{"id":3023,"date":"2020-12-03T11:10:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T11:10:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thinking.is.ed.ac.uk\/melissa\/?p=3023"},"modified":"2021-01-06T13:15:13","modified_gmt":"2021-01-06T13:15:13","slug":"moocsalive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thinking.is.ed.ac.uk\/melissa\/2020\/12\/03\/moocsalive\/","title":{"rendered":"MOOCs: alive and kicking it"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Screen shot of the BBC drama, showing the MOOC production team in front of the FutureLearn page for the MOOC. Lots of rights in this pic. None of them mine. Used for educational purposes and comment.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

S<\/a>peaking of representations of learning technologists in the media. Did you spot the MOOC production team in the BBC Drama ‘Traces’ on the telly in January 2021<\/a>?<\/span><\/p>\n

Val McDermid’s drama was written alongside a MOOC developed by University of Dundee.<\/p>\n

That MOOC is now dead. It’s an x-mooc.<\/p>\n

But at Edinburgh MOOCs are alive and kicking.<\/p>\n

Three new University of Edinburgh MOOC courses <\/span>were launched in<\/span> the first half of<\/span> 2020<\/span> (Data Ethics, AI and Responsible Innovation; COVID-19 Critical Care: Understanding and Application; Making Blended Education Work)<\/span>, two are in their final stages of development <\/span>(Christian-Muslim Relations: History, Scripture, Theology, Politics; <\/span>Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Primary Care Settings<\/span>)\u00a0<\/span>and will launch in <\/span>early\u00a0<\/span>2021.<\/span><\/p>\n

As with other areas of University activity, Covid-19 has had an impact on our activities. Early in the pandemic Learning, Teaching, and Web Services were able to help the Critical Care team in MVM respond to a global shortage in health professionals<\/span> trained to work in critical care settings<\/span> by redeveloping teaching materials from an online <\/span>masters<\/span> degree into a MOOC delivered on <\/span>FutureLearn<\/span>. The course was launched in early April and <\/span>rapidly achieved 46,138 enrolments worldwide, filling an essential gap in training for frontline workers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

O<\/span>ver the summer<\/span>, in response shift to hybrid teaching and the need to support new students with the information and study skills they would need for this new way of learning in higher education <\/span>we <\/span>de<\/span>livered<\/span> 5<\/span> new <\/span>student<\/span>-f<\/span>acing courses on Learn to help our<\/span> new and returning<\/span> students transition to hybrid teaching.<\/span> These courses were designed to scale, making them available as cross-cutting, <\/span>institution<\/span>-wide<\/span> courses for all students.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We anticipate capacity to develop new courses in early 2021 and will work with the MOOC strategy group to align<\/span> with emerging adaptation and renewal strategies.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the last year MOOCs have had direct links to University strategies including;\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n