The Open Learning: Bridge to Success (B2S) project, which offers free and open content to break down barriers to learn, has been awarded the grant through the first wave of the Next Generation Learning Challenges (NGLC) program.
Starting with the challenge to meet core developmental mathematics requirements, "bridging" content will be offered in arithmetic fundamentals, pre- ‐algebra concepts, and learning to learn. The bridging approach applied in distance learning has been shown to increase learner capability and confidence, encourage participation, and contribute to progression and completion. B2S places complete bridging modules in the open, pilots them in the US College system and uses an approach that can scale for student success and achievement.
The Next Generation Learning Challenge that is supported by B2S is “Consortial Development of Open, Interactive Core Courseware.” B2S will use open access to high quality educational materials in order to increase the number and diversity of adults who are prepared not only to enroll in US colleges but also to be successful in their pursuit of a degree, certificate or professional certification and their chosen careers. Acquiring the skills to learn is a barrier to student success and the core area of Mathematics is a key to many further areas of study. In B2S these core areas are treated alongside support to develop methods for learning that help the transition into tertiary education and provide the skills needed for lifelong learning.
The partnership includes a strong consortium of institutions: Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), the University of Maryland University College (UMUC), and the Global Corporate College (GCC). These are combined with distance education experience and leadership from The Open University UK (OU) and expertise from MIT’s Office of Educational Innovation and Technology. The partnership is well placed to apply open approaches to address a key focus of today’s educational entities: getting under- ‐prepared students ready to successfully complete college- ‐level work. College students required to take remedial classes are an at- ‐risk population who may not achieve their academic, professional, and personal enrichment goals; reducing the need for remediation is known to improve college completion rates.
B2S will draw on funding of $750,000, together with additional resources from the main partners, to meet the ambitious goals and timescale of the project. These funds will support a phased approach to identify and release proven content, to refine and enhance the content, to develop additional content to pilot the approach within the US college system, to develop open access, and to research, reflect and report on the process. B2S content will be made available and piloted in selected institutions. The expectation is that at least 10 colleges and 750 students will participate in the pilot. The parallel development of open solutions available globally and freely to all will allow many more to take part in using the content. The reach for such content is likely to be around 30,000 users.
For more information:
Project Kaleidoscope - Open General Education Curriculum at Multi-Institutional Scale
Project Kaleidoscope seeks to reduce cost as a barrier to student completion; improve the prevalence and quality of adaptive OER in real-world curricula; and create sustainable institutionalizing strategies for collaborative OER deployment and enhancement across institutions in order to overcome various common barriers to adoption.
Office of Educational Innovation and Technology
Building NE48-308, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
Phone: (617) 252-1981; Fax: (617) 452-4044