OLAF - Online Learning and Fun

(2021 – atual)

Descrição: OLAF- Online Learning and Fun is a large-scale research project coordinated by Dr. Okada (PI) and Prof. Sheehy (Co-I) whose aim is to examine educational communities? views about fun in learning supported by technologies in Higher Education. Due to the COVID-19 virus pandemic, many schools and universities have adapted their curriculum to promote online learning. Consequently, understanding factors that influence learners? engagement and enjoyment with online studies has been foregrounded for many educators, and their students, for the first time. In this new context, being responsive to students? views about their learning and fun is an important part of developing online pedagogies that might support learner well-being. (Okada, 2020). Objectives OLAF project has three objectives: to refine and localise a self-reflective instrument for generating a large database globally; to cocreate a set of recommendations for innovating pedagogical practices; to increase the number of research studies and projects about fun in learning for promoting changes in the educational curriculum, practices, and policies. Methodology Our approach is underpinned by Responsible Research and Innovation and open data. The RRI principles adopted to support our methodology are: Diversity and inclusion: the study engages distinctive societal actors: students, teaching staff, educational researchers, professionals, and local policymakers. Transparency and openness: objectives, methodology, database, and preliminary and final findings are open to all participants Anticipation and reflexivity: all participants are informed about no implications for (non) participation; open data are generated through a self-reflective instrument Adaptation and responsiveness: a variety of approaches are adopted and adapted to engage participants in terms of age, gender, and nationality. A self-reflective instrument underpinned by previous studies (Sheehy et. al., 2019a; Sheehy et. al. 2019b) was designed to increase students? awareness of their epistemic beliefs and their views about online learning and ?fun?. Our findings will be used to provide recommendations to teaching staff, curriculum designers, and project teams to support students? enjoyment with learning enhanced by technologies. Our purpose is also to create opportunities for research groups to investigate new strategies to enrich online learning experiences in various contexts supported by innovative pedagogies, such as gamification, virtual and augmented reality, 360-annotation, story-animation, datification, inquiry mapping, and open schooling projects.