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In the last two decades, online computer-marked assignments (CMAs) have been widely used in accounting education. Although there is a growing body of research on this form of online assessment, most of the previous studies relied on small samples of respondents or focused on student self-report using survey methods. This exploratory mixed-method study aims to combine a quantitative analysis of learners’ academic performance on an online Financial Accounting course with a more in-depth exploration of learner experiences using qualitative methods. The quantitative findings suggest that student previous educational qualifications, age and experience of studying a similar subject are strongly associated with CMA completion, which is also linked to scores on other pieces of assessed work. The qualitative results show that from the learners’ perspective, diversifying assessment methods, introducing low-stakes assessment activities and creating opportunities for situational interest are viewed as key aspects of online CMA design. This paper concludes with discussing the implications of the study for designing and delivering online courses in accounting, particularly in the light of the growing popularity of massive open online courses (MOOCs).

Virtual learning environments (VLE) have in the past 15 years radically changed the way learning objects are spread among students and the way learners communicate with teachers. In parallel, social networks are now widely used by users with all kinds of profiles. Among social networks, Facebook is the one offering the largest array of functions and possibilities to be used as an open platform for various kinds of applications. That is why, in this chapter, we provide an overview of the possible use of Facebook as a VLE supporting a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). The authors distinguish generic functionalities that can be found in the three most popular xMOOC platforms as well as the relevant concepts needed for effective learning that are manipulated by such platforms. Then the authors evaluate how, within Facebook groups, features can be used to create a fully working MOOC environment. The authors distinguish notably class management, communication, collaboration, assessment, learning activity management and the possibilities for learning object management. Overall, the authors highlight that, except for the assessment, Facebook can support all of the functionalities required by a modern MOOC platform while offering a high social presence. While not vital for most MOOC followers, further developments can nevertheless be made to customise Facebook for ensuring this assessment functionality. The chapter can be used as guidance for an implementation of the social network as MOOC through the use of a Facebook group.

Adult learning has been significantly impacted by the massive open online courses (MOOCs). All the preceding literature have mentioned about MOOCs. The current study, however, aims to look into how the MOOC has affected higher education. This study looks into how MOOCs have affected higher education in Gwalior and the nearby areas. Its primary goal is to investigate the crucial elements of creating the teaching and learning processes employed in Gwalior and the surrounding areas by utilizing open-source courses (MOOCs) in higher education. An analytical and descriptive technique was used in this study. The required information was gathered using a quantitative survey. All academics and students in Gwalior and the surrounding areas made up the study population. The findings of the analyses show that MOOCs have a significant direct impact on higher education by enhancing educational achievements (p = 0.001), which is consistent with H1. Additionally, a 65% boost in educational results was attributed to MOOCs. The results demonstrate that MOOCs have a beneficial impact on higher education.

With the continuous development and penetration of the Internet, there have been vast amounts of changes to the traditional method of classroom teaching. The massive open online course (MOOC) shows a significant combination of network information technology and educational resources. However, in order to make up for the disadvantages which occur when making transition from classroom to online learning such as ‘large-scale’ and ‘no feedback’, the Online-to-Offline (O2O) mode was created and developed. Using the course of ‘microeconomics’ taught by Chinese university professors as a reference, this chapter aims at explaining the course design and innovation which is a modification of the outcomes-based education (OBE) theory, the introduction of O2O teaching reform and application. The process is carried out by firstly setting the expected learning goal of this course on the basis of the OBE educational goal of the university, college and the major; secondly, designing this course with ‘online 311 class’ and ‘offline 271 course’; thirdly, implementing the O2O teaching model; and lastly, evaluating the teaching result in order to provide some enlightenment for the tryout of ‘MOOC+O2O’ and OBE theory under the Internet background.

Having considered various types of pedagogy as well as technology affordances and multimedia learning principles, this chapter focuses on issues surrounding the representation and sharing of content using technology. Anderson & Krathwohl’s (2001) Taxonomy of Learning, Teaching and Assessing is examined as a means of conceptualizing different types of thinking processes in a way that can be applied across discipline areas. The representational requirements of different subject areas (English, mathematics, science, history, geography, and computing) are explored by means of examples, with reference to the role of technology and the range of possible tasks that may be utilized. Assessment issues as they relate to the representation of content are also considered. The broader contextual shift toward open education and sharing is discussed, including key drivers such as learning object repositories, open educational resources, Creative Commons licensing, and massive open online courses.

