George Mason University GMU.edu
GOTEC logo. Global Online Teacher Education Center at George Mason University

Research

MOOC, MOOC Camp, and Global Online Course Research

Through multiple projects, this line of research explores the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), MOOC Camps, and other global online courses for professional development of English language teachers around the world. Because MOOCs are well known for low pass rates, Bawa (2016) noting that MOOC pass rates can be less than 5%, our research seeks to understand learner engagement in MOOCs and develop innovative pedagogies for teacher professional development using MOOCs. This includes exploring connectivist MOOCs (cMOOCs) that emphasize learner-learner interactions on discussion boards to develop a community of learners as well as blended MOOCs (bMOOCs) in which a group of students enroll in an online MOOC but then meet regularly in-person in “MOOC camps” to discuss and apply their learning. Our research examines how these MOOC camps are organized and facilitated as well as the benefits of attending MOOC camps. We are currently studying MOOC camp English language teacher participants from Brazil, Vietnam, Peru, and Kyrgyzstan who were part of the Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) program as well as the Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) in Saudi Arabia program.

Publications

Kim, W. L., Borup, J., Shin, J. K., & Evmenova, A. S. (2023). Enhancing global teacher professional development through MOOC camps: Case studies from Brazil, Vietnam, and Peru. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 31(2), 137-165.

Borup, J., Graham, C. R., West, R. E., Archambault, L., & Shin, J. K. (2023). Academic communities of engagement (ACE) framework. In EdTechnica: The Open Encyclopedia of Educational Technology. https://doi.org/10.59668/371.12259

Borup, J., Jenson, M., Short, C. R., Arnesen, K., Archambault, L., & Graham, C. R. (2023). The blended teaching journey: Research, resources, and guidance for successfully navigating blended Environments. In R. E. Ferdig, R. Hartshorne, E. Baumgartner, R. Kaplan-Rakowski, & C. Mouza (Eds.), What PreK-12 teachers should know about educational technology in 2023: A research-to-practice anthology. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/222690/.

Woo, L. J., Archambault, L., & Borup, J. (2023). Supporting the pedagogical needs of preservice teachers during a time of crisis: Providing online modules to address teaching at a distance. In A. Zimmerman (Ed.), Research, practice, and innovations in teacher education during a virtual age (pp. 53-78). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-5316-2.ch004

Shin, J. K., Borup, J., & Kim, W. (2022). Creating local course communities to engage culturally and linguistically diverse teachers in global MOOCs. In E. Baumgartner, R. Kaplan-Rakowski, R. E. Ferdig, R. Hartshorne, & C. Mouza (Eds.), Retrospective: Teaching, technology, and teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic. (pp. 73-79). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE). https://www.learntechlib.org/primary/p/221522/

Presentations

Fox, R., Shin, J. K., Evmenova, A. S., Borup, J., & Kim, W. (2023, August 27-30). Language teacher education on the move: Culturally responsive international online teacher professional development in Uzbekistan [Paper presentation]. Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) 2023 Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary.

Kim, W., Borup, J., Shin, J. K., & Evmenova, A. (2023, August 27-30). Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse English language educators in blended MOOCs: MOOC camp facilitator’s perspectives from Brazil, Vietnam, Peru and Kyrgyzstan [Paper presentation]. Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE) 2023 Annual Conference, Budapest, Hungary.

Fox, R., Shin, J. K., Evmenova, A. S., Webb. K., Khakimova, D., Kim, W., & Borup, J. (2023, April 13-16). Understanding learning through reflective writings across program portfolios: English language teachers in Uzbekistan [Paper presentation]. 2023 American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Kim, W., Borup, J., Shin, J. K., & Evmenova, A. S. (2023, April 13-16). Supporting culturally and linguistically diverse English language educators in blended MOOCs: MOOC camp facilitators’ perspectives [Poster session]. 2023 American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.

Evmenova, A. S., Borup, J., & Shin, J. (2023, July 10-14). Online professional development for teachers around the world: Lessons learned from different formats [Paper presentation]. EdMedia + Innovative Learning, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Vienna, Austria.

Kim, W., Borup, J., Shin, J. K., & Evmenova, A. (2022, April 23). Enhancing global teacher professional development through MOOC camps: Case studies from Brazil, Vietnam, and Peru [Research presentation]. 2022 AERA Annual Meeting. San Diego, CA, United States.

