CurtinX courses: Selection and Development Process

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1 CurtinX courses: Selection and Development Process Partnering with edx provides Curtin with the opportunity to significantly increase global engagement and to showcase excellence and expertise in a number of disciplines. The partnership aligns with Curtin s strategic goals to: lead in innovative education globally provide a richly interactive and personalised learning experience provide opportunity for graduates, equipping them with skills for the future Membership of the edx consortium gives Curtin access to emerging learning technologies, rich data sources and potential partnerships with consortium partners. Importantly, it provides alternative entry pathways into Curtin s degree programs, opening significant global markets to us. Realising an increase in enrolments through conversion of MOOC learners into Curtin students is a critical outcome. For the purposes of this document CurtinX courses and MOOCs refer to the same thing and may be used interchangeably. Focus of CurtinX courses To ensure that the courses hosted on edx appropriately reflect Curtin s strategic vision and goals the following key elements are required: Provides generation leads in a course that will enhance Curtin s brand reputation Innovative, international appeal and global demand Acts as an entry pathway to an online Curtin degree. This may be into an existing program or into a proposed new program, preferably at post graduate level. Re-purposing of the CurtinX course in more than one learning modality Potential of the course to be part of a series of related CurtinX courses (XSeries) Potential of the course to enhance or supplement current Curtin courses Alignment with Curtin s research strengths Minerals and energy, ICT and emerging technologies, Health, and Sustainable Development No pre-requisites required for the level of instruction within the course Short tuition period of 4-6 weeks (XSeries and Professional Education courses may be longer) 1

2 Types of CurtinX courses The Curtin edx agreement provides for the development and hosting of courses on both edx and edx edge where: is the domain for high quality, short duration courses (approved by edx) with discoverability, resource support and scaled to accommodate very large class sizes; Curtin can have up to 20 courses on edx in a 12 month period. is a safe, low-visibility environment suitable for small, short duration courses for select learners who join by invitation (including Curtin students/staff). EdX edge is primarily intended as a pilot environment for potential edx courses. Curtin can have up to 20 courses on edx edge in a 12 month period. Credit for Recognised Learning Pathways to Entry CRL can be achieved through a CurtinX course in two distinct ways. These are important to consider in relation to providing clear pathways into Curtin degree offerings. Learners undertaking an XSeries. This is where three or more CurtinX courses are linked as a series of courses which can either be taken individually or, when combined, can create CRL for the learner into a Curtin degree. Learners undertaking proctored assessments. At the completion of a CurtinX course learners can enrol and pay to complete a formal assessment which is then graded by Curtin teaching staff. Successful completion would result in CRL into a Curtin degree. CurtinX Development Team The CurtinX team (within Curtin Learning and Teaching) provides expertise in instructional design, graphic and multimedia design, project management, online learning and course authoring in the edx LMS. The team will work, in conjunction with Faculty staff, to design and build the proposed CurtinX course. Centralised services would include: Scope and design of the CurtinX course Project management of CurtinX course development Multimedia support in the production of course assets Technical support in the development of advanced assessment tools or other online applications that require software development Training and assistance for Faculty staff on managing/facilitating courses in the edx platform Advice and assistance managing the active and archived course Assistance with management and access to student analytics collected whilst the course is active Additional expertise may need to be sourced for high quality video production and video transcription services. 2

