Content development toolkit ideal for creating short courses
A new content development toolkit – ideal for creating MOOCs and short courses or improving existing modules – has been released by the Higher Education 4.0 instructional design team.
The instructional designers created this to help lecturers quickly understand the basic elements of course design for online teaching.
Containing eight sections, each section of the toolkit links to a micro-course. The lean production process micro-course supports efficient and thoughtful production with the assistance of an ID/LT (instructional designer / learning technologist).
The MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) production guide for lecturers and external partners is useful for anyone wishing to create a short taster course. The video production guide, writing for online courses guide, course formatting guide, style guide and peer review checklist can all be used to help develop course content for an asynchronous online learning environment.
Senior Instructional Designer Louise Kearins adds: “Finally, we have provided a link to the project’s reusable learning objects (RLOs) on SharePoint (internal access only), sharing over four thousand – and growing – resources from Higher Education 4.0 projects with ATU staff.”
Each micro-course can be accessed as a standalone unit, so lecturers can pick and choose whichever course is most relevant. When learners complete all eight sections and the end of course quiz, they will receive a digital badge / course completion certificate.
The resource has been shared locally with the Online and Flexible Professional Development and Teaching and Learning teams – alternatively, you can access it directly on freecourses.atu.ie or on the Higher Education 4.0 website.
Louise continues: “This toolkit is for anyone interested in improving their online course content, as well as for anyone setting up an online module for the first time. The beginning of the academic year puts lecturers under strain, so we created a toolbox to help them focus on the essential knowledge they will need before creating an online course.
“It will also help lecturers understand how instructional designers or learning technologists can support them beyond troubleshooting and training as content developers.”
Welcoming the launch of the toolkit, Gavin Clinch, Head of Innovation (OFPD) and Lead for Higher Education 4.0 Innovation Projects, says: “As we continue to innovate within the Higher Education 4.0 framework, this toolkit empowers lecturers to design and deliver online courses with greater confidence and efficiency.
“It provides practical, accessible resources that streamline the process of content creation, allowing educators to focus on what truly matters—engaging and inspiring their learners in a dynamic, digital environment.”
Meanwhile, lecturer Gabriel Farragher praises the Higher Education 4.0 team for their innovation, noting the information provided is sure to be beneficial.
He adds: “The tip on avoiding dates for reusing videos was good as I have been caught on this in the past and I always feel that it looks bad to put something up for students if it has other students talking in the background or an old date.
“I like that there was a list of good software to use such as Cameo, Adobe Studio and the training links [that were] included too,” he concludes.
The Higher Education 4.0 Project, which uses innovation and technology to provide pathways into and through higher education and employment, is funded by the Human Capital Initiative (HCI) Pillar 3.