Community of Inquiry Research

Through multiple projects, this line of research examines the benefits of the online professional development program for English language teachers around the world. Several studies were conducted using a questionnaire developed around the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework by Garrison, Anderson, and Archer (2000). First, the instrument was adapted and validated for the non-native speakers of English. Then English language teachers who were part of the Teaching English to Young Learners (TEYL) program as well as the English Language Secondary Education in Uzbekistan English Speaking Nation program were invited to complete the questionnaire. The participants’ perception of instructors’ teaching presence (TP), social presence (SP), and cognitive presence (CP) as well as perceived instructor social presence (ISP) were measured. The initial results show the effectiveness of the online course design to build an international network of English teaching professionals who benefited greatly from the global interactions with the instructors and fellow participants. Consistent results were obtained from different projects (TEYL and English Speaking Nation program) as well as different course formats (global online courses and massive open online courses). Below is the list of presentations and publications on this topic.

Publications

Shin, J. K., Kim, W., Khalimova, D., Borup, J., & Evmenova, A. S. (2026). “Smells As TESOL”: Use of multimedia in a messaging app by English language teachers in Uzbekistan to establish their social presence during professional development program. In P. Vinogradova and H. Linville (Eds.) Global research on teaching and learning English: Research on language learning and teaching in digital spaces (pp. 168-193). TIRF-Routledge

Borup, J., Shin, J. K., Powell, M. G., Evmenova, A. S., & Kim, W. (2022). Revising and Validating the Community of Inquiry Instrument for MOOCs and other Global Online Courses. The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 23(3), 82-103. https://doi.org/10.19173/irrodl.v23i2.6034

Evmenova, A. S., Shin, J. K., & Borup, J. (2018). Online professional development for English teachers around the world. Proceedings of the 8th Annual International Conference on Education e-Learning (pp. 134-140). Global Science and Technology Forum (GSTF). https://dl4.globalstf.org/products-page/proceedings/eel/online-professional-development-for-english-teachers-around-the-world/

Presentations

Evmenova, A. S., Borup, J., & Shin, J. K. (2023, July 10-14). Online professional development for teachers around the world: Lessons learned from different formats [Paper presentation]. EdMedia + Innovative Learning, Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education, Vienna, Austria.

Pawan, F., Christison, M. A., Healey, D., Shin, J. K., & Warren, A. (2021, March 27). Research into the practices of online language teacher education [Panel discussion]. The 55th Annual TESOL Convention.

Borup, J., Shin, J. K., Powell, M. G., Evmenova, A. S., Kim, W. (2020, April 6-10). Revising and validating the Community of Inquiry Instrument for global courses. [Paper Session]. Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, Virtual

Evmenova, A. S., Shin, J. K., Borup, J. (2019, December 9). Ways to offer effective online professional development for teachers around the world. [Paper Session]. London International Conference on Education, London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Shin, J. K., Evmenova, A. S. , Borup, J., Kim, W., El-Bilawi, N., & King, J. M. (2019, March 15). Challenges in global online PD for English teachers. [Paper Session]. TESOL 2019 International Convention & English Language Expo, Atlanta, GA.

Bain, K., Jenkins, B., Nunamaker, A., & Shin, J. K. (2019, March 13). Making global open educational resources locally adaptable [Paper presentation]. The 53rd Annual TESOL Convention, Atlanta, GA, United States.

Evmenova, A. S., & Shin, J. K. (2018, September 25). Online professional development for English teachers around the world. [Paper Session]. The 8th Annual International Conference on Education and e-Learning Conference, Singapore.

AI in Education Research

Through multiple projects, this line of research explores the impact of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) on teaching and learning and how in-service and pre-service teachers are prepared to meet the challenges and opportunities that GenAI brings. Unlike traditional AI, GenAI, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Co-Pilot, has the ability to communicate naturally and quickly create products that previously were created only by humans. These new affordances have already disrupted teaching and learning in both positive and negative ways.

Our research began by examining teacher perceptions of GenAI to support inclusive teaching and learning and how professional development impacted those perceptions. Our research has also paid particular attention to how educator preparation programs (EPPs) can become GenAI ready rather than focusing on reactive policies or outright bans. This work includes exploring how generative AI can be used to support inclusive teaching and learning, how AI-generated content can be combined with human-created media to foster social presence in online environments, and how educator preparation programs can be guided through different stages of AI awareness, adoption, and transformation.