3 Faculty Team Creating and facilitating a successful CurtinX course requires significant time and effort from the subject matter expert (SME). Commitment from the Head of School to afford appropriate time release for the SME to develop and run the course is critical. Depending on whether the course is facilitated or self-paced commitment may also be required throughout the period of edx availability. Revenues A CurtinX course is offered at no cost to the learner. Learners can, however, register to purchase a verified certificate upon successful completion of the course. The price of the certificate is set on advice from edx with a minimum of USD$49. This is shared between Curtin and edx and therefore represents a small revenue stream to the University to offset investment. Selection Process CurtinX Proposals The Associate DVC Learning and Teaching will call for proposals twice a year. A Selection Panel will be convened comprising the DVC Academic, Associate DVC Learning and Teaching, nominated Faculty PVC, nominated Dean Teaching and Learning, Chief Marketing Officer or nominee, and Director, Digital Learning and Design. Templates for proposals will be provided (Appendix 1). Proposal (Expression of Interest) An initial descriptive overview detailing: A syllabus overview, list of topics and learning outcomes of the course including its alignment with Curtin s research strengths and current Curtin courses The global audience for the course and the likelihood of enhancing Curtin s brand reputation and attracting significant interest and learner engagement How the course provides a pathway to existing Curtin courses (online postgraduate) or a commitment to developing a new online course in conjunction with the CurtinX course Potential for the course to be aggregated with other CurtinX courses for potential CRL into Curtin degree courses Evidence as to how the CurtinX course will be leveraged (or components of the course) in current Curtin courses and re-purposed in other learning modalities The Faculty/School/Department and the key instructors including a statement from the Faculty acknowledging the proposed application and including a commitment to provide at least one subject matter expert (SME) to assist in writing the course and facilitating the course when offered CurtinX Proposal Criteria Successful proposals will be assessed on the following criteria: International appeal and demonstrated global demand Potential of the course to enhance, supplement, or provide a pathway to current (or proposed) Curtin degree courses (with an online availability) 3

4 Potential of the course to be part of a series of related courses (XSeries) Alignment with Curtin s research strengths Minerals and energy, ICT and emerging technologies, Health, and Sustainable Development Degree of innovation, creativity and/or gamification components Development Process Design and development of CurtinX courses Experience from consortium partners suggests that a short course with 2-4 hours contact per week will take a minimum of 6-8 months to design and produce. Typically a CurtinX course requires: Innovative instructional and technology resources to support course engagement Significant time commitment for design and development Strategies for supporting online student engagement Creative methods for assessing student learning including automated and peer marking A detailed record of attribution for copyright course materials What we have learnt about our edx learners: More than 80% of learners have either an undergraduate or postgraduate degree Approximately half of the learners come from the United States, Australia, India, Canada, Brazil and the United Kingdom More than 50% of learners are aged between 26 and 40 with a median age of 29 Learners have a variety of motivations for enrolling and completing edx courses EdX minimum requirements All courses offered through edx must address the edx MOOC development checklist (MDC). Course teams are encouraged to use the MDC when designing and developing their MOOC. The MDC is broken into 2 parts minimum requirements and optional best practices. All MOOC courses need to meet the MDC s minimum requirements prior to being offered on the edx.org site. See Appendix 2. 4

5 Appendix 1: CurtinX Expression of Interest Proposals for CurtinX courses will need to address the following areas. CurtinX courses will be offered a minimum of two times / year. Scheduling of courses will be negotiated with successful applicants. 1. Course Title 2. Academic Lead 3. Other Team members 4. Faculty Sponsor (e.g. PVC, Head of School) The Faculty Sponsor acknowledges that the Faculty will cover the cost of providing subject matter experts (SMEs) to write the course content, facilitate the course, mark assessment tasks that are not automated, and monitor discussion boards for the lifecycle of the course. 5. Course description Syllabus overview Learning outcomes Main topics (list) Course length (usually between 4-6 weeks) 6. Course Assessment Indicative learning activities and assessment tasks scalable to a massive cohort 5

6 7. Strategic Criteria International appeal and global demonstrable demand (detail any known similar courses offered) Potential of the course to enhance, supplement and/or provide a pathway to current Curtin courses and identification of the PG online course which is the potential destination for MOOC learners (either existing or proposed) Potential of the course to be part of a series of related courses (XSeries) Opportunities to leverage the CurtinX course, or components of the course, in current Curtin courses How the course aligns with Curtin s research strengths (Minerals and energy, ICT and emerging technologies, health and Sustainable Development Opportunities the course provides for innovative and creative delivery techniques and/or elements of gamification 8. Partner Opportunities Identify industry or other experts who may contribute to this course Name of Academic Lead: Signature of Academic Lead: 6

