OE Global 2019

In order to promote open educational practices (OEP) among practitioners, four Continuing Professional Development MOOCs (CPD MOOCs) were designed and developed using scenario-based learning (SBL) as a pedagogical framework. Specific learning outcomes for each CPD MOOC were formulated in line with the key competency to be achieved by the learners. This was, ‘the ability to integrate OER and adopt OEP in professional practice’. As part of the SBL approach, learners were situated in authentic learning scenarios, where they faced challenges in the form of learning/assessment tasks. To facilitate the completion of these tasks and the challenges they posed, three inter-linked learning/assessment tasks were designed, supported with learning resources. These were: 1.) An individual ‘creation’ of an artefact to promote creative learning; 2.) Sharing of the creations in a peer-facilitated discussion forum to encourage collaborative learning and 3.) Writing of a self-reflection to promote reflective learning. An in-depth content analysis of these three types of assessment tasks submitted by a group of fifteen practitioners who successfully completed all four CPD MOOCs was conducted to ascertain the effects of the SBL design strategies adopted in the CPD MOOCs on their professional development. This paper explores the effects of the specific design strategies of the learning/assessment tasks on the professional development of practitioners, in relation to the adoption of OEP in their professional practice.