Beyond Institutions： Personal Learning in a Networked World

Stephen Downes

This article looks at the needs and demands of people seeking learning with the models and designs offered by traditional institutions， and in the spirit of reclaiming learning describes a new network-based system of education with the learner managing his or her education. It questions the employment of models to design learning systems or the learning process， and recommends instead that learning be developed on a case-by-case basis by the learners themselves as they work within a network of learning resources within a personal learning environment. Learning design on this model resembles a murmuration， shaping and reshaping itself in a self-organizing manner. The author recommends that students self-organize by ‘reclaiming learning’， that is， developing their own learning systems and working outside traditional institutions of learning.

Keywords： learning； networks； MOOCs； personal learning environment

Network Structure and Topic Clustering of MOOCs Research in China：

a Knowledge Mapping Analysis Based on CiteSpaceIII

Wang Qing

As a new teaching mode， Massive Open Online Courses （MOOCs） has a significant impact on education. Theoretical research on MOOCs by Chinese scholars started in 2012 but experimental practice did not happen until sometime later. This study reviews 177 papers published in Chinese Social Science Citation Index （CSSCI） source journals. Research instruments of informetrics and visualization are adopted. Mapping knowledge is used to analyze the network structure and topic clustering of MOOCs research in China. The study demonstrates the distribution of research institutions and authors， co-occurrence network of authors and their thesis topics， hot areas of the core keyword clustering， and provides a reference for the future MOOCs theoretical study and practice.

Keywords： MOOCs； knowledge mapping； CiteSpace； visualization

Collaborative Mobile-Assisted Language Learning： Characteristics

and Effectiveness

Weng Keshan

This study sets out to examine the characteristics and efficiency of Collaborative Mobile-Assisted Language Learning （C-MALL）. It analyzes the participation patterns， collaboration patterns， and collaboration effectiveness of C-MALL. Findings indicate that C-MALL is conducive to promoting participation， and generating far more in-task output than off-task one. It also induces participants to administer far more collaborations of zero-level and low-level than high-level ones. High-level collaborations， however， can trigger more output from the participants， facilitating in-depth collaboration and meaning co-construction. This indicates that C-MALL has the potential to lead to in-depth collaborations. Comparative analysis suggests that the revised translations produced by collaboration groups， the products of C-MALL， are better in quality than the original translation. The study also reveals that synchronous C-MALL initiates much more output than its asynchronous mode.

Keywords： Collaborative Mobile-Assisted Language Learning （C-MALL）； participation features； collaboration features； collaboration efficiency

Blended Learning for SPOC

Chen Ran and Yang Cheng

As an emerging course mode in the Post-MOOC Era， SPOCs （Small Private Online Courses） tend to integrate MOOCs and traditional classroom teaching by limiting numbers of learners and imposing entry requirements. The emergence of SPOCs may provide a new mode of blended learning. In the light of the characteristics of SPOCs and the needs for teaching reform in colleges and universities， this paper develops a blended learning model based on SPOCs， using the case of the course C Language Programming Design to illustrate this SPOC-based blended teaching model. It is hoped that findings from the study may promote the application of SPOCs and MOOCs， and facilitate the transformation of education philosophy and teaching modes in higher education institutions.

Keywords： SPOCs； MOOCs； blended learning； mode

Micro Course Design： A Perspective from the Design

Theory of Problem Solving

Xie Yun， Chen Fangfang and Zhong Zhixian

This paper aims to develop an approach to designing micro courses， using the problem solving theory， which supports learners’ meaning learning. First， the concept and features of meaning learning are interpreted， and the characteristics of micro courses and core concepts of problem solving are described. The hypothesis that problem-solving-based micro courses is learner-centered meaning learning is illustrated in a theoretical perspective. Secondly， after analyzing the problem solving process and micro course learning process， this study builds a mapping relationship between them. It also discusses influential factors of problem solving and sorts out elements necessary for micro course design. Finally， it provides a micro course design model based on problem solving by integrating Curriculum Theory， ADDIE Instructional Design Model and Situated Cognition Theory.

Keywords： problem； problem solving； meaning learning； micro course； design model

Distance Education Resources： Co-construction and Sharing

Ran Lilong

Modern distance education in China has been developing rapidly since it implemented its pilot programs， but problems such as repetitive construction of teaching resources， not sharing quality resources， and insufficient service capabilities always exist due to lack of distance education resources co-construction and sharing mechanisms and platforms. The rapid development of cloud computing makes it possible to co-construct and share distance teaching resources and provide quality services. Based on the case study of co-construction and sharing of teaching resources by distance education colleges， this paper introduces resource sharing mechanisms including management， coordination， resource technology program， and standard specification. Design and operation of the management system， system structure and model of platform is discussed， and a two-year operation resource-sharing platform is finally analyzed. It is argued that findings from the study may have implications for the development and sharing of quality distance education resources in China.

Keywords： teaching resources； co-construction and sharing； cloud services； sharing platform