UCTMOOCs have been the site of investigations for several researchers, including CILT's multi-year collaborative projects.
The outputs are listed of articles and dissertations listed in date order from most recent.
2025
Mdlulwa, N. (2025) Inclusive education teacher empowerment and collaborative intent within communities of practice in online spaces, PhD Dissertation, Education, University of Johannesburg. https://hdl.handle.net/10210/515432
Mdlulwa, N., & Sefotho, M. M. (2025) Empowered teachers, stronger schools: a collaborative approach to equity and inclusion in South Africa. Cogent Education, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/2331186X.2025.2590916
Samuels, C. (2025) Utilising a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC): a narrative inquiry on the experiences of caregivers in special care centres with online professional development. Masters Thesis, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Division of Disability Studies. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42071
Thomson, David; Pandaram, Brian; Hardcastle, Timothy; Adeleke, Olukayode; Brand, Martin; Noel, Kiera (2025) Teaching organ donation - An 8-year experience of a massive open online course. Transplantation 109(12S):p S3, December 2025. | DOI: 10.1097/01.tp.0001174716.08614.9d
2024
Mabhele, M.C. (2024) MOOCs and access to higher education by South African underprivileged learners. Masters Thesis, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Commerce, Department of Information Systems. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/41028
2021
Deane, N. (2021) Promoting Inclusive Higher Education in the digital age: Wrapping massive open online courses (MOOCs) for youth from marginalised communities in South Africa. Masters Thesis, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Commerce, Graduate School of Business (GSB). http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33694
Mdlulwa, N. (2021) How do South African Educator's experiences of an online learning course prepare them to adopt inclusive education practices? Masters Thesis, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/35932
2020
Adam, T. (2020). Addressing Injustices through MOOCs: A study among peri-urban, marginalised, South African youth. PhD Dissertation, Cambridge University. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.56608
2019
Reid, S., & Levine, S. (2019). Medical humanities online: Experiences from South Africa. In Routledge Handbook of the Medical Humanities (pp. 344-353). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781351241779-35/medical-humanities-online-steve-reid-susan-levine
2018
Czerniewicz, L., Deacon, A., & Walji, S. (2018). Educators, Copyright and Open Education Resources in Massive Open Online Courses. Proceedings of the International Conference on Networked Learning , 11, 264–271. https://doi.org/10.54337/nlc.v11.8765
Fife, M. A. (2016). The influence of video lectures on student engagement in the University of Cape Town's first Massive Open Online Course. Masters Thesis, Faculty of Humanities, School of Education. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22800
2016
Chapman, S.A., Goodman, S., Jawitz, J. & Deacon, A. (2016) A strategy for monitoring and evaluating massive open online courses, Evaluation and Program Planning, Volume 57, Pages 55-63, ISSN 0149-7189, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.evalprogplan.2016.04.006
CILT’s Collaborative Research Projects on MOOCs
CILT has been researching learning in open online courses since the beginning of the MOOCs project in 2014.
In 2016 - 2017, research was conducted into open education practices among academics involved in producing UCT MOOCs, as part of the global multi-year Researching Open Education Resources for Development (ROER4D) project. From 2018 - 2021, a collaborative research project entitled ‘Perspectives from South African MOOC takers: understanding transitions in and out of learning and work’ funded by CHED investigated the expressed value of taking a MOOC for working professionals and registered university students living in the region.
