data analysis was carried out using thematic analysis. Integration of quantitative and qualitative data analyses results was conducted using a joint display approach. The results showed that 94.45% (n = 732) of students had low engagement scores. Gender and field of study were found to have no effect on the level of student engagement in online learning (F 1,775 = 3.259, p = .071, η2 = .004). Data integration results showed that online learning reduces emotional attachment, participation, and performance, although it does not reduce students’ skill engagement. Based on student experience, online learning is considered less effective than in-person learning. Students with higher self-regulation show engagement in online learning. The online learning model needs an effective formula for increasing student engagement, in addition to help students develop self-regulation skills.

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This paper explores the experiences of university educators who use personal learning networks (PLNs) to enhance professional knowledge. With growing expectations to design and deliver effective online learning experiences, the PLN may offer flexible and supportive professional learning opportunities that build digital pedagogical capabilities. Previous research investigating PLNs has focused on how school teachers leverage social technologies to build these networks. However, there is limited examination of PLN use by university educators. This research is informed by the theories of networked learning and connectivism and uses a case study approach to deeply consider the experiences of five university educators from different disciplines across the globe. They share their understanding of the concept of the PLN, the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how their PLN affects their digital pedagogies. The findings reveal nuanced insights of university educators’ real-life experience, shedding light on how the use of social media and other digital tools for professional learning is changing and the implications this has for the development of university educators’ understandings of digital pedagogies.

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As a response to the increasing commercialization of postsecondary education, educators argue for a practice of care in education. Open pedagogy (OP) seems like an ideal practice where care, trust, and inclusion can be realized. OP is characterized as a democratic and collaborative pedagogical practice, in which students and teachers work to co-create learning and knowledge using openly licensed materials, open platforms, and other open processes. The purposes of this study were, first, to reveal ways students in postsecondary institutions perceive care and, second, to determine how students suggest OP can be used to create an open/caring learning process. A task-oriented focus group method engaged students from four teaching-focused institutions. The students created open cases on social issues for class discussion and reflected on care and OP processes in postsecondary settings. Using four elements of the ethics of care—attentiveness, responsibility, competence, and trustworthiness—as conceptual categories, the study examined students’ experience of care and care in OP using affective coding and thematic analysis. The results showed that through OP, with teacher support and explicitly designed practices of care, students can assert their agency, have quintessential roles in creating and participating in highly relevant curriculum and importantly, care about others, and be cared for. OP is a process able to involve a diverse population of students and embody care as an all-encompassing practice.

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In higher education, international research collaboration functions as a visible mechanism of cooperation and competition, serving as a proxy for quality and academic excellence. Open universities use revolutionary education models but are not often associated with quality or academic excellence. To investigate the impact of international research collaboration by active researchers affiliated with open institutions, a bibliometrics analysis was conducted of three open universities and nine traditional, comparative universities between 2000 and 2022. The results indicate that research outputs that are open access, sponsored and funded, and developed with international coauthors have positive and statistically significant effects on citation counts. Moreover, international research collaboration significantly affects all universities, not just open institutions. The results conclude that researchers affiliated with open universities are only 4.3% less cited than their comparative peers, which is attributed to publication factors, research disciplines and subject areas, and journal characteristics. Findings are discussed and imply a strategic shift in the institutional functions and outputs of open universities as collaborative conduits of knowledge production and dissemination.

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This study explored the dominant discourses on online distance education (ODE) that emerged in South Korean society before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors conducted a topic modeling analysis of 8,865 news articles published by 24 South Korean media outlets between 2019 and 2021. Using the Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) algorithm and social network analysis software (NetMiner), the top five topics and the top ten words associated with each topic were identified from each period. The authors observed significant changes not only in the number of news articles but also in the depth of the conversations published each year. The results have revealed several key points. First, ODE, previously considered marginal and abnormal, gained in normality across all educational levels in Korean society. Second, ODE discourses have been shaped by the unique cultural, historical, and technological infrastructure in South Korea. Third, a clear division between social-justice-oriented and business-oriented ODE discourses reflect a persistent inequality in Korean society. Finally, ODE discourses matured in 2021, with more critical and realistic perspectives on both the positives and negatives of ODE. The useful implications of such insights for post-pandemic ODE research and practice are further discussed.

