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EdX E-Learning Course Development
EdX E-Learning Course Development

EdX E-Learning Course Development: Design, develop, and deploy an interactive and informative MOOC course for the edX platform

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Profile Icon Matthew A. Gilbert
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Arrow left icon
Profile Icon Matthew A. Gilbert
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Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.3 (4 Ratings)
Paperback May 2015 310 pages 1st Edition
eBook
£25.99 £28.99
Paperback
£35.99
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Renews at £16.99p/m
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EdX E-Learning Course Development

Chapter 2. Planning the Curriculum

The previous chapter provided you with an overview of edX as both a MOOC platform and an organization, while helping you understand its potential and purpose. You were also introduced to your role and responsibilities as an edX instructor. Now that you have gained an understanding of edX, signed up for Studio, and launched your first course, let's start planning your curriculum.

This chapter identifies your course's instructional elements and introduces the components of the curriculum that you will create in Chapter 3, Producing Videos, and Chapter 4, Designing Exercises. We will add these materials into our edX course and review their specific requirements in Chapter 5, Integrating Curriculum.

This chapter reviews what you'll need to know, as follows:

  • Create your edX Course Matrix
  • Prepare your course's About page
  • Write preliminary documents
  • Understand learning sequences
  • Develop exercises and assessments
  • Select textbooks and materials...

edX Course Matrix

The first step to developing your edX course is organizing its curriculum. Whether you're creating a new course or converting an existing course, you will need to identify each of the components of your course and where they will be delivered to students. While a syllabus was an effective option in the past, you might find it inadequate with the more interactive and engaging elements of your edX course.

While not part of the edX platform, one tool you might find useful is the edX Course Matrix. A Microsoft Excel document that outlines the course curriculum with links to the source material and finished files for each instructional element, the edX Course Matrix provides you with a simplified project management process. This document is not required by any means, but it is included here as a value-added best practice.

The following is a screenshot of the edX Course Matrix. As you can see, there are two parts of it: Course Data at the top and Course Details at the bottom...

edX Course Matrix data

Let's take a look at the Course Data part of the edX Course Matrix, a screenshot of which is provided here:

edX Course Matrix data

You will notice that three of the fields—Course Title, Organization, and Course Number—mirror the fields you completed when you created your course in the Creating your course section in Chapter 1, Getting Started. The instructions are repeated in this section for your reference, but the data entered in your Course Matrix should mirror the information you used when creating your course:

  • Course Title: Enter the title of your course using title capitalization (that is, the first letter of each word must be capitalized).
  • Organization: Enter the name of your university or company. Do not include whitespaces or special characters; use an underscore between words instead (for example, Harvard_University, and not Harvard University).
  • Course Number: Enter an abbreviation and a number for the topic and title of your course. Do not include whitespaces or...

edX Course Matrix details

Now let's review the Course Details section of our edX Course Matrix, a screenshot of which is provided here:

edX Course Matrix details

As was the case in the Course Data section, the information identified in the Course Details section of your edX Course Matrix was previously explained in the Creating your course section in Chapter 1, Getting Started. However, the information is repeated here for easy reference.

To facilitate your understanding, consider the following screenshot from the Introduction to Public Speaking course on edx.org as you read through the information after it:

edX Course Matrix details
  • Section: This is the top-level category you will use to organize your course. Section names might correspond to weeks in your course or the themes you will explore. Section names appear in the course accordion in the left pane.

    In the preceding screenshot, the first section is titled Week 1 - Course Overview, Key Terms, and Introductory Speeches.

  • Subsection: This is a subcategory within a section, and it corresponds...

The About page

Your course's About page provides prospective students with information so that they can decide whether they want to enroll. Refer to the Exploring edX courses section of Chapter 1, Getting Started, to review the various ways to navigate to the About pages for currently available courses.

Consider the following screenshot from the About page for MITx course uINOV8x, User Innovation: A Path to Entrepreneurship.

The About page

Note

Remember that, since edX is a cloud-based learning management system, its form and function are always in a state of evolution; the interface or operations could change at any time.

About pages across edX versions

The Academic and Business Writing course is available on edx.org; the About page for courses on edX Edge looks similar, but there is no course catalog, so you will need to share the link to the course directly with students. Open edX courses also have an About page, which can be accessed from a course catalog page, similar to that of an edx.org course...

