[publication] Online-Lernort iMooX.at: Neun Jahre Onlinekurse auf der nationalen österreichischen MOOC-Plattform #imoox

Wir haben alle Fragebögen die auf iMooX.at ausgefüllt worden sind und entsprechend vergleichbar waren zusammengeführt – seit Beginn 2014 sind dies immerhin stolze 30.000 Stück gewesen. Die Auswertung ist jetzt in einem kurzen Beitrag veröffentlicht worden und hier einmal das Fazit:

Die vorgestellten Daten aus rund 30.000 Fragebögen von MOOC-Teilnehmerinnen machen deutlich, dass MOOCs auf iMooX.at zumindest für diejenigen, die die Kurse auch abgeschlossen haben, sehr positiv erlebt werden und in hohem Maße auch empfohlen werden. Betrachtet man die Daten zu den Nutzerinnen, fällt auf, dass die MOOC-Teilnehmer*innen häufig hohe Bildungsabschlüsse haben und oft auf Grund von Berufstätigkeit, ihres Wohnorts, aufgrund von Betreuungspflichten und fast zehn Prozent auch wegen eines körperlichen Handicaps Online-Kurse nutzen. MOOCs bzw. die MOOC-Plattform iMooX.at erscheinen vor diesem Hintergrund nicht primär als weitere Mitbewerberinnen auf dem Markt der Weiterbildungsanbieter, sondern v.a. als komplementäres Bildungsangebot für viele Personen, für die herkömmliche Weiterbildungsangebote in Präsenz vor Ort nur schwer oder nicht erreichbar sind. Es ist anzumerken, dass die Kursteilnahme bei iMooX.at kostenfrei ist. Da es keine entsprechende Frage im Fragebogen gibt, wissen wir nicht, inwieweit dies ein relevantes Kriterium bei der Wahl des Weiterbildungsangebots darstellt.

Eine interessante Grafik ist u.a. die Verteilung der Lernenden mit dem Ergebnis, dass iMooX.at auch den ländlichen Raum hervorragend abdecken kann:

Hier geht es zum Vollbeitrag:
[Beitrag bei der Zeitschrift “die österreichische Volkshochschule”]
[Beitrag bei ResearchGate]

Referenz: Schön, Sandra/Ebner, Martin/ Mair, Bettina & Edelsbrunner, Sarah (2024): Online-Lernort iMooX.at: neun Jahre Onlinekurse auf der nationalen österreichischen MOOC-Plattform. In: Die Österreichische Volkshochschule. Magazin für Erwachsenenbildung. Winter 2023/24, Heft 281/74. Jg., Wien. Druck-Version: Verband Österreichischer Volkshochschulen, Wien

[publication] Exploring the Utilization of Online Resources and Experiences in Language Learning: A Study of Indonesian Students Learning German as a Foreign Language #languagelearning #TEL

Our research about “Exploring the Utilization of Online Resources and Experiences in Language Learning: A Study of Indonesian Students Learning German as a Foreign Language” is now online available.

Abstract: This study examines the frequency of online resource utilization among German language students at Universitas Negeri Malang (Indonesia) who are at the B1 level. The aim of the research is to investigate the usage of websites and applications during German language studies. Standardized questions were administered to a sample of 54 students to gather information regarding their engagement with online resources throughout their coursework. Additionally, feedback on selected online resources was collected and assessed. The findings reveal that Indonesian students demonstrate a preference for using videos featuring interviews with native German speakers, alongside the inclusion of supportive subtitles to enhance comprehension. However, a significant challenge arises due to the lack of materials specifically tailored for Indonesian learners, which also clearly indicate the intended language proficiency level.

[preprint @ ResearchGate]
[publication @ publisher’s homepage]

Reference: Ebner, M., Schön, S., Hidayat, E. & Ardiyani, D.K. (2023). Exploring the Utilization of Online Resources and Experiences in Language Learning: A Study of Indonesian Students Learning German as a Foreign Language. In T. Bastiaens (Ed.), Proceedings of EdMedia + Innovate Learning (pp. 1085-1090). Vienna, Austria: Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). Retrieved July 17, 2023 from https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/222623/.

