
Cristobal Cobo coordinates research on innovation, open knowledge initiatives and future of learning. Currently he works on Networks of Excellence on Internet Science and OportUnidad, both project founded by European Commission.
Dr Cristobal Cobo
Former Research Associate
Profile
Cristobal Cobo collaborated at the Oxford Internet Institute on the Network of Excellence in Internet Science (FP7), focus on strengthening scientific and technological excellence by developing an integrated and interdisciplinary scientific understanding of Internet. He also coordinates the OportUnidad project (an Open Educational Resources initiative supported by ALFA III). Previously he worked on the ‘K-Network‘ project, focused on creating networks of innovation in the Atlantic Area to boost strategies for building a 21st Century Knowledge Society. He also collaborated on the Socio-Economic Services for European Research Project to study social and economic implication of the Internet (FP7).
In 2009 he was a Visiting Fellow at the Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance, University of Oxford, supported by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the Social Science Research Council (SSRC). From 2005 to 2010 he was Professor and Director of Communication and New Technologies and editor of the educational platform of the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO, Mexican Campus). In 2007 he participated as Academic coordinator in Mexico of the program ‘From Information to Innovative Knowledge: Tools and Skills for Adaptive Leadership’ at the University of Minnesota and FLACSO-Mexico. He has also been professor of the Autonomous National University of Mexico (2006) and the Technological Institute of Superior Studies of Monterrey (2005).
With John Moravec he is co-author the book “Invisible Learning: Toward a new ecology of education” (2010); In 2009 he published ‘Information Architecture, usability and Internet‘ (2009) and with Hugo Pardo he wrote ‘Planet Web 2.0, fast food media or collective intelligence’. He has worked on academic projects with organizations such as the Open University (UK), the University of Oxford, the University of Minnesota, the University of Toronto, the Open University of Catalonia, the Mexican Ministry of Public Education, Burson-Marsteller (Chile) and the Ministries of Education of Chile, Ecuador, Perú and Argentina, the Telefonica Foundation (Argentina and Mexico) and the European Commission (Program ALFA III).
Dr Cobo currently serves on the board of the New Media Consortium (NMC Horizon Project). He has served as external Evaluator for National Science Foundation and MIT Press (US), and as consultant for International Labour Organization (UN), and the International Development Research Centre (Canada). Invited Expert for RAND EU in future trends on technology and education commissioned by the Bureau of European Policy Advisors (BEPA). Dr Cobo currently serves on the board of the Global Open Educational Resources (OER) Graduate Network and in the ‘Open Education 2030’ board (coordinated by the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies part of the Joint Research Center of the European commission). He also has collaborated in the design and development of academic online platforms like Internet Science (European Commission’s Seventh Framework Programme), Mexican National Council on Science and Technology (CONACYT), the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences-Mexico’s Open Knowledge Repository and Collaboratory, Invisible Learning (Education Futures) and Planet Web 2.0 (FLACSO).
Research interests
knowledge transfer, self-learning, digital awareness, skills for innovation, informal learning, knowledge workers, collective intelligence, future of work, human-computer interaction
Positions held at the OII
- Research Associate, January 2015 – November 2019
- Research Fellow, August 2010 – December 2014
Research
Past projects
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Transmedia Literacy
Participants: Professor Rebecca Eynon, Dr Cristobal Cobo, Dr Huw C. Davies, Laura Larke
The transliteracy project aims to examine how young people use technology to learn outside formal educational settings.
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EINS: Network of Excellence in Internet Science
Participants: Dr Anne-Marie Oostveen, Professor Ian Brown, Dr Cristobal Cobo, Dr Monica Bulger, Ben Zevenbergen
EINS aims to strengthen scientific and technological excellence by developing an integrated and interdisciplinary scientific understanding of Internet networks and their co-evolution with society.
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OportUnidad: Developing a Common Higher Education Area between Latin America and Europe While Fostering Open Educational Practices Through a Bottom-up Approach
Participants: Dr Daniel Villar-Onrubia, Dr Cristobal Cobo
OportUnidad is an action-research project co-funded by the European Commission under the EuropeAid ALFA III programme with the aim of promoting the adoption of Open Educational Practices in Latin America.
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SESERV Consortium: Socio-Economic Services for European Research Projects
Participants: Dr Anne-Marie Oostveen, Professor Eric T. Meyer, Dr Cristobal Cobo
The SESERV consortium aims to maximize research impact by raising awareness of socio-economic trends in the areas of incentives, accounting, Digital Europe, and risk management, and by addressing possible policy priorities within the research community.
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KNETWORKS: Dissemination and Networks of Knowledge in the Atlantic Area
Participants: Professor William H. Dutton, Professor Eric T. Meyer, Dr Cristobal Cobo
KNETWORKS aims to create a strong knowledge sharing and dissemination network in the Atlantic area to promote the exchange of good practices and implementation strategies for building and exploiting a 21st century knowledge and information society.
Videos
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Presentation on “Invisible Learning”
Recorded: 9 October 2012
Duration: 01:10:00
Cristobal Cobo presents on his book Invisible Learning on a panel convened at the Jaume Bofill Foundation, Barcelona.