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The current study was designed to determine if the use of blended learning (combining face-to-face instruction and mobile-assisted language learning using WhatsApp) contributed to the vocabulary learning and autonomy of Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) learners, compared to the traditional method. To assess their English skills, the Preliminary English Test (PET) was given to 80 homogenous intermediate learners at the beginning of the study. The study’s intended participants were 50 EFL learners whose scores were within the intermediate competency level. Then, the participants were divided randomly betweenexperimental and control groups. One-way between-groups analysis of covariance was run. Findings frompost-test scores indicated a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups. Another one-way between-groups analysis of covariance was performed to assess the impact of two distinct blended learning versus traditional teaching treatments on EFL learners’ autonomy. In the post-test results, a significant difference between the control and experimental groups’ performance was observed. This study provided insights into how technology may be applied to teach language components and skills.

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The economics of distance higher education have not attracted enough attention. Few studies have analyzed the different returns to distance higher education at various income levels. Based on empirical analysis of data from China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study explored the differences of return to distance higher education at different income levels by using Mincer earnings function and quantile regression. Compared with face-to-face education, the study found that distance higher education brought considerable benefits to learners. While the return to face-to-face higher education has continued to decline, return to distance higher education has risen. Comparing the returns to distance education at different income levels showed that low-income groups obtained greater benefits from distance higher education, which can help to improve the income of vulnerable groups and promote social equality. China’s distance education institutions should promote the idea that distance higher education can improve the income growth of low-income groups, and increase the financial support for low-income groups to access distance higher education.

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Extended reality (XR), which encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), offers powerful affordances for improving teaching and learning experiences in a post-pandemic world. Increasingly, many governments and institutions around the world are making major investments in XR technologies to prepare education systems for the future. However, many of these investments remain isolated pilot projects which, while they attest to the potential of XR in education, are unlikely to be scaled up due to lack of sustainability and collaboration. Based on literature and empirical evidence, I have identified major barriers to the wider adoption of XR in education, including the lack of (a) open content, tools, and skills; (b) sound pedagogy and instructional design; and (c) scalability and sustainability. As a potential solution, I introduce the Open XR for Education Framework (OXREF), an empirical framework that proposes a holistic solution to XR object creation, implementation, and deployment, while covering pedagogical, technological, and policy perspectives. The contribution of the OXREF is its ability to build fit-for-purpose XR experiences in a scalable, sustainable, and collaborative manner while promoting openness, accessibility, equity, and reuse. The novelty of the proposed framework is its use of open educational resources (OER), open educational practices (OEP), as well as free and open-source software (FOSS) tools and platforms. Its cloud-based infrastructure and open licenses support viable operationalization strategies that can be implemented by educational institutions and governments.

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The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the practice of traditional higher education providers (HEPs) and highlighted the need for innovative approaches to education for sustainable development. This research note focuses on online short courses (OSCs)—micro-credentials geared at upskilling or reskilling learners with a competitive application process and cost. It conducts (a) a rapid bibliometric analysis of literature on the nexus between OSCs and sustainable development and (b) an environmental scan of OSCs offered in Australia with a lens of sustainable development. An exploratory approach was adopted to analyze publicly available secondary data on scholarly literature and the courses offered. Findings reveal two key trends: (i) the nascent nature of literature on OSCs and sustainable development globally and (ii) the limited availability of sustainable development related OSCs in Australia. This research note makes broad analytical contributions to posit OSCs as an e-learning innovation to advance business education for sustainable development.

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This work describes an international collaboration experience carried out between our process design and petroleum property evaluation courses. This collaboration was developed as part of a partnership between the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates, and Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, United States of America, using a program called Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) from the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The COIL program provides training to faculty on engaging students in international and cross-disciplinary projects to promote skills needed in the current work force. The COIL training meetings facilitated pairing faculty of different disciplines in different parts of the world and provided a structure for developing a collaborative project. The collaborative project that we undertook in fall 2021, and which we detail throughout this article, was titled Upstream and Downstream of Petroleum Economics.

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In this article, we discuss the academic performance and impact of distance teaching of mathematics in the Moroccan education system. This educational science research, based on exploratory thinking, aimed to show the impact and challenges of distance teaching of mathematics within the Moroccan education system through examining this fundamental question: How could school programs, pedagogical organization, and the performance of pupils and teachers in Morocco best address the challenges of distance teaching of mathematics? The answer is based on a qualitative analysis of the content of the documentation that frames the teaching-learning process and the evaluation of mathematics in Morocco and, on the other hand, on the projection of research hypotheses in the field through various strategies inspired by our research objectives.