How can e-Learning and MOOCs Reveal and Exploit the Hidden Treasures of Open Research and Open Education?

Abstract

E-Learning has existed and been promoted by many experts, professional providers and associations at national, European and international levels (such as BITKOM AK Learning Solutions, EDEN and ICDE) for more than 20 years, but has not achieved the awareness and attention of a broad audience and society as a whole. The huge promises from the internet hype at the beginning of this millennium were not fulfilled as predicted: despite the continuous and slowly increasing success and implementations of E-Learning in enterprises, it was not recognized as a driver and enabler for innovation across all educational sectors. On the other hand, the new term MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) has immediately attracted the masses, even though it is just another label for a diversity of online learning scenarios and methodologies that were already developed and implemented many years before. MOOCs can be considered and defined as a special type of E-Learning, raising new interest and offering opportunities to (again) reach learners attracted by E-Learning solutions due to many reasons. Thus, MOOCs can be the enablers for a renaissance of E-Learning.