MOOC Development Checklists

Table of Contents:

Course Announcement Checklist

• Complete the edX About Page Template.

• Create the course about video “The Sizzle” with:

   given technical specs.

  The About Video should excite and entice potential students to take your course. Think of it as a movie trailer or TV show promotion.  The video should be compelling, and exhibit the instructor’s personality.

  • Length: ideal length is 30-90 seconds (learners typically only watch an average of 30 seconds)

  • Should be produced and edited using elements such as graphic and stock footage

  
  

  The About video should answer these key questions:

  • Why should a learner register?

  • What topics and concepts are covered?

  • Who is teaching the course?

  • What institution is delivering the course?

  
  

  Naming Specifications:

  Name: InstitutionX_CourseNumber_About.mov

• Create the course banner image. Minimum size: 660 pixels wide by 240 pixels high.

• Create the course FAQ to guide students on technical needs and other questions they may have. FAQ example. 

• If you plan to setup Facebook or other social media channels, setup the course email address to use for this and for other course related accounts.

Course Communication and Social Media Checklist

• If you plan to setup Facebook or other social media channels, setup the course email address to use for this and for other course related accounts.
  

• Create course email template. See sample course emails in Box.

• Setup Facebook and Twitter Accounts and provide initial posts to provide momentum.

• Consider an email schedule (example: every Monday …) for the learner from the faculty member, through the platform.

• Determine plan who/when/what for course emails.

• Determine strategy on Facebook and twitter posts. How to keep momentum going on the course social media posts.

Course Video Setup Checklist

• Review recommended video production specifications.

   given technical specs.

   

  EdX recommends the following video compression specifications. These specifications are recommended but not required.

   

   

  Output	Publish to YouTube	Publish downloadable file to AWS S3
  Codec	H.264 .mp4	H.264 .mp4
  Resolution & Frame Rate (see note)	1920x1080, progressive, 29.97 fps	1280x720, progressive, 29.97 fps
  Aspect	1.0	1.0
  Bit Rate	VBR, 2 pass	VBR, 2 pass
  Target VBR	5 mbps	1 mbps
  Max VBR	7.5 mbps	1.5 mbps
  Audio	AAC 44.1 / 192 kbps	AAC 44.1 / 192 kbps

   

   

• Create, edit, and finalize the video.
• Setup 3Play Media account with UT edX program manager.
• Setup course YouTube account with UT edX program manager.
• Submit video for transcription to 3Play Media.  

Course Launch Checklist 

• Confirm course start and ends dates
• Check all release dates/times for all sections
  

• Remember the course schedule settings still use GMT/UTC in some places. Is is useful to share with your learners a link to a time conversation tool in your emails for their use. 

  • convert to your local time zone. 

• Review grading scheme and their assignment types
  
• Review 1^st weeks content and readiness to go-live
  
  • Set all units to public .
  • Set due dates per plan.
    
  • Videos and transcripts are ready to go and tested. 
  • Other content has been tested.
• Course home page:
  
  • Create a welcome message with necessary announcements and guiding instructions for the course.
  • Example course info page
    
• Course Handouts - Ensure necessary course handouts are available in the course per plan - schedule, syllabus, handouts, etc.  
• Course communication:  
  •  Have you messaged where and when students should expect to get their questions answered or explained? 
  • Are you aware of when the last day to sign-up for ID Verified certificate?
  • Send a reminder email to students before the course launches and another the day of launch.   
    
  • Office Hours: anything to setup/message  to students
    
• Discussion forums:
  
  • Ensure necessary topics are ready to go
  • Setup necessary discussion admins/moderators in the Instructor Panel
    
  • Decide on escalation process for discussion posts
  • Who will post a post for learners to introduce each other and pin
    
• Course team roles and responsibilities discussed. 
• Process of issue, reporting, and resolution defined and communicated among team.
• Engage social media channels
  

Course Closing Checklist 

• Confirm course end dates
  

• For Instructor-paced courses confirm certificate issue dates with UT edX program Manager
  

• Consider sending an end of course survey (as planned)

• Consider sending learners a course closing email
• Update the Course info page with information for already registered learners and potential new learners
  

• Make sure assignments have the correct due dates on the course materials if dues dates are set. If there are no due dates, the course closing date is considered the due date by the system. This prevents students from modifying scores after course closes. 

• Download the grade book and do a check to make sure no oddities exist, since certificate generation will start soon after course close.

• Do not make alterations to the grading components in the course between course closing and certificate generation.

• Download the tar.gz of the course as an archival once the course certificates have been generated.

• Download any data that may need to be downloaded for 3rd party tools integrated.

• Decide on course archive plan

• Complete necessary reports such as  the course final report.
  
• Setup lessons learned with course team and UT edX program Manager