Preliminary documents

Preliminary documents include an array of instructional materials a student sees when first entering your edX course. Typically, preliminary documents are accessible via the Course Info tab, as shown in the following screenshot from the HarvardX course CS50x, Introduction to Computer Science:

Preliminary documents

The preliminary documents required for your edX course will vary, based on its learning objectives and requirements, but might generally include the following:

  • Syllabus: The syllabus should define topics your course will cover, include the names of instructors and teaching assistants, present any grading rubrics, list textbook information, give an overview of assignments and assessments, identify important dates, and define special instructions or policies. Typically, courses offer a syllabus within the edX environment as a downloadable PDF file and/or through an external website.
  • Schedule: Your schedule defines the order and deadlines for the assignments in your course. There are...

edX Course Matrix


The first step to developing your edX course is organizing its curriculum. Whether you're creating a new course or converting an existing course, you will need to identify each of the components of your course and where they will be delivered to students. While a syllabus was an effective option in the past, you might find it inadequate with the more interactive and engaging elements of your edX course.

While not part of the edX platform, one tool you might find useful is the edX Course Matrix. A Microsoft Excel document that outlines the course curriculum with links to the source material and finished files for each instructional element, the edX Course Matrix provides you with a simplified project management process. This document is not required by any means, but it is included here as a value-added best practice.

The following is a screenshot of the edX Course Matrix. As you can see, there are two parts of it: Course Data at the top and Course Details at the bottom. We...

edX Course Matrix data


Let's take a look at the Course Data part of the edX Course Matrix, a screenshot of which is provided here:

You will notice that three of the fields—Course Title, Organization, and Course Number—mirror the fields you completed when you created your course in the Creating your course section in Chapter 1, Getting Started. The instructions are repeated in this section for your reference, but the data entered in your Course Matrix should mirror the information you used when creating your course:

  • Course Title: Enter the title of your course using title capitalization (that is, the first letter of each word must be capitalized).

  • Organization: Enter the name of your university or company. Do not include whitespaces or special characters; use an underscore between words instead (for example, Harvard_University, and not Harvard University).

  • Course Number: Enter an abbreviation and a number for the topic and title of your course. Do not include whitespaces or special characters...

edX Course Matrix details


Now let's review the Course Details section of our edX Course Matrix, a screenshot of which is provided here:

As was the case in the Course Data section, the information identified in the Course Details section of your edX Course Matrix was previously explained in the Creating your course section in Chapter 1, Getting Started. However, the information is repeated here for easy reference.

To facilitate your understanding, consider the following screenshot from the Introduction to Public Speaking course on edx.org as you read through the information after it:

  • Section: This is the top-level category you will use to organize your course. Section names might correspond to weeks in your course or the themes you will explore. Section names appear in the course accordion in the left pane.

    In the preceding screenshot, the first section is titled Week 1 - Course Overview, Key Terms, and Introductory Speeches.

  • Subsection: This is a subcategory within a section, and it corresponds...

The About page


Your course's About page provides prospective students with information so that they can decide whether they want to enroll. Refer to the Exploring edX courses section of Chapter 1, Getting Started, to review the various ways to navigate to the About pages for currently available courses.

Consider the following screenshot from the About page for MITx course uINOV8x, User Innovation: A Path to Entrepreneurship.

Note

Remember that, since edX is a cloud-based learning management system, its form and function are always in a state of evolution; the interface or operations could change at any time.

About pages across edX versions

The Academic and Business Writing course is available on edx.org; the About page for courses on edX Edge looks similar, but there is no course catalog, so you will need to share the link to the course directly with students. Open edX courses also have an About page, which can be accessed from a course catalog page, similar to that of an edx.org course.

Long...

Preliminary documents


Preliminary documents include an array of instructional materials a student sees when first entering your edX course. Typically, preliminary documents are accessible via the Course Info tab, as shown in the following screenshot from the HarvardX course CS50x, Introduction to Computer Science:

The preliminary documents required for your edX course will vary, based on its learning objectives and requirements, but might generally include the following:

  • Syllabus: The syllabus should define topics your course will cover, include the names of instructors and teaching assistants, present any grading rubrics, list textbook information, give an overview of assignments and assessments, identify important dates, and define special instructions or policies. Typically, courses offer a syllabus within the edX environment as a downloadable PDF file and/or through an external website.

  • Schedule: Your schedule defines the order and deadlines for the assignments in your course. There are...

Learning sequences


The backbone of the educational experience in edX is the learning sequence. Inspired by the Socratic method, this is a novel approach to instruction by which you interweave exercises and a video lecture sequence (typically, short assessments with one to five questions each). Think of a learning sequence as a longer lecture that is broken down into smaller parts.

Each learning sequence appears within your course's weekly courseware sections, which are called modules, weeks, or sometimes hours. In each section, you can place homework, tutorials, and a virtual laboratory environment, if relevant. For reference, Module 1 from BUx: SABR101x, Sabermetrics 101: Introduction to Baseball Analytics is shown here:

In the preceding screenshot, we are in Sabermetrics: What is Sabermetrics?. This is the second subsection within this course's first section, Module 1: Introduction.

