Open social learning in higher education. Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

The paper analyzes the potential of Open Social Learning (osl) in distance higher education. After discussing several aspects about the most widespread technological tools in this areas, as the Learning Management Systems (lms), the osl concept and its most important characteristics are reviewed: the openness idea, the social character and the centrality of the learning process. We review the opportunities offered to facilitate aspects such as the generation of personal learning environments (ple), the creation of a community; the validation of collective content, etc. However, the introduction of osl generates reticence and presents challenges for its integration in higher education systems, challenges that are also analyzed and that are linked, primarily, to the management process on the change of the process of the pedagogical model and the evaluation of learning.