MOOC Project Considerations

The below MOOC Project Considerations were developed by Annalise Mathers, Jessica Arias, Andrea Adamic and Kathy Vu, through the development of two MOOCs hosted on edX. These MOOCs were also supported through the Open Course Initiative Fund (OCIF) and the Digital Learning Innovation team at the University of Toronto. The MOOCs are offered individually or as a Professional Certificate. Visit Originator and Biosimilar Biologics: For Patients and Healthcare Providers.
As the MOOC development progressed, the team found many valuable insights for planning and management, and felt that documenting these learnings would be valuable to evaluate the project’s success and also be of great value to higher education institutions who may seek guidance on navigating the complexities of multi-stakeholder, online educational program (MOOC) development in the health sciences. We recognize that contextualizing these lessons learned to future course development will be essential to ensure that the unique aspects of each course are best addressed, and we hope that this work serves as a foundation for understanding the myriad considerations for MOOC development.

MATERIAL RESOURCING

  • Establish best practices for remote filming production
  • Provide filming equipment (light, mic, webcam) to developers
  • Provide filming support and oversight of content developers

HUMAN RESOURCING

  • Consider an Instructional Design Specialist (part-time)
  • Connect with individuals/groups who have developed MOOCs
  • Leverage edX partner support for templates and communication channels
  • Identify dedicated support staff to build content and assist with administrative tasks

MANAGEMENT

  • Develop a proactive, robust communication plan with stakeholders
  • Plan for attrition of developers and committee members
  • Ensure diversity with content developers (multidisciplinary approach)
  • Develop stakeholder lists and leverage input throughout the project (promotion)

ACCREDITATION

  • Maintain strong relationships with accreditation bodies
  • Leverage Advisory Committee members to support the accreditation process
  • Ensure a strong understanding of accreditation requirements
  • Establish a robust internal review process to facilitate a smooth accreditation review

BETA TESTING

  • Develop a plan for beta testing as a key component of user experience
  • Understand the MOOC provider’s process for beta testing
  • Develop a clear review package for beta testers to expedite feedback process

COPYRIGHT

  • Engage copyright specialist to ensure courses are respectful of copyright and Creative Commons licensing rules
  • Establish clear guidelines regarding credits for texts, images, etc.

BUDGET

  • Allocate funds for the sustainability of programming (i.e. staff, accreditation cost)
  • Have provisions in place for in-kind support where possible
  • Explore additional funding opportunities (public and private sectors)

COMMUNICATIONS

  • Engage Communications teams early for timelines, assets and distribution networks
  • Develop a communications plan to inform potential users of the MOOC (outreach)

EXTERNAL

  • Identify potential policy changes before, during, and after launch and their impact on the course programming
  • Hire consultants with the requisite expertise/experience vs volunteers, if possible
  • Build in contingencies for external factors: developing content during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging given that many Advisory Committee members and content developers were also front-line healthcare workers