Open and Online Education

This special interest group focuses on the use of technologies for teaching and learning in engineering education, with a preference for open, online, data-driven, inclusive education. As mobile, always online technologies become ubiquitous, education will follow in its use. This puts demands on educational design, as new technologies require new forms of instruction (e.g. different and new teaching and learning practices). In addition, the increasing availability of learner data from these systems, offers opportunities for data analytics, and the creation of truly adaptive educational systems, using analytics to determine learner progress. The special interest group is interested in the practitioner-level approach to open and online technologies for education; its design, the implementation and the results outcomes, and the use of data analysis to improve and support learning.

The special interest group studies open and online technologies for higher engineering education (HEE) and advocates their use, with three lines of innovative technologies having its special interest:

• Those that remove barriers and provide more students with access to HEE.
• Those that innovate HEE by making new educational designs and formats possible.
• Those that help advance the development of more personalized education by introducing evidence-based, data-driven educational practices and designs.

Special interest group’s objectives

• Put the topic of ‘Open and Online Education’ on the agenda.
• Keep up with current trends in the field.
• Provide a platform for those interested in the topic to connect and work together on research.
• Facilitate meetings and workshops on the topic of ‘Open and Online Education’.
• Connect to mainstream policies and discussions in this field.
• Coordinate with other special interest groups (e.g. Curriculum Development, Gender and Diversity) and set up inter-special interest group collaborations.

Special interest group’s activities

• Have an online special interest group presence and networked resource base; use the SEFI website SIG domain as the main channel for group communication.
• Use social media to provide a continuous flow of information.
• Establish a community of special interest group members.
• Connect members and non-members to jointly work together on research and publications.
• Have a presence at the SEFI Annual Conference.
• Organizing themed workshops at the SEFI Annual Conference.

Membership of the special interest group

• The special interest group invites all those interested from the SEFI community and beyond to join.
• Members should preferably be active in the field and willing to actively contribute to the realization of the special interest group’s objectives.
• Members are encouraged to attend the SEFI Annual Conference.