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Radical Openness in Education
Recorded: 4 October 2012
Duration: 00:47:05
Cristobal Cobo presents on open educational practices and the future of education at the IB Regional Conference (Madrid 2012).
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New rules in education: how can we learn from our students?
Recorded: 2 June 2012
Duration: 00:53:12
Cristobal Cobo presents on a panel at the Centre for Innovation in Basque Vocational Training (TKNIKA).
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OportUnidad – Open Educational Practices
Recorded: 30 April 2012
Duration: 00:24:21
Cristobal Cobo discusses the rationale behind the OportUnidad action, a project aiming to promote the adoption of Open Educational Practices in Latin America (video hosted at: Open Courseware Consortium).
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Conditions required to implement Open Educational Resource practices in Latin American Higher Education
Recorded: 30 April 2012
Duration: 00:23:28
Cristobal Cobo discusses the rationale behind the OportUnidad action, a project aiming to promote the adoption of Open Educational Practices in Latin America (video hosted at: Open Courseware Consortium).
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We now have technology: what do we do about education?
Recorded: 19 October 2011
Duration: 00:42:32
Cristobal Cobo presents at the Mexican Society of Computing in Education (SOMECE), Chiapas, Mexico.
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Interview on “Invisible Learning”
Recorded: 8 July 2011
Duration: 00:08:06
Cristobal Cobo discusses his book Invisible Learning at the Telefonica Foundation, Buenos Aires.
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Invisible Learning
Recorded: 25 June 2011
Duration: 00:16:46
Cristobal Cobo presents on invisible learning at TEDx (Palaza Cibeles, Madrid).
Events
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What does it mean to be an ‘expert’ in the Web era?
28 May 2014
In recent years many new ways of engaging with higher education online have been developed, and in this event, we explore the intersection between the institutional and online currencies of learning.
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Innovation in Higher Education: building a better future?
22 May 2014
Oxford University, in collaboration with academic partners, will hold a pre-conference (prior to the Seattle Conference) hosted at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Networks of Regional Innovation KNetworks Community Workshop
16 November 2012
This seminar will discuss how platforms of innovation can serve regions.
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Networks of Regional Innovation: The case of the Atlantic Region Policy Forum
15 November 2012
This forum will serve as a discussion on how online platforms can enable regional innovation.
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Rethinking the Role of the University in the Internet Era (Society and the Internet Lecture Series, Part 7)
22 November 2011
This lecture explores how the expansion of the Internet and a variety of digital devices has influenced the way that information and knowledge is generated, consumed and distributed.
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The Future Internet: The Social Nature of Technical Choices
28 June 2011
This workshop will discuss how technology developments are encountering socio-economic realities. Particular attention will be given to approaches that facilitate the creation of multidisciplinary networks of collaboration and knowledge exchange.
Press
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Oxford University Researcher, Cristóbal Cobo, Inaugurates the XI International Seminar on Innovation in Higher Education at Universidad Europea
10 July 2014 Unviersidad Europea
The University web site reports on Cristobal Cobo's inaugural speech at the European University International seminar. It identifies his theme that of collaboration.
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Transformar la educación
19 February 2014 El Pais
In the age of social networks, it isn't enough for teachers to simply transmit knowledge says Cristobal Cobo, quoted in an article in leading Spanish Daily, El Pais.
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CRISTÓBAL COBO: “LOS EDUCADORES ENSEÑAMOS A APRENDER
11 February 2014 Actualidad Universitaria
Cristobal Cobo: Teachers teach in order to learn. In a report of a debate held by the European University, Cristobal Cobo said that technology has blurred the divisions between disciplines and has also changed thinking on memorizing and learning.
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Cristóbal Cobo: ‘La madurez digital depende de la capacidad de filtrar información
5 September 2013 noticias de Navarra
In an article reporting Cristobal Cobo's talk to the Civic Parliament of Navarra about 'digital maturity' he noted that there is no clear relationship between the type of technology used and learning outcomes (Spanish)
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Parlamento Cívico. ‘Repensando la Competencia digital
5 September 2013 Parlamento de navarra
A report of the address by Cristobal Cobo to the Parliament of Navarro reports him as saying that digital competence policies will require rethinking.
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Unterricht mit Werbepausen: Schulmisere in Mexiko
10 February 2012 Le Monde Diplomatique
Cristobal Cobo discusses what happens when new technologies are integrated into the classroom but are misused or underused by educators.
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La escuela debe valorar lo aprendido dentro y fuera de las aulas
4 July 2011 El Mundo
Cristóbal Cobo speaks on learning inside and outside the classroom: "The problem is that we have the technology, but no consensus on how to use it."
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Experto de la Universidad de Oxford asegura que “la tecnología no debe estar en las aulas”
4 July 2011 Europa Press
Cristóbal Cobo speaks on learning inside and outside the classroom: "The problem is that we have the technology, but no consensus on how to use it."
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La educación formal no es suficiente; hay que reconocer la importancia del aprendizaje invisible
23 May 2011 La Crónica de Hoy
Cristóbal Cobo speaks on learning inside and outside the classroom: "The problem is that we have the technology, but no consensus on how to use it."