This chapter makes the case that school-related material and informally used content need to be considered equally important as complete, higher education (HE)-level courses when exploring how open education (OE) is used in practice. It provides a brief overview of several key HE and school-related OE projects, what they offer, their approximate reach and the significance of established brands, with short case studies of TES Connect, Khan Academy and TESSA. It also examines the evidence of impact on students, and how some of the projects counter criticism that they promote ‘closed’ forms of traditional, instructor-led education through blended and flipped teaching approaches or peer-led learning.

The purpose of the chapter is to explore how OE sites are used in practice by examining some of the key projects that provide free materials to students and teachers.

This chapter provides an overview of some of the biggest OE providers online, drawing particular attention to those that provide school-level material instead of just HE-level resources. It examines the motives of open education resources (OER) users, and provides mini case studies of a selection of HE-level and school-level projects. It also explores the reach and impact of the schemes, the significance of brand and the criticism that they simply provide a new form of ‘closed’ education. This provides a handy overview of key OE projects and an introduction to the significance of school-related projects. It should be a source of material of special interest to those involved in teacher training or development, or in OE from either a school or a university.

This chapter makes an original case for school teachers to have greater recognition in the discussion about OE, and reveals a finding from an international poll of more than a quarter of million teachers who use OE resources with their students.

Findings of this chapter indicate that the significance of school-level OE has been underestimated, given the extent of user-generated teaching material available and teachers’ powers to multiply the reach of a single downloaded resource to several classes of students.

The overview however is not exhaustive, and the author stresses the problematic nature of attempting to compare projects that deliver different kinds of content for different contexts.

Customised executive education, designed for and delivered to individual client companies by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), differs in important ways from award-bearing courses. One area in which these differences are surprisingly extensive is in the use of technology. We explore the impact of technology-enhanced learning (TEL) on course design, delivery and evaluation of customised executive education. In doing so, we contrast this form of learning with MOOCs, which use TEL in a different way, for a different audience.

We begin with the ‘two-client’ problem. In customised executive programmes, course design is done collaboratively between the HEI and the corporate client, reflecting the particular learning needs of the selected participants as perceived by the commissioning client. We find that the level of TEL in any programme will reflect the learning needs, and also the level of TEL sophistication, of both client and academics.

We then consider the successful integration of TEL into customised executive education. TEL can enrich a course great, but will also mean a loss of academic control, as a significant amount of the learning will be peer-to-peer, and much of the information-gathering can take place outside the classroom.

We conclude with the outcomes and success measures of customised executive education. The institutional disruption of TEL to the HEI is considerable, as their traditional business model is based on rewarding academics for research and for classroom-hours. This needs to be rethought where the classroom element is reduced, but there is constant online interaction with participants.

Open Courseware, in many ways, was the starting point towards mainstream discussion and adoption of open learning, particularly in higher education. In its first iteration, the concept specifically excluded assessment recognition, and credentialisation, which aims to ‘liberate’ knowledge without shattering the designing, teaching and awarding processes traditional education has relied upon for decades, if not centuries.

For an extended period of time education was mainly formal, that is a system with clear roles, goals and responsibilities. Education resembled an immutable and closed system with few, if any, connections to other parts of society. However, during the last century significant changes occurred in many areas of society, culminating in global reform movements to democratise education and to increase participation by opening up education. A current and prominent example of such a movement is Open Educational Resources (OER), which is a global attempt to facilitate the flow of knowledge, reduce the costs of education, and establish an educational system based on humanistic and moral values (i.e. sharing). Yet, recent developments are progressing at such an accelerated speed that it is hard to predict the ‘real’ value of OERs for educational purposes. Also, within OER little reference has been made to previous forms of Open Education, such as Open Classroom/Open Learning in the 1960s and 1970s or to the even older German progressive education (Reformpädagogik). Current OE forms can be characterised as a mixture of economical (‘education as a commodity’), moral (‘education as a common good’) and social (‘education as a shared enterprise’) claims, each of which contribute to the emergence of Open Education. This introductory chapter attempts to set the stage for a sound engagement with openness in education. It provides a conceptual framework that discusses major developments throughout the history of Open Education from a philosophical standpoint. Special attention will be paid to the concept of Bildung (self-realisation, self-cultivation) as an in-depth theory that can not only inform what happens when learners utilise OER but also allows one to reflect on the impact of OER on society. Selected cases of Open Education will be reviewed and then framed with the theory of Bildung. Eventually, this will lead to a set of lessons learned that are aimed at guiding current debates on Open Education.