[publication] Analysis of Students’ Behavior Watching iMooX Courses with Interactive Elements #mooc

We published an article about “Analysis of Students’ Behavior Watching iMooX Courses with Interactive Elements” in the iJET-Journal:

Abstract:
Digital learning technologies are becoming increasingly important for our modern educational system. In addition to teaching methods that incorporate interactivity, these approaches benefit students’ overall learning experience and success by enhancing their attention and fostering a positive attitude towards the learning content being presented. Interactivity comes in various forms, and while a combination of distinct activities is beneficial, some are more effective at engaging students. Using digital technologies in an educational environment opens up new possibilities for students, teachers, and researchers. It provides new insights into learning behavior and enables the collection of interaction information. This data could, for example, show how often a video was paused or at what point students lost interest and left, but gaining such knowledge requires further processing. The use of visualizations that depict behavior, such as the change of attention over time, can be an effective way to present extracted information. Therefore, our research focuses on developing an application that enables us to generate various visualizations from the collected data. A single command-line input will be sufficient to create them. Furthermore, a video course was created from which we collected behavioral data. Our results aim to showcase the benefits of interactivity, and that the created figures can be used for data evaluation verifies the versatility of the generated visualizations

[full article @ journal’s homepage]
[full article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Dohr, D., Wachtler, J., & Ebner, M. (2023). Analysis of Students’ Behavior Watching iMooX Courses with Interactive Elements. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 18(24), pp. 4–18. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i24.46455

[publication] Impact Assessment of a MOOC Platform Considerations, Development, and Results #imoox #emoocs

Our contribution on “Impact Assessment of a MOOC Platform Considerations, Development, and Results” was published at EMOOCs 2023 conference.

Abstract:
In 2020, the project “iMooX-The MOOC Platform as a Service for all Austrian Universities” was launched. It is co-financed by the Austrian Ministry of Education, Science and Research. After half of the funding period, the project management wants to assess and share results and outcomes but also address (potential) additional “impacts” of the MOOC platform. Building upon work on OER impact assessment, this contribution describes in detail how the specific iMooX.at approach of impact measurement was developed. Literature review, stakeholder analysis, and problem-based interviews were the base for developing a questionnaire addressing the defined key stakeholder “MOOC creators”. The article also presents the survey results in English for the first time but focuses more on the development, strengths, and weaknesses of the selected methods. The article is seen as a contribution to the further development of impact assessment for MOOC platforms.

[full article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Mair, B., Schön. S., Lipp, S., Steinkellner, I., Stojcevic, I. & Zwiauer, C. (2023) Impact Assessment of a MOOC Platform Considerations, Development, and Results. EMOOCs 2023, 171-186 [.pdf]

[publication] A Metastandard for the International Exchange of MOOCs – The MOOChub as First Prototype #imoox #moochub #emoocs

Our contribution about “A Metastandard for the International Exchange of MOOCs – The MOOChub as First Prototype” for the EMOOCs 2023 was published.

Abstract:
The MOOChub is a joined web-based catalog of all relevant German and Austrian MOOC platforms that lists well over 750 Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Automatically building such a catalog requires that all partners describe and publicly offer the metadata of their courses in the same way. The paper at hand presents the genesis of the idea to establish a common metadata standard and the story of its subsequent development. The result of this effort is, first, an open-licensed de-facto-standard, which is based on existing commonly used standards and second, a first prototypical platform that is using this standard: the MOOChub, which lists all courses of the involved partners. This catalog is searchable and provides a more comprehensive overview of basically all MOOCs that are offered by German and Austrian MOOC platforms. Finally, the upcoming developments to further optimize the catalog and the metadata standard are reported.

