ECO Archives - Ecolearning

ECO Partner: ECFOLI, Erasmus+ Project

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The ECO project is very happy to count among its members CCMC (Cyprus Community Media Centre » which is the coordinator of the Erasmus+ MIL project ECFOLI. This innovative MIL project is launching a sMOOC on the ECO Learning platform.

 

ECFOLI aims at fostering sustainable conflict resolution strategies through the study, the ownership of elements of common Mediterranean cultural heritage transformed in a media product. This project is implemented in 4 different countries simultaneously : Palestine, Cyprus, Portugal and Morocco. 48 youth aged 16+ are participating in this MIL project. The project involves 6 different organisations from 5 different countries:

– CCMC, Cyprus Community Media Centre, Nicosia, Cyprus

– ICFFCY, Nicosia, Chypre

– Lusofona Universty, Lisbon, Portugal

– Partners for Sustainable Development, Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine

– Forum de la citoyenneté, Casablanca, Morocco

– Sorbonne Nouvelle University, Paris, France.

* The sMOOC is at the moment in restricted access so that the young people can conceive it correctly, as soon as it is opened, we will communicate on it.

 

 

ecfoli-logo

MOOC project

Reasons to develop your own MOOC

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To MOOC or Not to MOOC?. There are plenty of great reasons to embrace MOOCs. Teaching a MOOC is a great experience with lots of practical value. Here are some reasons to consider teaching a MOOC:

AcadeMOOC projectmic research
Research can be a catalyst for teaching a MOOC. This is a tough area because MOOCs are so new, there are almost limitless avenues to explore.

MOOCs give teachers a chance to see how other teachers work. There is a value of learning about pedagogy from observing other teachers. If they are good, you might decide to emulate them; if they are bad, you might try to avoid repeating their mistakes.

Professional experience
It allowed you to observe how they are designed and taught, and to learn from how other participants react.

On line learning often prevents the instructor from being as spontaneous as they can in a face-to-face class, and although it requires a lot of pre-planning of material, instructors can still find creative ways of responding to participant interests and requests. You can develop new skills about how to make a video feel more interactive and dynamic for your students.

By comparing the four different MOOCs, you can see the “best practices” of MOOC pedagogy used across the courses.

Re-live the student experience
Some instructors want to teach a MOOC many times over with the goal of creating a super-efficient, super-effective learning experience.

MOOCs allow teachers to find out what it is like to be on the receiving end of eLearning today. You may be using some technology in your teaching, but you may not have experienced this learning as a student before.Re-live the student experience – on line!

Learn by doing
A very common purpose for wanting to teach a MOOC is simply that—to teach a MOOC. Educators are inquisitive by nature and their interest in MOOCs is an extension of that curiosity.

To learn something new, some people would traditionally invest time and effort into reading a book. Others would browse the Internet for resources.

However, if you prefer social learning to the solitary pursuit of reading a book (after all, as an adult learner and teacher, you probably already read a lot of books and other material as it is!), or if you feel you need a little bit of scaffolding when dipping into a new topic, MOOCs are an option. So, you can learn something new in a structured way.

Whereas previously, you could follow an entire course’s lectures by downloading lectures from iTunes U, for example, the benefit of a MOOC is that you can do assignments or quizzes to validate your learning, but doing the assignments forced you to reflect on and analyses the topics in ways I would not have done independently.

Socialize the learning experience
The forums and peer assessments can also socialize the learning experience for you, enriching the depth and breadth of your learning.

Find well-chosen (mostly free) resources on a topic or sub-topic.

While you can find all sorts of discussion forums on line for different interest groups, those on MOOCs have some of the most diverse groups of people you can ever see.

The discussions can range from directly related to the class syllabus to completely learner-generated topics. You can join several community conversations about topics that interest you.

Because the courses are time-limited, the conversations can be more intense (time-wise) than on other discussion forums where responses can take weeks or months.
You will find that your classmates dove deep into how that related to their experiences.

Depending on the MOOCS you could find that many of the community discussions are focused on educational and psychological aspects.

Personal learning goals
MOOCs vary widely in quality. There is no reason to dismiss MOOCs simply because they are on line, are delivered to the masses or are free. And there is also no reason to glorify a MOOC based on these same characteristics.

As adult learners with personal learning goals, teachers can approach MOOCs in an intentional manner and make use of their potential.

