Open Praxis is a peer-reviewed open access scholarly journal focusing on research and innovation in open, distance and flexible education. It is published by the International Council for Open and Distance Education - ICDE. The aim of Open Praxis is to provide a forum for global collaboration and discussion of issues in the practice of distance and e-learning. Open Praxis welcomes contributions which demonstrate creative and innovative research, and which highlight challenges, lessons and achievements in the practice of distance and e-learning from all over the world. An article may present research or surveys of recent work, describe original work, or discuss new technology and its possibilities, implications and/or other related issues.

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The Globethics library contains articles of the Open Praxis as of vol. 1(2007) to current.

Recent Submissions

  • Will Artificial Intelligence Enable Open Universities to Regain their Past Glory in the 21st Century?

    Junhong Xiao (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    Leveraging technology to break the iron triangle of access, cost, and quality is a legacy of open universities (OUs), becoming a source of inspiration for higher education in general. Today, OUs face increasing competition from conventional universities, no longer enjoying the first-mover advantages as they did in the earlier years. Can artificial intelligence (AI) enable OUs to stay competitive in the 21st century as other technologies did in the past? This paper first reviews literature on the affordances or (potential) uses of AI for open and distance education and then examines the implications of these affordances for OUs in terms of quality, cost, and access. It concludes by arguing for a systems approach to exploring how OUs can remain open as to people and places as well as to methods and ideas by making creative and innovative uses of AI.
  • Communicational Model: Typology of Academic Writing Assessment in Spanish in Higher Education

    Benito Ilich Suárez-Bedolla; Francisco Cervantes-Pérez; Beatriz Feijoó-Fernández (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    A common diagnosis in the literature is that the writing of Spanish speakers is generally a structural problem. The writing of 81 university students was analysed by classifying the teacher’s comments based on 11 variables that were recorded once during a continuous evaluation that supported the assessment. The techniques used were Content Analysis, Cluster Analysis and Self-Study. Four Clusters were identified in which the dominant conception of communication is broken down, while one Cluster was identified with the alternative conception of communication. This expresses compliance with the task instructions, while the remaining Clusters show progressive non-compliance in various measures. The five Clusters form a typology and, with the theoretical assumption of the identification of the respective conceptions, correspond to a situated communication model. It could be applied in the planning of teaching workloads, as well as in the semi-automatic checking of written productions through the implementation of AI solutions.
  • Book Review of Athena Unbound: Why and How Scholarly Knowledge Should be Free for All

    David Chun Yin Li (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    Athena Unbound: Why and How Scholarly Knowledge Should be Free for All, by Peter Baldwin, Cambridge, MA, MIT Press, 2023, 360 pp., US$35.00 (hardcover), also available as open access eBook https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/14887.001.0001, ISBN 978-0-2620-4800-2 (hardcover), ISBN 978-0-2623-7395-1 (EPUB), ISBN 978-0-2623-7396-8 (PDF).
  • Cultivating Awareness: A Framework for Online Learning in Open Distance Learning

    Faiza Gani; Geesje van den Berg (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    Distance education institutions worldwide are adopting online learning to take advantage of its benefits. However, online learning is often seen as a mode of delivery that will work for any distance education institution in any context. The increased relevance of online learning during and after the COVID-19 pandemic has further exaggerated the adoption of online learning, which requires ongoing research on the actual use of online learning, and this study responds to this need. Therefore, this study aimed to determine how online learning is used in an open distance learning (ODL) context. A case study on the implementation of online learning was conducted at an ODL university in South Africa. Data were collected through open-ended questionnaires, interviews, and non-participant online observation. Participants were purposefully selected academics from various colleges in the university. Findings reveal that awareness of educational choices in the online environment appeared to be neglected. Based on the findings, the study presents a framework for online learning in ODL. It is built on the concept of awareness, and we argue that the integration of online learning should be carefully curated and planned with intentional institutional, lecturer, and student awareness. The principles of the theories of transactional distance, the community of inquiry, social constructivism and heutagogy should guide the operationalisation of each type of awareness presented in the framework.
  • Exploring MOOC Learners’ Behavioural Patterns Considering Age, Gender and Number of Course Enrolments: Insights for Improving Educational Opportunities

