Internet Learning Volume 3, Number 1, Spring 2014 | Page 65
Internet Learning
MOOC Development: Purpose, Audience,
and Objectives
The goal of designing and developing
a Developmental Mathematics MOOC was
to leverage the college’s extensive experience
in subject matter and online learning to expedite
the transition into mainstream college
coursework for massive numbers of students.
In the Fall 2011 semester, Tri-C
had 2,285 “new-to-college” students test
into the College’s first-level developmental
mathematics course – MATH 0910 – Basic
Arithmetic and Pre-Algebra. In the Spring
2012 semester, another 1,109 students tested
into this course. Of these, nearly 3,400
students, approximately 1,600 tested at the
upper end of the placement score range for
the MATH 0910 course. Tri-C’s Developmental
Mathematics MOOC targeted these
students who tested into the upper levels
of pre-algebra. The MOOC was intended
to bridge the gap for these students, allowing
them to skip the college’s MATH 0910
course altogether and go directly into the
college’s Beginning Algebra or Quantway
course sequence. The overarching outcomes
for the MOOC pilot included:
• Addressing the developmental education
challenge and Tri -C’s priority to
help students get to college ready status
at a faster pace.
• Opportunities for partnership with
K-12 by targeting high schools students
and helping students get to college-ready
status before they enroll at Tri-C.
• Supporting returning students who
want/need a brief math refresher.
• Contributing to the exploration of innovative
and experiential practices in
teaching and learning and being a leader
among community colleges, as a Board
Member Institution in the League for Innovation
in the Community College.
The audience for the MOOC included
a number of different student populations
– both current students and nonstudents.
These audiences included students
currently enrolled in Tri-C’s bridge courses,
as well as students who desired additional
practice after completing mandatory placement
prep. Tri-C’s work with local high
school partnerships and the community
also expanded the target audience to first
generation, returning, post-secondary, and
tech-prep students. Lastly, in partnership
with Blackboard Coursesites, Tri-C was
able to enroll students outside the region,
state, and nation.
Instructional Design
The Tri-C Math MOOC was developed
by a collaborative team of faculty
and instructional designers. Several faculty
members served as subject matter experts
and members of the instructional design
team served as both designers and developers,
supporting the faculty by aligning
the course, developing the course structure
in the Learning Management System, loading
the vetted content and materials, and
setting up adaptive release for the gaming
aspect of the learning experience. Finally,
an external graphics developer provided
unique graphics for the entire course.
The course was designed and developed
during a two-month period (January–February
2013), as the first offering
was scheduled for March 2013. This required
a high level of interaction between
the faculty and the design team, needing
regular communication, quick turnaround
times, and collaboration. The collaboration
was critical to the success of the project,
and working together, the full team was
able to fix technical issues, adapt the course
as needed, and improve the support to students.
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