I would suggest that any educator with even a remote interest in e learning for professional development should not miss out on this opportunity. I hope to encourage my own students (themselves teachers) to try out a MOOC. Meanwhile, happy MOOCing!

MOOC is really all about you. 
If you would like to become the instructor of your own MOOC, after completed “sMOOC Step by Step” please apply to “Become an e-teacher”. We can’t wait to see what you create. – Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from:

http://blog.canvaslms.com/blog/bid/310026/Why-teach-a-MOOC#sthash.hkZp87U1.dpbs and http://moocnewsandreviews.com/5-reasons-teachers-should-dip-into-moocs-for-professional-development-2

Picture in Picture / PIP video

Videos for MOCCs: Picture in Picture (PIP)

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Considering that video is the main method of content delivery in MOOCs, we are going to provide you an overview of  Picture in Picture (PIP) videos for MOOCs.

This article forms integral part of the on line MOOC course Videos for teaching, learning and communication,created by The University of Manchester. It will end the 4th of December. You can still enrol!

NoPicture in Picture / PIP videowadays, Picture in Picture videos are frequently used to present two different scenes taking place at the same time. Millions of people tend to create picture in picture video while playing games, explaining texts, even promoting products and so on, trying to convey much more information to their viewers in the simplest way.

Traditional techniques for creating picture-in-picture videos are expensive, no portable, or time-consuming.
If you want to show yourself in a video and demonstrate at the appropriate time, well, it is very easy to achieve if you choose the right tool. We have several solutions:

  • Make a video of yourself first and then insert this video into the background video.
  • The other is that you are capable of recording yourself and video at the same time.

Solution 1: Screen Recorder + Editor

Picture in Picture video refers to a video that is put one small video clip over a background one, so we need to prepare two videos at first. You can choose one screen recorder to make the video you plan to present for your students; also, you need a webcam recorder to record yourself. Then, a video editor which allows you to add Picture in Picture effect can help you to create side by side video.

Solution 2: Screen Recorder

Other solution is to use professional screen recorder software that allows you to make side by side video simply in one click. It’s not only a screen recorder but a webcam recorder and a basic editor too.

This technique uses a laptop computer with a video capture device to acquire the ultrasound feed. Simultaneously, a webcam captures a live video feed of the transducer and patient position and live audio. Both sources are streamed onto the computer screen and recorded by screen capture software. This technique makes the process of recording picture-in-picture ultrasound videos more access
ible for ultrasound educators and researchers for use in their presentations or publications.

You can still enrol! We can’t wait to see what you filmed after completed “Videos for teaching, learning, and communication– Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from:
https://www.apowersoft.com/forums/topic/create-picture-in-picture-video.html
http://www.jultrasoundmed.org/content/32/8/1493.full.pdf

MOOC accesibility

How will you promote your MOOC to attract participants?

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“sMOOC Step by Step” is a free Massive Open Online Course – MOOC is being made available by ECO, which is a European project based on Open Educational Resources (OER), that gives free access to a list of MOOCs in 6 languages, in most languages via Closed Captions (via YouTube subtitles).

This artiMOOC accesibilitycle forms integral part of that course. Our fourth edition has been already launched so you enrol!

In this course you will have the opportunity to learn more about how to design your communication plan for your own MOOC. A communication plan is a written document that serves as a guide to the communication and sponsorship efforts throughout the duration of the project.

 

 

It is a living and working document and is updated periodically as audience needs change. It explains how to convey the right message, from the right communicator, to the right audience, through the right channel, at the right time.

It addresses the six basic elements of communications: communicator, message, communication channel, feedback mechanism, receiver/audience, and time frame.

A communication plan includes:

  • “Who” – the target audiences
  • “What” – the key messages that are trying to be articulated
  • “When” – timing, it will specify the appropriate time of delivery for each message
  • “Why” – the desired outcomes
  • “How” – the communication vehicle (how the message will be delivered)
  • “By whom” – the sender (determining who will deliver the information and how he or she is chosen)Many agencies, PR, advertising and media alike, claim to have this capability describes.

The best time to develop your plan is in conjunction with your annual budgeting or organizational planning process.

Here you have some tips about how to develop your plan:

  • Define objectives and goals.
  • Conduct a research-communication audit.
  • Identify the purpose of your communication.
  • Identify your audience.
  • Plan and design your message.
  • Consider your resources. Identify tools.
  • Plan for obstacles and emergencies.
  • Establish a timetable.
  • Strategic how you’ll connect with the media and others who can help you spread your message
  • Create an action plan
  • Decide how you’ll evaluate your plan and adjust it, based on the results of carrying it out
  • Evaluate the result.