[full article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Staubitz, T., Serth, S., Max, T., Ebner, M., Koschutnig-Ebner, M., Rampelt, F., von Stellen, A. & Wittke, A. (2023) A Metastandard for the International Exchange of MOOCs – The MOOChub as First Prototype. EMOOCs 2023, 147-161 [.pdf]

[publication] Role of MOOCs and Imoox for Austrian Universities Analysis of Performance Agreements and Activities at imoox #imoox #emoocs

We did a publication about “Role of MOOCs and Imoox for Austrian Universities Analysis of Performance Agreements and Activities at imoox” for the EMOOCS 2023 conference.

Abstract:
This research paper provides an overview of the current state of MOOCs (massive open online courses) and universities in Austria, focusing on the national MOOC platform iMooX.at. The study begins by presenting the results of an analysis of the performance agreements of 22 Austrian public universities for the period 2022-2024, with a specific focus on the mention of MOOC activities and iMooX. The authors find that 12 of 22 (55 %) Austrian public universities use at least one of these terms, indicating a growing interest in MOOCs and online learning. Additionally, the authors analyze internal documentation data to share insights into how many universities in Austria have produced and/or used a MOOC on the iMooX platform since its launch in 2014. These findings provide a valuable measure of the current usage and monitoring of MOOCs and iMooX among Austrian higher education institutions. Overall, this research contributes to a better understanding of the current state of MOOCs and their integration within Austrian higher education.

[full paper @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Lipp, S., & Schön. S. (2023) Role of MOOCs and Imoox for Austrian Universities. EMOOCs 2023, 77-94 [.pdf]

[publication] Porting a Native Android App to iOS #ios #appdevelopment #tugraz

Our publication on “Porting a Native Android App to iOS” got published in the nternational Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM):

Abstract:
The two mobile operating systems Android and i(Pad)OS have dominated the smartphone and tablet market for years and app providers have to offer their apps for both systems in most cases in order to be competitive or to be able to reach the majority of potential customers. In native app development, separate applications have to be written and maintained for each platform. Often, apps are developed for one platform first and the second app is developed at a later stage, after some feedback could be collected. This porting from one system to the other can be either (partially) automated or manual, but in any case, it has its challenges. Both systems were designed with different approaches and differ greatly in some parts from each other – not only visually, but also in terms of the underlying structure. To illustrate the porting process, the Android app “Schoolstart Screening App”, which was developed for the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research of Austria by Graz University of Technology at the OU Educational Technology, was ported so that it can be used also on iPads. Automated approaches were discussed and the chosen process is explained to get a good overview of the topic.

[article @ journal’s homepage]
[article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Rauter, M., Wachtler, J., & Ebner, M. (2023). Porting a Native Android App to iOS: Porting Process Shown by the Example of the “Schoolstart Screening App”. International Journal of Interactive Mobile Technologies (iJIM), 17(23), pp. 20–31. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijim.v17i23.43829

[publication] The Analysis of Learning Management System towards Students’ Cognitive Learning Outcome #tugraz #researg

Our article titled “The Analysis of Learning Management System towards Students’ Cognitive Learning Outcome” got published in the Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET).

Abstract:
The purpose of this study was to determine the implementation of the moodle and edmodo learning management system (LMS) in education, to identify the specific features of the LMS that were utilized in the learning process, and to assess the impact of the LMS on student learning outcomes, drawing on cognitive learning theory. The research method is a systematic literature review (SLR) using the Scopus and Taylor & Francis databases, guided by the PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses) protocol, to analyze the data. The validity of the study was tested using the Gregory test with four expert examiners, namely an SLR expert, an LMS expert, and experts in cognitive learning outcomes. The results of the electronic database search focused on articles related to LMS implementation, LMS features, and student cognitive learning outcomes. This systematic literature review identified four key stages that serve as indicators of LMS implementation: 1) introduction, 2) registration, 3) learning materials, and 4) evaluation (assessment or feedback). The LMS features used in learning are grouped into four sections: communication features, course content features, course delivery features, and assignment features. The findings of the literature review indicate that the implementation of LMS and the features utilized in the learning process have an impact on various aspects of learning. These include learning satisfaction, engagement, learning experience, comfort, effectiveness, motivation, and the improvement of student learning outcomes.

