Open, interdisciplinary and collaborative educational innovation to train in energy sustainability through MOOC: perception of competency development

Abstract

This research on open, interdisciplinary and collaborative innovations called, "MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses)," analyzes the responses of 2799 participants about their perceptions of achieving their professional development goals and the competencies they sought to have acquired by the end of the course compared to their expectations at the time of course registration. The first four MOOCs analyzed covered topics in Energy Sustainability and were offered in 2017-2018 with a total of 17,210 participants. This research used a mixed methodology to analyze the responses of the participants of these online courses on energy sustainability (offered by the Binational Energy Laboratory Project: https ://energ ialab .tec.mx/). The results show that the participants of the MOOC do perceive that they have developed professionally in training on energy issues and that they now have open to them new business opportunities and new professional relationships. In addition, through successful completion of the MOOC, they have strengthened their perseverance and self-study skills as well as the use of information and communication technologies. The students' time management is perceived as one of the principle challenges in the learning processes of MOOCs.

Open and Collaborative Innovation for the Social Construction of Learning: Descriptive Analysis of an xMOOC Design

“…This collaboration between multidisciplinary experts was supported by the National Institute of Science, Technology, and Research of Mexico (CONACYT), the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and the Tecnologico de Monterrey (TEC) (Cachay-Huamán & Ramírez-Hernández, 2019). The MOOCs were designed considering a profile of participants interested in online training programs for energy sustainability, over 17 years of age, and who had completed secondary education (Burgos, 2020).…”

“…It can arise through links (cooperation, alliances, joint activities) or interactive processes in which open innovation generates current and future knowledge flows (Chesbrough et al, 2014), acquiring and absorbing knowledge from external sources in its innovation activities (inbound or internal), and outward when intentionally allowing others to use knowledge or ideas for their innovation activities (OECD/Eurostat, 2018). From these multiple contributions, the collaboration work of the team of experts can create new innovative opportunities for training people during their lives (Cachay-Huama´n & Ramı´rez-Herna´ndez, 2019). Consequently, this dynamic in open innovation processes opens possibilities for the flow of knowledge and the social construction of learning.…”

“…mx/) through the Me´xicoX platform. Within the team of experts who participated in the design and production of this xMOOC were educators with innovative synergy who worked with two research groups: ''The Energy and Climate Change'' group of the Faculty of Engineering and the ''Research and Innovation in Education'' group of the Faculty of Humanities and Education.This collaboration between multidisciplinary experts was supported by the National Institute of Science, Technology, and Research of Mexico (CONACYT), the Ministry of Energy (SENER) and the Tecnologico de Monterrey (TEC)(Cachay-Huama´n & Ramı´rez- Herna´ndez, 2019). The MOOCs were designed considering a profile of participants interested in online training programs for energy sustainability, over 17 years of age, and who had completed secondary education…”

Literature Review on MOOCs on Sensory (Olfactory) Learning

“…These courses respond to the challenges that educational and training institutions face in critical times such as these. MOOCs, in fact, represent quality training at a low cost [2]. While there is limited official study into the nascent discipline, many fans of the format have enthusiastically embraced its implementation.…”