Publications

Borup, J., West, R. E., Lowenthal, P., & Archambault, L. (2025). A Framework for Establishing Social Presence through the Combination of AI-generated Text with Human-created Video. Open Praxis, 17(1), 64-78. https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.17.1.769

Evemonova, A. S., Borup, J., & Shin, J. K. (2024). Harnessing the power of generative AI to support all learners. TechTrends, 68, 820-831. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11528-024-00966-x

Borup, J. & Archambault, L. (2026). A changing digital landscape: The role and influence of digital technologies in teacher education. In S. Dodman, J. Jacobs, B. M. Butler, & J. N. Hiltabidel (Eds.), Developing as a teacher educator: A guide to establishing identity, exploring pedagogy, and navigating policy. Bloomsbury. https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/developing-as-a-teacher-educator-9798881807818/

Borup, J., Dagg, P. R., South, J., Nattrass, T., & Pinder, N. (2024). Evolving Teacher Education in an AI World. International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). https://bit.ly/ISTEaipaper

Borup, J. (2023, March 21). This was written by a human: A real educator’s thoughts on teaching in the age of ChatGPT. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2023/3/this-was-written-by-a-human-a-real-educators-thoughts-on-teaching-in-the-age-of-chatgpt

Presentations

Borup, J. (2026, January 4). From awareness to transformation: Guiding educator prep programs through the generative AI era [Paper Presentation]. IAFOR International Conference on Education in Hawaii, Honolulu, HI.

Borup, J. & Archambault, L. (2025, October 22). Forming the future of generative AI in teacher preparation and development. [Roundtable]. Association for Educational Communications & Technology, Las Vegas, NV.

Borup, J. (2025, October 15). Ready or not, here it comes: A Framework to help educator preparation and development programs prepare for the challenges and opportunities of generative AI. [Paper Presentation]. eLearn, Bangkok, Thailand.

Borup, J. (2024, November 20). EPPs and generative AI: An organizational framework for deans and faculty champions [Paper Presentation]. Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate, Orlando, FL.

Borup., J. (2024, November 20). Harnessing the power of generative AI to support all learners [Paper Presentation]. Online Learning Consortium (OLC) Accelerate, Orlando, FL.

Borup, J., West, R. W., Lowenthal, P. R., & Archambault, L. (2024, Oct 19-23). The artificial and the real: Establishing social presence through AI-generated text with human-created video [Design-in-Practice Session]. Association for Educational Communications & Technology, Kansas City, MO.

Borup, J. (2024, June 22-26). Education preparation program implementation for framework for AI [Presentation]. International Society for Technology in Education, Denver, CO.

Joskow, B., Borup, J., McLaughlin, C., & Sandrowicz, N. (2023, December 3-5). Navigating the AI frontier in education: Avoiding the pitfalls and unleashing the potential of ChatGPT [Presentation]. Virginia Society for Technology in Education Annual Conference, Roanoke, VA.

Other Publications

Articles

Shin, J. K., Borup, J., Barbour, M. K., & Quiroga Velasquez, R. V. (2022). Webinars for English Language Teachers During the Pandemic: Global Perspectives on Transitioning to Remote Online Teaching. AERA Open. https://doi.org/10.1177/23328584221083976

Borup, J., Graham, C., Short, C., & Shin, J. K. (2022, January 12). Designing the new normal: Enable, engage, elevate, and extend student learning. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2022/1/designing-the-new-normal-enable-engage-elevate-and-extend-student-learning

Book

Shin, J. K., & Borup, J. (2022). Breaking through the screen: Practical tips for engaging learners in the online and blended classroom. National Geographic Learning.

Book Chapters

Borup, J., Graham, C. R., Short, C. R., & Shin, J. K. (2021). Evaluating blended teaching. In C. R. Graham, J. Borup, M. A. Jensen, K. T. Arnesen & C. R. Short (Eds.), K-12 blended teaching (Vol 2): A guide to practice within the disciplines, (Vol. 2). EdTech Books. https://edtechbooks.org/k12blended2/evaluating_bt

Shin, J. K., & Borup, J. (2020). Global webinars for English teachers worldwide during a pandemic: “They came right when I needed them the most.” In R. E. Ferdig, E. Baumgartner, R. Hartshorne, R. Kaplan-Rakowski, and C. Mouza (Eds.), Teaching, technology, and teacher education during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stories from the field. (pp. 157-162). Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. https://www.learntechlib.org/p/216903/

Blogs

Shin, J. K., & Borup. J. (2020, April 2). Building a supportive online community. InFocus. National Geographic Learning. https://infocus.eltngl.com/2020/04/02/building-a-supportive-online-community

Shin, J. K., & Borup, J. (2020, March 24). Making your screen come alive. InFocus. National Geographic Learning. https://infocus.eltngl.com/2020/03/24/making-your-screen-come-alive

Shin, J. K., & Borup, J. (2020, March 16). Engaging students in meaningful learning activities. InFocus. National Geographic Learning. https://infocus.eltngl.com/2020/03/16/engaging-students-in-meaningful-learning-activities

Research Reports

Shin, J. K., Fox, R. K., Evmenova, A. S., Borup, J., Khakimova, D., Kim, W., & Faust, H. F. (2020). Context analysis report. English Speaking Nation Program for Uzbekistan, Embassy of the United States, Tashkent (Federal Award No. SUZ80019CA0154).