    Nergiz Ercil CAGILTAY; Sacip Toker; Kursat Cagiltay (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) now offer a variety of options for everyone to obtain a high-quality education. The purpose of this study is to better understand the behaviours of MOOC learners and provide some insights for taking actions that benefit larger learner groups. Accordingly, 2,288,559 learners’ behaviours on 174 MITx courses were analysed. The results show that MOOCs are more attractive to the elderly, male, and highly educated groups of learners. Learners’ performance improves as they register for more courses and improve their skills and experiences on MOOCs. The findings suggest that, in the long run, learners’ adaptation to MOOCs will significantly improve the potential benefits of the MOOCs. Hence, MOOCs should continue by better understanding their learners and providing alternative instructional designs by considering different learner groups. MOOC providers’ decision-makers may take these findings into account when making operational decisions.
  • The Mixed-Bag Impact of Online Proctoring Software in Undergraduate Courses

    Jill Oeding; Theresa Gunn; Jamie Seitz (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    This quantitative study is designed to help educational institutions and instructors make informed decisions regarding the use of online proctoring software. The researchers studied the impact of proctoring software in online courses by comparing the final grades of two groups of online, undergraduate students who took the same online course with the same professor who administered virtually the same content, with and without proctoring software. The overall sample included 252 students in six different undergraduate courses. When regressing all six courses together, the data did not show that the addition of proctoring software created a significantly lower course grade. The researchers then regressed the data of each individual undergraduate course, with the addition of independent variables, which had a mixed-bag of results. Interestingly, an undergraduate business course showed that the use of proctoring software reduced course grades while other courses produced interesting significant findings relative to gender and attendance status.
  • Personalized Education for All: The Future of Open Universities

    Insung Jung (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    This paper charts a forward-looking roadmap for open universities, drawing upon their historical evolution and current practices. It advocates a shift toward a universally accessible, personalized education system. At the heart of this proposed advancement lies the customization of learning paths and experiences, where individualized advising and mentorship, and a variety of learning content, resources, and environments are essential. The study underscores the importance of integrating advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain into the open and distance education system. Within the discourse, the paper delineates three primary areas for open universities to address: system transformation, expansion of openness, and integration of digital innovation. The concluding part of the paper offers possible strategic recommendations for policymakers and researchers of open universities. The essence of these recommendations is advocating for a universally personalized educational paradigm while making a strong case for addressing the digital divide, fostering strong partnerships at both global and community levels, and supporting the use of the latest technology to its fullest potential. By navigating this transformative journey, open universities are not just participating in the evolution of educational models but also poised to lead a revolution in the broader landscape of higher education.
  • Assistant, Parrot, or Colonizing Loudspeaker? ChatGPT Metaphors for Developing Critical AI Literacies

    Anuj Gupta; Yasser Atef; Anna Mills; Maha Bali (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    This study explores how discussing metaphors for AI can help build awareness of the frames that shape our understanding of AI systems, particularly large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT. Given the pressing need to teach “critical AI literacy”, discussion of metaphor provides an opportunity for inquiry and dialogue with space for nuance, playfulness, and critique. Using a collaborative autoethnographic methodology, we analyzed metaphors from a range of sources, and reflected on them individually according to seven questions, then met and discussed our interpretations. We then analyzed how our reflections contributed to the three kinds of literacies delineated in Selber’s multiliteracies framework: functional, critical and rhetorical. These allowed us to analyze questions of ethics, equity, and accessibility in relation to AI. We explored each metaphor along the dimension of whether or not it was promoting anthropomorphizing, and to what extent such metaphors imply that AI is sentient. Our findings highlight the role of metaphor reflection in fostering a nuanced understanding of AI, suggesting that our collaborative autoethnographic approach as well as the heuristic model of plotting AI metaphors on dimensions of anthropomorphism and multiliteracies, might be useful for educators and researchers in the pursuit of advancing critical AI literacy.
  • GenAI et al.: Cocreation, Authorship, Ownership, Academic Ethics and Integrity in a Time of Generative AI

