Finding a HERO in Taiwan in Open and Online Education

Episode #219 of Silver Lining for Learning will focus on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) and open education in Taiwan. We will have guests from the Research Center of Higher Educational Resources for Openness (HERO) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University. The platform they use is called ewant. Ewant is an Open Education Platform established in 2013 by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Taiwan. More on this is below.

About the Ewant Open education platform: https://www.ewant.org/

The ewant Open Education Platform, established in 2013 by National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) in Taiwan, is a pioneering initiative in the realm of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). As Taiwan's first MOOCs platform, ewant has made significant strides in democratizing education, offering over 1,100 courses to a diverse audience that includes more than 650,000 enrollments. This platform collaborates with 110 educational institutions and organizations to provide high-quality learning resources across various disciplines. Over the past two years, approximately 200,000 registered users were high school students.

Ewant aims to enhance accessibility to education by breaking geographical barriers and offering courses in both Mandarin and English. Its innovative approach includes hybrid learning models that combine online and offline experiences, fostering peer-to-peer interaction and collaboration among learners. The platform has gained international recognition for its engaging content and successful partnerships, such as its collaboration with the National Palace Museum and renowned educators like Professor Barbara Oakley. With a commitment to promoting lifelong learning, ewant continues to expand its course offerings, including specialized programs in emerging fields like Artificial Intelligence and Medical Science. One notable achievement is the collaboration with the National Palace Museum, which resulted in the award-winning course "A Visit to Treasures in National Palace Museum." This course received a gold medal at the 2021 World Fest Houston International Film and Video Festival, highlighting its innovative approach to education and cultural engagement.

Additionally, ewant partnered with Professor Barbara Oakley to create a Chinese version of the highly popular course "Learning How to Learn." This collaboration expanded the course's reach, allowing Mandarin-speaking students to benefit from its insights into effective learning strategies. The platform also launched a high school version and a teacher education variant, further enhancing its educational offerings. Courses like "Mandatory Credits for College Students: Emotional Education," developed by Professor Fei-Juan Chen, have seen significant enrollment success, with over 30,000 students participating in its first semester on a major credit-sharing platform in China. Such initiatives demonstrate ewant's commitment to providing accessible, high-quality education that resonates with diverse audiences and fosters global connections among learners.

Sample project: NYCU Partners with VIS to Launch Digital Semiconductor Course: Advancing Educational Equity and Providing Quality Resources for Remote and Offshore High Schools: https://www.nycu.edu.tw/nycu/en/app/news/view?module=headnews&id=552&serno=fcf843a0-00da-4a97-b26d-bcb89cffaac8

Kenzen Chen, Associate Professor of e-Learning; and also Associate Dean of the College of humanities, arts, and social sciences; Associate Director of Higher Education Resources for Openness (HERO Center); Associate Director of faculty choir (many associates, LOL); National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan.

Dr. Ken-Zen Chen is an Associate Professor at the Institute of Education at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan starting September 2015. Prior to becoming an academic, Kenzen was an instructional designer and research analyst at eCampus Center, Boise State University, Idaho, U.S.A. Kenzen specialized in retention research & provided instructional design consultation to support the design & delivery of online courses & programs at Boise State. In line with the state government’s mission of Complete College Idaho 2020, he assisted with learning analytics to improve online student success and provide faculty support with research collaborations for online scholarship of teaching & learning. Kenzen completed his Ph.D. in math, science & technology education in 2012, & M.S. in applied statistics in 2010 from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC); he also received an M.A in curriculum & instruction & a B.Ed. from National Taiwan Normal University (NTNU). With his experience in educational foundations, MIS, and instructional design tools, he has broad research interests & backgrounds in the areas of educational technology, learning sciences, big-data analytics in education, and curriculum & instruction. Starting 2016, Dr. Chen collaborates with Dr. Barbara Oakley to transform her famous “Learning How To Learn” MOOC into a series of culturally responsive MOOCs for Chinese-speaking learners and won great success. Currently, the “landing” LHTL is onboarding in five MOOC platforms and one Podcast platform. Dr. Chen uses these MOOCs as research sites to generate a sustainable model for MOOC development. Presently, Kenzen co-directs the ewant Open Education Platform (https://ewant.org, literally: the education you want) - Taiwan’s flagship Mass Open Online Courses platform.

Dr. Hsin-Yun Wang (Jill)

Dr. Jo-Chi Hsiao (Anna)

• Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Center for Teacher Education at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology;
• Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University;
• Community leader of Dance with Stars, a professional learning network for high school English teachers in Taiwan
• English teacher at National Hsinchu Senior High School

Her research focuses on teacher professional development, TESOL, and Computer Assisted Language Learning

Dr. Wen-Li Chang (Wendy)

Post Doc Fellow, Institute of Education, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

Lecturer, General Education Center and Language Center, National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan

Lecturer, Department of English and Language Center, National Changhua University of Education, Taiwan

Her research field encompasses English-medium instruction, technology-enhanced language learning, self-regulated language learning, and open educational practices.

Dr. Yi-Fang Lo (Elva)

English Teacher and The Chief of Curriculum, Yong Zhen Elementary School, Miaoli County, Taiwan

Doctoral Student, Institute of Education, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taiwan

Lecturer, Cool English website, MOE (The Ministry of Education), Taiwan

Review Expert of Examination, “Test My English” CEFR English Test System, MOE (The Ministry of Education), Taiwan

Community leader, a professional learning network for elementary school English teachers in Taiwan

Research fields:

• motivation on English learning
• online escape room game design on learning
• technology-enhanced language learning in elementary education
• self-regulated language learning

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