Principles for setting up MOOCs

 

Massive open online course (MOOC) is a fully online continuing education programme with open registration for everyone.

MOOCs are developed and delivered in accordance with the requirements established in the UT Regulations for Continuing Education. When developing and delivering MOOCs, we recommend following the principles described below.

Developing a MOOC

1. A MOOC is created in the university's Moodle learning environment and its volume is generally 1 ECTS (26 hours of student work). The creation of a MOOC with a larger volume is justified if a course of 1 ECTS cannot cover the topic thoroughly enough for the participants to achieve the set learning outcomes. The head of the respective structural unit decides on the need to create a MOOC with larger volume.

2. When creating a MOOC, it is recommended to follow the guidelines (in Estonian) for creating a high-quality e-course, and the course meets the criteria for a high-quality e-course. The lecturers of a MOOC are encouraged to apply for the e-course quality label after the first delivery of the MOOC and to take into account the feedback given during the course evaluation.

3. The components of a MOOC are:

3.1. course introduction and study guide;

3.2. communication tools (e.g. forums);

3.3. learning materials to support independent learning, including an introduction to the topic, textual study materials and video clips of the lectures on each subtopic (preferably up to ten minutes long, with subtitles in the original language and possibly in other languages);

3.4. activities that activate learners, such as self-tests, forum discussions and tasks with feedback from fellow learners;

3.5. a questionnaire to provide feedback on the course and the learning environment.

4. The head of the structural unit that developed the MOOC ensures that the author's property rights to the e-course belong to the university. If the development of study materials is not a task included in the author's employment contract, the head of the structural unit that developed the e-course ensures that an author's contract is concluded with the author to agree on the transfer of the author's property rights to the university. If necessary, the university and author of the e-course also agree on the licensing of the author's personal rights to the university.

5. The Lifelong Learning Centre of the Office of Academic Affairs provides technical support for developing MOOCs. The university's Visual Media Service offers the paid service of recording video lectures (see the price list).

Delivering a MOOC

6. The delivery of MOOC is organised by the structural unit that developed the course, during a fixed period of 4–6 weeks/1 ECTS. At the request of the unit that developed the course, the Lifelong Learning Centre provides organisational support for the course.

 

When registering a MOOC as continuing education programme in the SIS, the type of programme has to be MOOC (and also "International" in the case of an English-taught MOOC). The type of certificate to be issued has to be "certificate of completion" and it is recommended to issue the certificate digitally. The certificate of attendance is not allowed to be issued for MOOCs.

 

7. Information on the massive open online course is added to the university's MOOCs list https://moocs.ut.ee.

 

8. Registration for the massive open online course is preferably opened one month before the start of the course, which is especially important for international courses in English. If, in parallel with the continuing education programme as a MOOC, there is the degree study course with the same learning outcomes and volume and students are participating in the MOOC as registered for this degree study course, it must be ensured that these students are not registered for the continuing education programme at the same time.

9. In the MOOC, continuing education learners registered for the course are instructed and their learning outcomes are assessed. Supervision and assessment is organised by the structural unit that developed the MOOC. The Lifelong Learning Centre provides support in solving technical problems.

 

10. From the beginning of the first delivery of the MOOC, everyone can access the course materials or the whole course as a guest (without identification) at any time.

11. Continuing education learners who have registered for a MOOC and have completed the requirements for the course will be issued a continuing education certificate of completion digitally or on paper. The digital certificate is free of charge, but the structural unit may charge a fee for issuing a certificate on paper in accordance with the established price list. The paper certificate is sent to the continuing education learner by post.

12. It is recommended that the massive open online course will be delivered at least three times at a specified time.