[full article @ journal’s homepage]
[full article @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Aulianda, N., Wijayati, P. H., Ebner, M., & Schön, S. (2023). The Analysis of Learning Management System towards Students’ Cognitive Learning Outcome: A Systematic Literature Review. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 18(23), pp. 4–26. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v18i23.36443

[publication] Die Wirkung von MOOCs und iMooX.at aus Sicht von Kursersteller:innen #zfhe #tugraz #research #imoox #mooc

Im Rahmen der Sonderausgabe zu Digitalisierung der Hochschullehre – Projekte österreichischer Hochschulen 2020–2024 haben wir einen Beitrag über iMooX.at erstellt mit dem Titel “Die Wirkung von MOOCs und iMooX.at aus Sicht von Kursersteller:innen”

Zusammenfassung:
iMooX.at wird im Rahmen des Projekts „MooX – Die MOOC-Plattform als Service für alle österreichischen Universitäten“ (2020–2023) als nationale Plattform für Hochschulen ausgebaut. Im Beitrag werden bisherige Ergebnisse und Wirkungen des Projekts dargestellt. So wurden bereits 70 MOOCs durchgeführt (geplant waren 33). In problemzentrierten Interviews mit fünf Kursersteller:innen wurden zudem Wirkungen von MOOCs und iMooX.at als Plattform gesammelt. Kursersteller:innen bestätigen in einer Online-Befragung (n=17) im hohen Maße, dass iMooX.at zur Verbreitung von OER beiträgt und positive Wirkungen für unterschiedliche Gruppen hat.

[Beitrag @ Zeitschrift für Hoschulentwicklung]
[Beitrag @ ResearchGate]

Referenz: Ebner, M., Edelsbrunner, S., Haas, M., Hohla-Sejkora, K., Leitner, P., Lipp, S., Mair, B., Schön, S., Steinkellner, I., Stojevic, I., & Zwiauer, C. (2023). Die Wirkung von MOOCs und iMooX.at aus Sicht von Kursersteller:innen. Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung , 18, 51-76. https://doi.org/10.3217/zfhe-SH-HL/04

[publication] Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years #tugraz #education

Our chapter on “Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years” we presented last year at ICL-conference is now online available:

The use of digital technologies in teaching to make it more varied, better, more diverse, or even more accessible is being pursued systematically at many universities. This article shows the developments in the digital transformation of teaching at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) over the last 17 years. In the process, the various activities of Graz University of Technology and of the central department of teaching and learning technologies about the digital transformation of teaching and its focus and change during this period are described in the form of a workshop report. The consequences and developments of the Covid-19 pandemic on digital transformation efforts are also addressed. This is contrasted with results of two students’ surveys from 2014 (N = 1,502 complete questionnaires) and 2021 (N = 1,386 complete questionnaires). Within this contribution, the authors use the survey’s data to assess how students’ attitudes towards technology-enhanced teaching were changing at TU Graz. Mean indices were created to be able to compare the two surveys. This shows that despite the less good experience with teaching at TU Graz during the pandemic the attitude towards digital teaching is relatively satisfying. Nevertheless, the authors point out that the students clearly indicate that digital (distance) learning has a negative impact on communication between students and teachers as well as between students themselves, and that measures would be desirable here.

[full chapter @ book homepage]
[draft @ ResearchGate]

Reference: Martin Ebner; Bettina Mair; Christoph De Marinis; Hannes Müller; Walther Nagler; Sandra Schön; Stefan Thurner (2023). Digital Transformation of Teaching and Perception at TU Graz from the Students’ Perspective: Developments from the Last 17 Years. In: Auer, M.E., Pachatz, W., Rüütmann, T. (eds) Learning in the Age of Digital and Green Transition. ICL 2022. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, vol 633. Springer, Cham, pp 366–377. doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26876-2_34