    Aras Bozkurt (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2024-02-01)
    This paper investigates the complex interplay between generative artificial intelligence (AI) and human intellect in academic writing and publishing. It examines the ‘organic versus synthetic’ paradox, emphasizing the implications of using generative AI tools in educational and academic integrity contexts. The paper critiques the prevalent ‘publish or perish’ culture in academia, highlighting the need for systemic reevaluation due to generative AI’s emerging role in academic writing and reporting. It delves into the legal and ethical challenges of authorship and ownership, especially in relation to copyright laws and AI-generated content. The paper discusses generative AI’s diverse roles and advocates for transparent reporting to uphold academic integrity. Additionally, it calls for a broader examination of generative AI tools and stresses the need for new mechanisms to identify generative AI use and ensure adherence to academic integrity and ethics. The implications of generative AI are also explored, suggesting the need for innovative AI-inclusive strategies in academia. The paper concludes by emphasizing the significance of generative AI in various information-processing domains, highlighting the urgency to adapt and transform academic practices in an era of rapid generative AI-driven change.
  • Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) and Governmental Open Educational Resources (OER) Policies: Instruments of International Policy Influence

    Igor Lesko; Paquita Perez Salgado; Herman van den Bosch (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    Intergovernmental Organisations (IGOs) have been playing a prominent role in the Open Educational Resources (OER) movement in advocating for and supporting the development of governmental OER policies. Research shows that IGOs perform multiple roles in influencing national and global education policy processes and possess multiple policy instruments with which they can assert their influence. We adopted the conceptual framework of policy instruments to understand the types of policy instruments applied by the selected IGOs. We carried out semi-structured interviews with representatives from four important IGOs. Results show that the selected IGOs collectively used discursive dissemination, funding, technical assistance, standard-setting and coordinative functions OER policy instruments to influence the development of governmental OER policies. We report on the perceived and observed successes of these IGOs OER policy instruments and the related challenges. We discuss relevant findings and their implications for further research and activities of IGOs.
  • University Lecturers’ Feelings, Awareness and Attitudes Towards Open Education Resources: Experience from Two Higher Learning Institutions in Tanzania

    Christian Mubofu; Elias Kainkwa (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    This study explored university lecturers ‘feelings, awareness, and attitudes toward Open Education Resources (OERs). The study focused on two higher learning institutions based in Tanzania. It was conducted through a quantitative approach. Data were collected using a questionnaire from 52 lecturers who were purposively selected. The collected data were subjected to Statistical Product and Service Solutions version 20 computer program for calculation of descriptive Statistics. A descriptive analysis was used to analyze the obtained data, which were then presented in frequencies and percentages in tables. Findings indicate that the sampled lecturers from the higher learning institutions are moderately aware of the OERs. Regarding the feelings of lecturers over the use of OER, the collected data have revealed that a majority of the lecturers believed in OERs, are happy for those who adopt their OERs, and that they feel that OERs enhance the reputation of their institutions. In terms of lecturers’ attitudes toward OERs, a majority of the lecturers strongly agreed that OERs are more beneficial to the academic and research communities. The study concludes that a majority of the study participants are moderately aware of the OERs and believe in them and that they are pleased when people adopt their OERs. The study suggests that there should be training and supporting lecturers who have unfavorable sentiments towards OERs so that they can change and use the program for their academic and research activities and advancement.
  • A Conceptual Approach to Transform and Enhance Academic Mentorship: Through Open Educational Practices