What does your intended audience read, listen to, watch, engage in?  You have to reach them by placing your message where they’ll see it.

In order to communicate effectively, you need to be able to truly understand your workplace context, choose appropriate methods of communication to suit your audience, plan and undertake detailed communication plans, and follow up on the success of your communication and messaging. The importance of accessibility is an essential communication tool to provide equal, barrier-free access to information for educational institutions.

We know that promotion and marketing are necessary to attract students to a MOOC. This will likely utilize social media and professional networks to advertise the course and gain attention.
ECO content can be visualized on computers, tablets and/or Smart phones.
You can check our social media sites where we promote our MOOCS:

If you would like to become the instructor of your own MOOC, after completed “sMOOC Step by Step” please apply to “Become an e-teacher”. We can’t wait to see what you create. – Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from:
https://flo.flinders.edu.au/mod/book/view.php?id=672344&chapterid=56344
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communication_planning
http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/sustain/social-marketing/awareness-through-communication/main

sMOOC Step by Step

Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) types

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The first MOOCs emerged from the open educational resources (OER) movement. The term MOOC was coined in 2008 by Dave Cormier of the University of Prince Edward Island in response to a course called Connectivism and Connective Knowledge. Stephen Downes considers these so-called cMOOCs to be more “creative and dynamic” than the current xMOOCs.

As MOOCs have evolved, there appear to be two distinct types: those that emphasize the connectivist philosophy, and those that resemble more traditional courses. To distinguish the two, Stephen Downes proposed the terms “cMOOC” and “xMOOC”.While MOOCs have originated in Canada and the United States, the cMOOC and the xMOOC model used there does not fit entirely with the European take on education.

sMsMOOC Step by StepOOCs with a strong presence of mobile devices, which are more suitable for a wider range of students. sMOOCs relay on concepts such as equity, social inclusion, accessibility, quality, diversity, autonomy and openness. Students are involved in the process of learning by doing, by generating content and learning all together.

A sMOOC is defined by a number of educational and communicative features. Among which, out stand the following:

  • Educational design is influenced by social media style.Mobile technologies and ubiquitous learning become particularly relevant because students will be learning in virtual communities, which enhance motivation and promotes interactivity.
  • It is focused on the students learning process. Both tasks proposed by teachers and learners own initiatives will be a key element supporting collaboration and dialogue. Among virtual communities created in each course.
  • It is necessary to measure the success of a sMOOC from the students own goals, interests and satisfaction, instead of learning results imposed by teachers.
  • A short adaptation period is required from the students, which must be reached during the first week of the MOOC.

“sMOOC Step by Step” is a free Social Massive Open Online Course – MOOC is being made available by ECO, which is a European project based on OER, that gives free access to a list of MOOCs in 6 languages. This course offers a practical and theoretical approach in the learning process, as well as, help you create your own sMOOC (social MOOC) in a step by step way.

We have MOOC mania but all MOOCs are not created equal and there is lots of species of MOOC. This is good and we must learn from these experiments to move forward and not get bogged down in old traditionalist v modernist arguments. MOOCs will inform and shape what we do within and without institutions. What is important is to focus on the real needs of real learners.

To this end, it is important to define taxonomy of MOOCs not from the institutional but the pedagogic perspective, by their learning functionality, not by their origins.

So here is  a starting list of some of them:

