This project report describes using MasteryPaths in the Canvas Virtual Learning Environment as a method of helping improve the information literacy (IL) competence for undergraduate science students studying in their first year at university. The MasteryPaths incorporated a series of formative quiz assessments on referencing and finding and…

Background: Professional development (PD) in a range of occupations has become increasingly digitised. Numerous digital courses are available, with evidence that social media, blogs and apps are increasingly being used for PD. Yet despite clear benefits, there is little robust evidence on the characteristics of digital PD that impact positively on…

The management of self-directed learning is especially critical for massive open online course (MOOC) learners. This mixed-method study investigated MOOC instructors' strategies to facilitate learners' self-management skills for SDL. The study used three data sources: (a) an online survey with 198 MOOC instructors; (b) semi-structured interviews…

This paper focuses on the introduction of a new model of digital teaching and resource provision for the University of Law (ULaw) Library Service, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It details the processes and steps we took to achieve the three core aims of: a new mode of online skills delivery, the creation of self-directed, independent learners in…

This study aimed to investigate English language lecturers' perceptions on the transition of classroom teaching to online education because of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 15 lecturers who were teaching in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Turkey and UK volunteered to take part in the study between March and July 2020. Data were collected…

This mixed-methods study examines the design and delivery of MOOCs to facilitate student self-monitoring for self-directed learning (SDL). The data collection methods included an online survey (n = 198), semi-structured interviews of MOOC instructors (n = 22), and document analysis of MOOCs (n = 22). This study found that MOOC instructors viewed…

This mixed methods study examined instructors' perceptions of self-directed learning (SDL) and the design of MOOCs to facilitate student SDL. Four instructors were selected for Zoom interviews and their MOOCs were reviewed to inform the questionnaire design. An online questionnaire was completed by 48 MOOC instructors worldwide. The findings…

Independent learning in massive open online courses (MOOCs) requires considerable effort from the learners themselves. Blended-learning has been recognised to foster independent learning among undergraduate students. With the popularity of the blended-learning approach to teach in traditional educational settings, little has been mentioned on how…

Developing, sustaining, and improving student engagement is of vital importance to higher education instructors. Educational technology has been linked to student engagement, and preservice and in-service teachers need to develop information communication and technology (ICT) skills and knowledge to apply them in the classroom as well as to…

The first module of the online Master of Arts (MA) in Translation at the Open University, Introduction to Translation Theory and Practice, includes a language development strand which encourages students to diagnose their own language development needs and introduces them to tools, resources, strategies, and learning communities that will enable…

The Open University (OU) is the UK's largest distance education provider and has a large and growing disabled student population. Disabled user support presents particular challenges for an online library service in the distance learning environment. The OU introduced guidelines for working with non-OU--authored content (external content) in 2011…

The discipline of education is a multi-faceted system that must constantly integrate new strategies and procedures to ensure successful learning experiences. Enhancements in education provide learners with greater opportunities for growth and advancement. "Open Learning and Formal Credentialing in Higher Education: Curriculum Models and…

Despite the increase in massive open online courses (MOOCs), evidence about the pedagogy of learning in MOOCs remains limited. This paper reports on an investigation into the pedagogy in one MOOC--Oxford Brookes University's "First Steps in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education" MOOC (FSLT12). FSLT12 was an open and free professional…

Virtual Learning Environments (VLEs) have become ubiquitous in colleges and universities but have failed to consistently improve learning (Machin, 2007). An alternative interface can be provided in the form of a mashed-up personal learning environment (MUPPLE). The aim of this study was to investigate student perceptions of its desirability and…