    Javiera Atenas; Chrissi Nerantzi; Anna Bussu (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    This paper offers guidance for policymakers and institutions keen on embracing Open Educational Practices within their mentorship strategies, advocating for co-creation and collaboration as foundational principles, to promote a wide range of open practices to foster transparency, inclusivity, creativeness, innovation and collaboration in academic mentorship. This conceptual paper explores the transformative potential of Open Educational Practices in the context of academic mentorship, which is per-se an open practice. We have adopted an integrative approach for our literature review, which is a non-systematic model, to help us to mitigate algorithmic biases presented in scholarly databases, for analysing and discussing literature, alongside the review of case studies to explore the intersection of open practices and mentorship in academia. We aim to highlight the profound impact mentorship has on professional development, knowledge dissemination, and collaborative learning. Drawing on a diverse selection of literature and case studies reflecting mentorship programmes both formally and informally in academic contexts, this paper provides concrete examples from practice of how Open Educational Practices can be seamlessly integrated into formal and informal academic mentorship as a driver to enhance knowledge sharing, foster inclusivity, and bolster the quality of mentorship relationships.
  • Unleashing the potential of generative AI, conversational agents and chatbots in educational praxis: A systematic review and bibliometric analysis of GenAI in education

    Aras Bozkurt (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    In the rapidly evolving landscape of education, the pivotal axis around which transformation revolves is human-AI interaction. In this sense, this paper adopts a data mining and analytic approach to understand what the related literature tells us regarding the trends and patterns of generative AI research in educational praxis. Accordingly, this systematic exploration spotlights the following research themes: Interaction and communication with generative AI-powered chatbots; impact of the LLMs and generative AI on teaching and learning, conversational educational agents and their opportunities, challenges, and implications; leveraging Generative AI for enhancing social and cognitive learning processes; promoting AI literacy for unleashing future opportunities; harnessing Generative AI to expand academic capabilities, and lastly, augmenting educational experiences through human-AI interaction. Beyond the identified research themes and patterns, this paper argues that emotional intelligence, AI literacy, and prompt engineering are the trending research topics that require further exploration. Accordingly, it's in this praxis that emotional intelligence emerges as a pivotal attribute, as AI systems' ability to discern and respond to nuanced emotional cues plays a substantial role in the efficacy of educational interactions. Generative AI literacy then takes center stage, becoming an indispensable asset in an era permeated with AI technologies, equipping students with the tools to critically engage with AI systems, thereby ensuring they become active, discerning users of these powerful tools. Concurrently, prompt engineering, the art of crafting queries that yield precise and valuable responses from AI systems, empowers both educators and students to maximize the utility of AI-driven educational resources.
  • Foregrounding Care in Online Student Engagement in a South African E-learning University

    Thembeka Shange (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    This study reports how ethics of care principles were foregrounded in a first-year English module offered at an open distance e-learning (ODeL) university in South Africa to enhance online student engagement. Current research indicates that online student engagement predicts student success; however, there is a paucity of how ethics of care principles can be foregrounded in online student interaction to enhance student participation. The researcher used an action research approach to explore the students’ and lecturers’ interactions in this module. Their interactions on the discussion forum over four semesters were carefully analysed to establish whether ethics of care principles were displayed. Interviews were also conducted with the lecturers concerned to determine their views on care ethics. Data was also collected through pre- and post-student evaluations of the module, and evaluations of the virtual class conducted during the semester. The key findings indicated that the students understood care as collaboration and respect in online interactions. Despite the lecturers displaying little or no awareness of the principles, their comments resonated with some care principles. Future research should focus on how the ethics of care principles can be integrated into online interaction while teaching an online English module.
  • The Impact of Open Educational Resource Professional Development for Teachers in Secondary Education

    Kelly Arispe; Amber Hoye; Katie Palmer (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    Scholars suggest that when teachers retain, reuse, revise, remix, and redistribute Open Educational Resources (OER), the process of OER-enabled Pedagogy (OEP), they not only gain high-quality, digital teaching materials, but they also transform their teaching (Wiley, et al., 2017). Nonetheless, OEP is not an automatic outcome of using OER, rather it is dependent upon practicing key competencies through strategic professional development (PD). This paper reports a mixed-methods case study that contemplates the impacts of PD on OEP with five secondary education teachers, an under-investigated population. The findings reveal that small-scale PD can be successful in growing knowledge about OER, but that OEP is only catalyzed when teachers are required to reuse the OER in their classroom. Furthermore, small-scale PD cannot combat barriers like digital and information literacy that impede engagement in OEP efficiently and this may ultimately prohibit its sustainability in secondary contexts.
  • Crisis-Based Remote Education: A Comprehensive Model