  • transferMOOCs
    Transfer MOOCs literally take existing courses and decant them into a MOOC platform, on the pedagogic assumption that they are teacher-led and many rely on a ‘name’ of the institution or academic to attract learners. The pedagogic assumption is that of transfer from teacher and course content to learner. Many mimic the traditional academic course with lectures, short quizzes, set texts and assessments. You could describe them as being on the cutting edge of tradition. Coursera courses largely fall into this category.
  • madeMOOCs
    Made MOOCs tend to more innovative in their use of video, avoiding talking heads in favour of Khan Academy or Udacity hand on board sequences. They also tend to have more of a formal, quality driven approach to the creation of material and more crafted and challenging assignments, problem solving and various levels of sophisticated software-driven interactive experiences. Peer work and peer-assessment, used to cope with the high teacher-student ratios. These tend to be more vocational in nature, VOOCs (Vocational Open ONine Courses), where the aim is to acquire a skill or skills. Udacity take this aapproach. Remember that Thrun and Norvig were not academics but corporate researchers working for Google.
  • synchMOOCs
    Synchronous MOOCs have a fixed start date, tend to have fixed deadlines for assignments and assessments and a clear end date. They often around the agricultural, academic calendar. For example, Coursera offer courses on strict standard end dates with clear deadlines for assignment. Udacity started with their ‘hexamester’ 7 week courses with fixed start dates. Many argue that this helps motivation and aligns teacher availability and student cohort work.
  • asynchMOOCs
    Asynchronous MOOCs have no or frequent start dates, tend to have no or looser deadlines for assignments and assessments and no final end date. The pedagogic advantages of asynchronous MOOCs is that they can literally be taken any time, anywhere and clearly work better over different time zones. Interestingly, Udacity have relaxed their courses to enrol and proceed at user’s own pace. Some sceptics point towards this as being a tactic to reduce drop-out rates due to missed assignment deadlines. Note that Coursera offers a completely open self-study option but this does not warrant a certificate of completion.
  • adaptiveMOOCs
    Adaptive MOOCs use adaptive algorithms to present personalised learning experiences, based on dynamic assessment and data gathering on the course and courses. They rely on networks of pre-requisites and take learners on different, personalised paths through the content. This has been identified by the Gates Foundation as an important new area for large scale productivity in on line courses. These MOOCs tend not to deliver flat, linear structured knowledge but leaning experiences driven by back-end algorithms. Analytics are also used to change and improve the course in the future. Cogbooks is a leading example of this type of MOOC.
  • groupMOOCs
    Group MOOCs start with small, collaborative groups of students. The aim is to increase student retention. Stanford, the MOOC manufacturing factory, has spun out NovoEd (formerly Venture Lab) which offers both MOOCs and closed, limited number, internal courses. They argue that some subjects and courses, such as entrepreneurship and business courses, lose a lot in looses, open MOOC structures and need a more focused approach to group work. The groups are software selected by geography, ability and type. They have mentors and rate each other’s commitment and progress. Groups are also dissolved and reformed during the course.
  • connectivistMOOCS
    Pioneered by Geperge Siemens and Stephen Downes, these connectivist MOOCs rely on the connections across a network rather than pre-defined content. Siemen’s famously  said “cMOOCs focus on knowledge creation and generation whereas xMOOCs focus on knowledge duplication”. More simply, Smith says “in an xMOOC you watch videos, in a cMOOC you make videos”. The whole point is to harvest and share knowledge that is contributed by the participants and not see the ‘course’ as a diet of fairly, fixed knowledge. These courses tend to create their own trajectory, rather than follow a linear path.
  • miniMOOCSs
    So far, MOOCs tend to be associated with Universities, whose courses last many weeks and often fit the semester structure and timetable of traditional institutions. We have also seem the emergence of shorter MOOCs for content and skills that do not require such long timescales. This is typical of commercial e-learning courses, which tend to be more intense experiences that last for hours and days, not weeks. They are more suitable for precise domains and tasks with clear learning objectives. The Open Badges movement tends to be more aligned with this type of MOOC.

Note that these are not mutually exclusive categories, as one can have a transfer MOOC that is synchronous or asynchronous. What’s important here is that we see MOOCs as informing the debate around learning to get over the obvious problems of relevance, access and cost. This is by no means a definitive taxonomy but it’s a start. I’d really appreciate any comments, critiques or new categories.

Did you think about what type of MOOC would you like to create?. We can’t wait to see what you create after completed “sMOOC Step by Step– Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from:
http://donaldclarkplanb.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/moocs-taxonomy-of-8-types-of-mooc.html
http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-3-662-52925-6_16
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massive_open_online_course#cMOOCs_and_xMOOCs

sMOOC Bac2Sciences

The Bac2Sciences sMOOC team keeps on collecting proofs of recognition for its work and it is well deserved!

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The sMOOC, Bac2Sciences was developed by female teachers who are devoted to their students with the idea to allow participants to revise their “baccalauréat”. The team consists of geographically distant teachers, from various disciplines, with complementary profiles and a common motivation to make their students succeed.

Thus, while proposing this MOOC, they have enabled their students to self-train and work together in the co-construction of knowledge on a common device.

This MOOC has been a real success and its creators are very proud!