Journal articles and book chapters
Small, J., Deacon, A., Walji, S, Jaffer, T and Jawitz, J. (2019). Building capabilities: Using MOOCs to make transitions in work. Open Praxis, vol. 11 issue 4, October–December 2019, pp. 427–441. 2019 Open Education Global Conference Selected Papers DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.11.4.1027
Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J., Small, J., Jaffer, T. (2019) Seizing opportunities: MOOC takers making time for change. Critical Studies in Teaching and Learning (CriSTaL): Vol 7 No SI (2019): Special issue: Teaching and Learning in Uncertain Times. Papers from the HECU9 Conference. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/cristal/article/download/190568/179767
Czerniewicz, L., Deacon, A., Walji, S. & Glover, M. (2017). OER in and as MOOCs. In C. Hodgkinson-Williams & P. B. Arinto (Eds.), Adoption and impact of OER in the Global South (pp. 349–386). Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.604414
Walji, Sukaina; Deacon, Andrew; Small, Janet & Czerniewicz, Laura. (2016). Learning through engagement: MOOCs as an emergent form of provision in the Distance Education, 37(2), 208-223. VoR, doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2016.1184400, MS at doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2016.1184400
Czerniewicz, Deacon, Small & Walji. (2014) Developing world MOOCs: A curriculum view of the MOOC landscape. Journal of Global Literacies, Technologies, and Emerging Pedagogies, Volume 2, Issue 3, July 2014, pp. 122-139
Conferences presentations and papers
Small, J., Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T, and Lester, S. (2019). Ready to succeed in life: Using MOOCs to make transitions in work presentation at the Open Education Global Conference. 26-28 November 2019, Milan, Italy
Conference presentation promo video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzCCBB9DABI&feature=youtu.be
Walji, S., Deacon, A., Small, J., Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T., Lester, S. (2019). Making it Count: How MOOC Takers in African Countries Use and Value Their Learning: Considering the role of certificates. Presentation at World Conference on Online Learning 2019. 3-7 November 2019, Dublin, Ireland
Walji, S., Jaffer, T. and Jawitz, J. (2019) How learners in African countries are finding value in MOOCs Online seminar for e/Merge Africa, 27 June 2019
Deacon, A., Walji, S., Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T. and Small, J. (2018) Seizing opportunities: African MOOC-takers making time for change. Presentation at Contemporary Higher Education Conference (HECU9): 15-16 November 2018, Cape Town
Jawitz, J., Jaffer, T. and Deacon, A. (2018) MOOCs in and out of the curriculum. Presentation at the Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) Conference, 20-23 November 2018, Port Elizabeth
Deacon, A., Jaffer, T., Jawitz, J., Small, J. and Walji, S. (2018) Wrapping of a Social Innovation MOOC Published in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on e-Learning ICEL, Cape Town Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 5-6 July 2018. Edited by Professor Eunice Ivala
Walji, S., Deacon, A., Jawitz, J., Small, J. and Jaffer, T. (2018) Understanding How Participants Use Open Online Courses for Transitions Published in the Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on e-Learning ICEL, Cape Town Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, 5-6 July 2018. Edited by Professor Eunice Ivala
Walji, S., Deacon, A., Jaffer, T., Jawitz, J., Small, J. (2018). Transitions for the Future: How African learners value MOOCs from the University of Cape Town. Poster presented at Coursera Partners Conference, March 2018, Tempe, Arizona.
Deacon, A; Jawitz, J; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) MOOCs and Transitions: Pathways in and out of learning and work. Proceedings of the Fourth Biennial Conference of the South African Society for Engineering Education, pg 60-69.
Jawitz, J; Deacon, A; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) Producing MOOCs: Evaluating Institutional Gains. Presentation at Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) conference, November 2017, Durban
Deacon, A; Jaffer, T; Jawitz, J; Small, J; Walji, S. (2017) Wrapped MOOCs: What is being valued and reused? Presentation at the Higher Education Learning & Teaching Association of Southern African (HELTASA) conference, November 2017, Durban
Glover, Ml; Czerniewicz, L; Walji,S; Deacon, A; Small, J. (2016). Approaches from the literature: Activity Theory, new tools and changing educators' practices. Poster for presentation at Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa, North West University, Potechefstroom, South Africa, 17 - 20 November 2015.
Czerniewicz, L; Glover, M; Deacon, A; Walji, S. (2016). MOOCs, openness and changing educator practices: an Activity Theory case study. Paper presented at the Networked Learning Conference, Lancaster, England, 9 - 11 May 2016.