In 2009 María Luisa Zorrilla, faculty and researcher at the Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos (Autonomous University of the State of Morelos, Mexico) was given the responsibility of creating the Direction of Multimodal Education (short-named e-UAEM), the institutional department intended to introduce and promote the use of ICT in educational programs.
e-UAEM mainly produces virtual and hybrid courses for multimodal degree programs offered by the University. Given UAEM is a public institution, since e-UAEM’s creation Maria Luisa Zorrilla established an openness policy based on the use of Creative Commons Licenses for all produced educational resources.
In 2016 the nominee identified the lack of online educational resources on digital competencies, and proposed a Digital Culture Program for UAEM, as a strategy created to build digital literacy within the university community, but also for the society at large.
The different courses focused on digital culture, both curricular and extracurricular created within this program, have been championed by one person, María Luisa Zorrilla, who has acted as content expert in most of them (including annual updating), instructional designer, tutor and who has also negotiated with external agencies, such as MexicoX and UNESCO to amplify the program’s reach beyond the institutional boundaries. She has also introduced design innovations, derived from her research, such as the use of narratives and gamification in MOOC design.
UAEM’s MOOC “Alfabetismo Mediático e Informacional” is included in the UNESCO MIL website. Another UAEM’s MOOC, “Exploradores de la Posverdad vs. Noticias Falsas” received the GAPMIL Award in 2018, sponsored by UNESCO. Additionally, the UAEM Digital Culture Program received the ANUIES TIC Recognition in 2019 in the category of “Transformation of Educational Practices through ICT”.
Furthermore, applied research has been conducted on the operation of these courses, and results have been published in academic journals and books. The most recent and notable of these is a chapter dedicated to the MOOC “Explorers of Post-truth” in the book “Democracy 2.0. Changing Frames of Media Literacy” (2021).
In 2023, the nominee coordinated an interinstitutional publication: the Guide of Quality Indicators for Digital Educational Resources, available in open access.
More information about Dra. Zorrilla’s publications.
Even though the OE project referred in this nomination is institutional, there is one individual that has been the motor propelling it for years, and that is why this nomination is personal.
Award Nominator
The nominee of María Luisa Zorrilla highlights the influence of MOOCs as part of open education. Having the 6 MOOCs in Spanish has a reach within Mexico and into Central and South America… As an educator her influence has been quite substantial through the reach of the MOOCs.
Award Reviewer