Over the last few months they have been collecting proofs of recognition for their work:

· A favorite at Ludovia#13

· Finalist at the e-Education Symposium

· A multiple selection at the “Innovative Teachers’ Forum”

· Representations in different conferences and events: Educatec-Educatice, Clic 2016, Ludovia#13 …

At our level, we are also very proud we have been able to accompany them. Indeed, the ECO project allowed them to benefit both from the creation space on its platform and from our technical and pedagogical support.

Congratulations again to such a beautiful team!

As a reminder, the sMOOC content is still accessible here.

 

équipeéquipe2

 

Le mooc

 

Global Mill Week

The Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL) Award

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The French ECO team is proud to receive an award granted by UNESCO and the Alliance of Civilizations for the MOOC DIYMIL, Media and Information Literacy.

On behalf of the Global MIL Awards committee, I am writing to inform you that you are a recipient of a Global MIL Award for 2016. Congratulations!

Global Mill WeekThe United Nation Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the UN Alliance of Civilizations (UNAoC), and The Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy (GAPMIL) created the awards to recognize the work and contributions of individuals, academics, NGOs, and organizations to the field of Media and Information Literacy and Inter cultural Dialogue.

The recipients will be presented with their awards during the Global Media and Information Literacy Week 2016 Feature Event, taking place from November 2 – 5th, at the School of Communication and Arts, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The objectives of our training system are to enable participants to understand the EMI issues in the digital age, to identify the key operational concepts of the EMI, to know and associate the EMI skills in an educational project.

The inter cultural team consists of profiles, both different and complementary, that have developed several learning paths in multiple languages, created resources, facilitated and adapted activities according to the needs of participants.

This team has focused on knowledge co-construction, peer review, exchange and sharing on forums. Therefore, a community was able to evolve around the device and perpetuate the same spirit in the creation of new projects. These are the very motivations of the European ECO project, a project which also focuses on content accessibility, inclusion, intellectuality, and co-creativity.

This MOOC was initiated by Divina Frau-Meigs, Professor at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle, it was co-created by Berangere Blondeau, coordinated by Adeline Bossu, run by Elsie Russier and Christophe Gigon and enriched by all the participants.

This project was financially supported by the University Sorbonne Paris Cité (USPC) and Investissements d’Avenir, with the technical and educational support services provided by Sapiens, led by Hubert Javaux.

« Global MIL » is the price awarded by UNESCO, “The United Nation Education Scientific and Cultural Organization,”The UNAoC, “UN Alliance of Civilizations, and GAPMIL,”The Global Alliance for Partnerships on Media and Information Literacy”. It recognizes the work and contributions that promote media and information education, as well as inter cultural dialogue.

sMOOC Step by Step team

MOOC e-teachers support

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“sMOOC Step by Step” is a free Massive Open Online Course – MOOC is being made available by ECO, which is a European project based on Open Educational Resources (OER), that gives free access to a list of MOOCs in 6 languages, in most languages via Closed Captions (via YouTube subtitles).

This article forms integral part of that course. Our fourth edition has been already launched so you enrol!

SupportingsMOOC Step by Step teamg instructors of massive open online courses -MOOCs- may be just as important to the creation of long-term, successful courses as attracting and supporting students, according to a group of researchers.

“Most of the research on how we can make MOOCs successful has focused on the student side – how do we attract and retain them, for instance – but now attention is starting to switch to instructors, who make the MOOCs happen,” said Saijing Zheng, a doctoral candidate in information sciences and technology, Penn State. “So, it’s important to know the motivations of the instructors for teaching in this new format and their experiences and challenges when they teach these MOOCs.”

Zheng said that while MOOC students may need support during certain stages of the course, instructors face several challenges throughout the course development and instruction process, which the researchers broke into three phases: preparation, implementation and feedback.

Instructors reported that teaching a MOOC was different from teaching traditional college courses, adding that some aspects that attracted them to teaching a MOOC were also challenges. For example, the size of a class can be a motivation, as well as a burden, Zheng said.

“It’s a significant motivation for the instructors to reach thousands of students, but, in many cases, they are used to providing one-on-one guidance in a traditional classroom format,” said Zheng. “So a MOOC can be a bit overwhelming to them, if they maintain those expectations.”

Having a global impact on students, professional growth, research opportunities and enhanced name recognition were other reasons they gave for teaching MOOCs, but these also may present new challenges.

Workload during the preparation phase of the course was another concern, according to the instructors.