7 Name of Faculty Sponsor (e.g. PVC, Head of School) Signature of Faculty Sponsor: Name of Dean, Teaching & Learning: Signature of Dean, Teaching & Learning: Please as a scanned attachment to: CurtinX@curtin.edu.au no later than Wednesday 22 June

8 MOOC Development Checklist EdX is committed to delivering the best courses from the top faculty and instructors at the most highly regarded universities, colleges and other institutions throughout the world. In order to ensure that we maintain the highest degree of course quality, edx has developed the following MOOC Development Checklist ( MDC ). The MDC is broken into 2 parts minimum requirements and optional best practices. Course teams are encouraged to use the MDC in conjunction with their own MOOC development tools. MOOC courses should meet the MDC s minimum requirements prior to being offered on the edx.org site. EdX MOOC DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS Course Announcement and Introduction Pre-requisites and learner background for the course are stated Expected time commitment for learners is stated Instructor introduction or bio available on about page Intro to course requests learners view edx Demo101; or intro to platform included in courseware tab A prompt is provided to the learner on the course info page on how to get started with the course. Course Structure Syllabus or course calendar provided (course topics and important dates, including exams) Grading criteria and certificate requirements posted in the course. Learning objectives, goals, and outcome(s) posted in the course. Instructional Materials and Assessments Course includes interleaved videos and exercises Course includes gradable assignments, e.g., exercises/homework/quizzes and assigns a grade Assessment deadlines are clearly articulated Course adheres to edx accessibility guidelines Course provides transcriptions for all videos Course Administration and Learner Engagement Welcome sent to learners Paced s sent throughout course run Closing sent at the conclusion of the course Course team provides forum moderation Guidelines provided for the use of forums, forum etiquette Explanation posted of how to get help with learner issues Page 1 of 3

9 MOOC Development Checklist Course releases content in consistent manner as laid out in syllabus, changes announced ahead of time Welcome message on course info page at the beginning of the course EdX MOOC DEVELOPMENT CHECKLIST BEST PRACTICES (optional): Course Announcement and Introduction Welcome/Introduction Video Optional Self-assessment provided that identifies pre-requisites needed to earn a certificate. Course Structure Academic Policy/Collaboration guidelines posted in course. Instructional Materials and Assessments Consistent video quality and audio levels Course uses pre and post production techniques that enhance instructional content Required materials and optional materials are delineated inside the course Video segments average between 3 to 10 minutes Course provides an online textbook, online notes, or readings Downloadable copies of presentations materials used in videos provided inside courseware Cross linking between videos, exercises, textbook are provided within the course Course includes interactives such as virtual labs or user controlled animations. Course Administration and Learner Engagement Course uses a wiki for learner collaboration Learners are encouraged to use the discussion forum to introduce themselves Course states availability of course materials for learners once the course has concluded archived Learners are surveyed at the beginning, during, and close of course Wiki pre-populated with questions and learner activities Page 2 of 3

10 MOOC Development Checklist Resources used in the development of the edx MDC: edx s experience in assisting nearly 30 universities and colleges develop over 100 MOOCs Additional Literature Consulted: Ambrose, S. A. (2010). How learning works: seven research-based principles for smart teaching. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Breslow, L., Pritchard, D., DeBoer, J., Seaton, D., Ho, A., & Stump, G. (2013). How Video Production Affects Student Engagement: An Empirical Study of MOOC Videos. Research and Practice in Assessment, 9, Chickering, A., & Gameson, Z. (1989). Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education.. Biochemical Education, 17, Harris, M., & Cullen, R. M. (2010). Leading the learner-centered campus: an administrator's framework for improving student learning outcomes. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Higher Ed Program > Rubric Quality Matters Program. (n.d.). Higher Ed Program > Rubric Quality Matters Program. Retrieved January 30, 2014, from Guo, P., & Rubin,R. (Director) (2014, March 4). How Video Production Affects Student Engagement: An Empirical Study of MOOC Videos. Lecture conducted from ACM, Atlanta, GA. Prosser, M., & Trigwell, K. (1999). Understanding learning and teaching: the experience in higher education. Buckingham [England: Society for Research into Higher Education & Open University Press. Page 3 of 3