This is a simple facilitator guide for considerations for teaching a traditional MOOC (MOOCx.)

1.  
MOOCx: Massive Open Online Courses (Traditional)

2.  Guiding the MOOC
 Managing Interactions with Students
 Continuous Improvement
 Division of Labor

3.  
Keeping Self-Paced Students On Track by Creating Community

4.  Daily Announcements
o Keep students updated, day-by-day
o Keep announcements short – the explanations should be in the
course itself
o Provide encouragement
o Redirect students to existing resources (see Managing
Interactions with Students)
 Open Discussion Forums
o Monitor daily
o Jump in only when necessary
o Reinforce your role often

5.  
Facilitating Sane Communication Streams

6.  Set Expectations for Interaction
o Tell students how, when, and why you will communicate with
them
o Reinforce your guidelines!
o If a student contacts you the wrong way, respond to them to
check out the interaction guidelines and resubmit their question
in the right way. Remember, you’re teaching students how to
treat you as a faculty leading a new type of learning experience.
 Nothing for One Purpose
o Every interaction should be documented and shared in another
way
o If you answer an individual email, add that question to the FAQ
o If there is confusion, solve an individual question in the
Announcements

7.  Communicate with Fellow Faculty
o Help manage the workload collaboratively
o Minimize Mommy/Daddy interactions
o Start the process for continuous improvement

8.  
Figuring Out on the Fly What Works Better (Not Best)

9.  Fix it In Flight
o If something is causing problems, don’t wait till the next run of
the course, see if you can fix it
 Track all changes
o Keep a chart of requested and implemented updates
o These can then be incorporated into the next course
 Reflect on the Why
o Some things won’t be changed during the first or second run
o Try to diagnose what is working and what isn’t and why
o Find a

10.  
Decide Who Does What First

11.  Decide Upfront Who Will…
o Post daily announcements
o Monitor discussion boards daily
o Monitor email daily
 Decide Upfront How…
o You will communicate changes, needs & info to fellow faculty
o You will track FAQs for inclusion in the second course
o You will communicate centrally with eLi