While most instructors and universities use traditional retention rates to determine the success of the MOOC, online courses attract different types of students and may require different metrics to measure success.

“In previous research we discovered that there are lots of data that show about 90 percent of students in MOOC classes leave the course after two weeks, which is very different from a traditional course,” said Zheng. “This may mean that MOOC students may have different motivations for attending the class — they may just be curious, or attend just so they can get materials to study on their own time.”

Feedback is critical to improving the on line courses and may require the creation of technology to provide feedback to instructors in a timely manner.

“The goal, then, as researchers and designers, is to take this feedback and hopefully provide support for the instructors’ needs,” Zheng said. “By improving support for the instructors and their collaborators, we may also improve the MOOC experience for students and other stakeholders.

If you would like to become the instructor of your own MOOC, after completed “sMOOC Step by Step” please apply to “Become an e-teacher”. We can’t wait to see what you create. – Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160229182538.htm

Step by step designing a sMOOC

Designing a Social Massive Open Online Course (sMOOC)

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“sMOOC Step by Step” is a free Massive Open Online Course – MOOC is being made available by ECO, which is a European project based on Open Educational Resources (OER), that gives free access to a list of MOOCs in 6 languages, in most languages via Closed Captions (via YouTube subtitles).
Step by step designing a sMOOC

This article forms integral part of that course. Our fourth edition has been already launched so you enrol!

This course offers a practical and theoretical approach in the learning process, as well as, help you create your own sMOOC (social MOOC) in a step by step way.In this course you will have the opportunity to learn more about:

  • How to build a sMOOC?
  • How to design a sMOOC?
  • How to support a sMOOC?
  • How to make an accessible and popular sMOOC?
  • How to evaluate a sMOOC and use data?

The following tips and recommendations are based on our experience and on the research we conducted to prepare our MOOCs.

Participate in a MOOC
The best way to learn about MOOCs is to take one. This will help you learn about what it is like to be a MOOC student and give you ideas for how to design one. You can check our catalogue:  for inspiration.

MOOCs cover a wide variety of topics. Find a course that is similar to the content you want to teach or choose a topic that is outside of your field but interests you. Since most MOOCs are free to take, the only investment is a few hours of your time each week. In fact, it would be even better to sign up for several MOOCs, to see the variety of approaches.

Learn from colleagues at other institutions who have already created a MOOC
Their experience will help you be informed about the time, effort, and rewards of teaching a MOOC.

Choose a topic you are passionate about and one that will be appealing to MOOC students
If you believe in your content, that enthusiasm will be visible to your students. A MOOC may be an opportunity for you to teach about something that is too narrow for a course or is outside of the primary focus for your field. You should also consider whether the topic will attract MOOC students. Based on your experience, or on a more formal needs analysis, try to determine whether there is a demand for the topic, and whether other MOOCs or resources exist on the topic.

Determine your targeted audience, and design the course to meet the needs of that audience
The entire design of the course, from content to language, teaching strategies to assessment, should be designed according to the needs and prior knowledge of your primary audience.
It is important to remember that in many MOOCs a substantial percentage of participants are from different countries, and so English may not be their native language. Age, educational background, and prior knowledge may also vary among MOOC participants; therefore it is a good idea to clearly articulate prerequisites or provide supplementary resources.

Build a team
Many faculties who have taught MOOCs recommend using a team approach for the design, development, and delivery. Rather than working alone, consider co-teaching with a colleague. Find students or colleagues who can provide feedback on the design. Identify at least one person who can test the course before thousands of students are trying to use it.

Plan the development process
Unlike planning a course on your own, a MOOC has more complexities. Begin the project by creating a time line for design and development tasks, like writing objectives, creating lectures, recording videos, designing assessments, and building the course. It is important to leave time for testing the course before potentially thousands of students access it.

Establish learning outcomes for the course before you begin selecting or creating materials
This is, in fact, no different from our recommended practice for any course design. First, establish what students will learn in the course. Then it is possible to design learning activities to support those outcomes and create assessments that measure whether students achieved the desired outcomes. It is also important that the number of outcomes is appropriate for the length of the course.

Design communication plan and community development strategies
Given the potential size of a MOOC, it is time consuming to manage communication with everyone. It can be helpful to encourage discussion and community development among students, so that you are not the central figure in the course. Discourage contacting you via email by creating discussion forums or using social media. Also, plan how and when the MOOC team will monitor the community and who is responsible for responding to the group or individuals, should it become necessary.