There are seven icons—one for each unit in this subsection—that represent a combination of written lecture...

Exercises and assessments


As was just noted, you will need to create several exercises and assessments for your course. Typically, these are short-answer or multiple-choice quizzes that are sandwiched within the other parts of a learning sequence. However, there are actually four types of exercises you can create for your course:

  • In-lesson exercises: Designed as short knowledge checks within a learning sequence, in-lesson exercises should focus on one or two small ideas. They should be challenging enough to ensure that a student understands the material, but not so intense that they break the rhythm of the course. In-lesson exercises can be used for instruction, feedback, and assessment.

  • Homework questions: These should ask more in-depth questions that link several course concepts and require more critical thinking than an in-lesson exercise. Consider developing homework questions as a weekly wrap-up.

  • Quiz problems: Whereas in-lesson exercises assess knowledge within a learning sequence...

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Description

If you are an educator creating a course for edX or a corporate trainer using Open edX for large-scale learning and development initiatives, then edX E-Learning Course Development is the ideal book for you.

Who is this book for?

If you are an educator creating a course for edX or a corporate trainer using Open edX for large-scale learning and development initiatives, then edX E-Learning Course Development is the ideal book for you.

Product Details

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Publication date, Length, Edition, Language, ISBN-13
Publication date : May 30, 2015
Length: 310 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783981809

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Publication date : May 30, 2015
Length: 310 pages
Edition : 1st
Language : English
ISBN-13 : 9781783981809

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Table of Contents

9 Chapters
1. Getting Started Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
2. Planning the Curriculum Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
3. Producing Videos Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
4. Designing Exercises Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
5. Integrating the Curriculum Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
6. Administering Your Course Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
7. Facilitating Your Course Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
8. Promoting Your Course Chevron down icon Chevron up icon
Index Chevron down icon Chevron up icon

Customer reviews

Rating distribution
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Half star icon 4.3
(4 Ratings)
5 star 25%
4 star 75%
3 star 0%
2 star 0%
1 star 0%
adel Jul 29, 2016
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon 5
I'm willing to buy the book when its available as digital book in iPhone, I'm sure that the book is great
Amazon Verified review Amazon
consultstevenj Jul 16, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I have been a technical trainer for more than 15 years. I wasn't expect this book to be really clear and practical I was surprised. I feel a lot more confident about creating a MOOC (massive open online course ) for my industry. This is remarkable because the technical parts have never been a struggle for me. But Matthew Gilbert has found a way to strike the balance between keeping instructors focused on the subject and yet navigating the technical aspects to master the medium. I found the chapters on integrating the curriculum to especially useful and his thoughts on promotingthe course especially valuable. The only reason I haven't rated in a 5 is because I think people starting out might need a more illustrations of doing what the course would look like in this format. A narrative that could guide a novice through the process. This might be an unfair evaluation because Packt publish to a highly technical audience. But this book is work the invest and taking the time to read the advice.You can tell the material has the emphasis that only comes from experience.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Charles E Crouch Jul 09, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I purchased this book looking for information on designing online courses, as I do not use the edX software. Fortunately the book goes beyond the software and provides both general direction and specific tips for designing and building an online course.The author emphasizes organizing the material to make it understandable by students and to make production easier. A method for structuring even large courses is described, and applied to the edX environment. Extended information is provided for recording, producing and uploading video files, as they are the main component of many online courses. Many of the specific steps for edX described in the text, such as "how to enter a long course description," are equally valid for setting up any online course, and should be taken into account. There is also a comprehensive section on marketing an online course including social media, personal branding and metrics to measure success; all useful to an instructor planning a course.For those looking for edX information, the book does provide a comprehensive set of instructions and screenshots for setting up a course. Overall this is a very useful book for those planning to deliver courses online.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
Jos� Manuel Garc�a Llamas Jul 31, 2015
Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Full star icon Empty star icon 4
I would like to give a brief introduction about edX, just for those who don't know what this book or edX is about.edX is an open source LMS, Learning Management System, supported by some of the most prestigious Universities of the world such as the MIT and Harvard Universtiy.So basically we are talking about edX as a tool, very interesting and valuable one, for example in case you are thinking about creating an online course.edX as such is a MOOC, Massive Open Online Course, platform where you can find a bunch of courses created by the most prestigious Univerties from all over the world.This book, "EdX E-Learning Course Development", is a valuable source of information in case you want to achive your goal, creating your own online course.Just in eight chapters the author will guide you through all the necessary steps and tools you need to achive that: having a look at the platform, taking the first steps, planning the course by producing videos, having the audience in mind, how to designing exercises, administrating and promoting your course.As I mentioned before, if you are an educator or just a person who wants to produce an online course in mind ,this book is a perfect initial point to achive your goal.
Amazon Verified review Amazon
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