    William H. Stewart; Patrick R. Lowenthal (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    The COVID-19 pandemic revealed significant gaps in institutions’ ability to maintain education under crisis conditions, which is now commonly referred to as Emergency Remote Teaching (ERT). A critical analysis of the literature reveals that ERT is a label that does not differentiate adequately between the different ways ERT manifested worldwide and over time. In this conceptual paper, we analyze empirical research on remote teaching conducted over single, double, and three+ learning terms. Our analysis shows not only multiple possible phases of remote education but also different stages, scopes, and pathways between them. The proposed model in this paper can be used to analyze current literature, ground future research, and serve as a foundation for developing protocols and practices to proactively maintain education when exigent circumstances demand remote teaching over the short-, mid-, and long-term.
  • Book Review: Teaching in the Online Classroom: Surviving and Thriving in the New Normal

    S. Haslinda Mukhtar; M. Khalid M. Nasir (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-11-01)
    Lemov, D. (eds.) (2020). Teaching in The Online Classroom: Surviving and Thriving in The New Normal. San Francisco: Jossy-Bass. ISBN 9781-119-762-935.
  • Critiquing Sustainable Openness in Technology-Based Education from the Perspective of Cost-Effectiveness and Accessibility

    Junhong Xiao (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-09-01)
    The over-exaggeration of technology’s role in education has dominated the landscape of research, often resulting in the negligence of other important issues. This article critiques openness in technology-based education from the perspective of sustainability, put more specifically, cost-effectiveness and accessibility, both of which have direct impact on sustainable openness. It first reviews the purpose of using technology in education advocated in strategy documents, namely using technology to break the iron triangle of access, cost, and quality, hence increasing openness in high-quality education. It contends that technology-based education cannot be sustainably open without both cost-effectiveness and accessibility. Nevertheless, sustainable openness is an under-researched theme according to the findings from a review of 3,059 primary studies conducted in this article. The article then goes on to rethink sustainable openness in the digital age, arguing that technology-based education should be cost-effective to educational institutions and students alike and cater for socio-economic diversity and disparity, among other things, to ensure sustainable openness to all. It concludes by calling for a critical approach to researching technology-based education with the aim of achieving high quality, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility at the same time and opening up education to all.
  • The Relationship between Satisfaction, Interaction, E-learning Readiness, and Academic Achievement in Online Learning

    Ayşe Bağrıacık Yılmaz (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-09-01)
    In this study, the relationship between students’ e-learning readiness, perceptions of interaction in online learning environments, satisfaction, and academic achievement was examined. The research was conducted according to correlational study principles. The academic achievement variable of the study was determined based on the final exam grades of the students, and three separate scales were used for other variables. The data of the study were obtained from 212 students who received fully online education. The data obtained were analyzed by structural equation modelling method. According to the results of the study, e-learning readiness and interaction perception are predictors of satisfaction in online learning environments. The effect of interaction on satisfaction was found to be higher. There is a moderate relationship between student-content and student-instructor interaction dimensions of interaction and satisfaction. There is a low level relationship between many dimensions of e-learning readiness and satisfaction. However, e-learning readiness, interaction, and satisfaction are not predictors of academic achievement. Moreover, no significant relationship was found between e-learning readiness and interaction. Based on the findings of the study, various comments and suggestions were made regarding better online learning environments.
  • Book Review: Handbook of Open, Distance, and Digital Education

    Berrin Cefa (International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE), 2023-09-01)
    Zawacki-Richter, O., & Jung, I. (Eds.). (2023). Handbook of Open, Distance and Digital Education. Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-2080-6

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