Create assessments for a massive audience
Assessment is not a required element for a MOOC – many focus on forming networks and discussing content rather than formal assessment through tests or written work. If assessments are used, the scale of MOOCs makes many assessment techniques impractical. Consider using automated grading, like multiple choice exams or programmed response activities, or “grading” on effort and contribution rather than performance. In many cases, MOOCs offer certificates of completion to participants who submit assessments or contribute to the MOOC community.

Other sMOOC Considerations:

• Length and timing of the course
Traditionally, courses follow the academic calendar, but that is not necessary for a MOOC. Courses can begin and end at any time. Currently, there is not any research into the ideal length of a MOOC, but most seem to be between 4 and 8 weeks long, with a few as long as 10 to 12 weeks.

Once you completed “sMOOC Step by Step” course, we will provide you with a space in one of our ECO’s platforms to host – for free – the SMOOC you create. We will provide you with the necessary on line space in our platforms to create your own MOOC for free.  But first, we need you to commit yourself to follow ECO sMOOC pedagogical model, that is, the pedagogical model you can learn by taking the MOOC “sMOOC Step by Step”. According to it, your MOOC shouldn’t be longer than 4 weeks, a period of time during which we will provide you with a free online MOOC space. After the 4 weeks we provide, you will have to pay for the hosting service of the platform.

• Funding
It is possible to offer a MOOC without significant financial investment. If, however, the MOOC requires special technology, paid staff to monitor it, or additional services, it may be necessary to seek out funding for development or delivery. The ECO Project offers a portal where teachers or teaching have access to a new methodology based on the MOOC concept, thus enabling them a lifelong learning objective in a time-efficient manner at little or no cost.

• Promotion
Promotion and marketing are necessary to attract students to a MOOC. This will likely utilize social media and professional networks to advertise the course and gain attention. Consider emailing professional associations, colleagues at other institutions, and other groups that may be interested in the content. It may also help to share information via Twitter or other social networks.
ECO content can be visualized on computers, tablets and/or Smart phones.
You can check our social media sites where we promote our MOOCS:

Legal
MOOCs require caution regarding legal concerns, particularly copyright of any materials created for the MOOC or used from other sources and the privacy of student data and contributions. These concerns are just the beginning, however. It is important to be aware of the many legal issues that impact MOOCs.

The ones who are interested in creating a MOOC are encouraged to enrol sMOOC Step by Stepand after completed you can apply to “Become an e-teacher”.
We can’t wait to see what you create. – Team UoMan.

Note: Article idea and some texts are taken from: Richter, S. http://facdevblog.niu.edu/tips-for-designing-a-massive-open-online-course-mooc

Step by Step intro video

Would you like to know how to create your own MOOC? sMOOC Step by Step

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Now that MOOCs are hitting the scene, everyone wants to jump on board! Granted, some want to get into the game in the hopes of making some money (somehow?), but others genuinely want to know how they can create their own MOOC for educational purposes. Well, you have options!

Create powerful, interactive on line learning experiences has never been easier.

Everyone is an expert at something. But right now if you want to share knowledge on line you’re mostly limited to bogs, videos and slide decks.

This free Massive Open Online Course – MOOC is being made available by ECO, which is a European project based on Open Educational Resources (OER), that gives free access to a list of MOOCs in 6 languages, in most languages via Closed Captions (via YouTube subtitles).

Step by Step intro video

From full courses to short lessons and homework assignments, people can create unique experiences for students and embed them virtually anywhere on the web.

This course offers a practical and theoretical approach, is designed to help you experience a booming 21st century learning process as well as help you create your own sMOOC (social MOOC) in a step by step way.

It has been developed by a multidisciplinary team from a dozen professional institutions and has been built with their own MOOC experience and expertise in the ECO project and in accordance with its specific pedagogical model based on social constructivism.

Once you completed “sMOOC Step by Step” course, we will provide you with a space in one of our ECO’s platforms to host – for free – the SMOOC you create. It will be very easy:

  • Join up with fellow e-teachers and work together on your MOOC contents.
  • Set up your course on the platform
  • Your MOOC starts
  • Your MOOC ends

Align learning with the expectations and empower teachers to create rich interactive multi-media blended learning experiences.

Check it out!. We can’t wait to see what you create after completed “sMOOC Step by Step– Team UoMan.