Specialist Options
SPOC (small private online course) Development
One skill which I have spent extensive time learning and mastering over the past three years is SPOC development. I have prior experience developing courses in Blackboard, Canvas, and an in-house LMS, but all of these were similar in that they were constructed around having cohorts in a linear fashion. I started attending monthly MOOC/SPOC workshops from the eLDSS (eLearning Development and Support Section) at PolyU more than a year before putting any content online. This gave me an introduction to features and relevant EdX news. It was good to be part of the community because the sharing of information allowed me to learn tips/tricks and also for me to disseminate my own knowledge about EdX and solutions I have developed.
The SoTL Hong Kong project was my first experience developing on EdX. I found the system generally easy to use, but less developed compared to other learning management systems since it was such a new technology. This drove development time up quite a bit, because of the system's limitations with HTML, CSS, and scripting. I had to utilize some creative techniques to overcome the system limitations, especially limitations in types of and options for questions in the system. EdX had no long answer question type, just short answer boxes which could only hold a few words, so I built an extended question box using a modified Python script. The additional length allowed students to reflect more in this activity, and since it was not for formal assessment, I set the options to mark any input as correct. I intentionally left the "Show Answer" button, so when clicked, it would provide some universally accepted qualities of good teachers. A screenshot of my custom long answer question can be seen on the right.
Aside from the technological differences, the pedagogical plan for SoTL Hong Kong had to be reworked to accommodate the SPOC environment. Since the course was to be run continuously and without cohorts, I knew discussion boards were not the most appropriate because they would be underutilized and would become dated rather quickly. I designed reflective activities, such as journals, hot spot images, and polls, to encourage more thoughtful responses. As Hadiya Habib (2017) states in A Study of Reflective Practice and its Role for Teachers: "There is one of the above all qualities that makes a good teacher- the ability to reflect on what, why and how we do things and to adopt and develop our practice within lifelong learning." The SoTL course wasn't built for academic-level study; it acted as a resource for participants to learn about various scholarly topics, so instead of implementing rigid testing and a forced linear course structure, all sections are open by default to be discovered in any order and a more reflective approach was taken to end of unit knowledge checks--like the question about good teaching above.
I was very satisfied with my ability to learn this new technology while under a pressing deadline. I think the course turned out very well and it is a sound base which can be expanded on in the future. If the decision to use EdX Edge as a platform had been made earlier, I could have better prepared by getting more formal education, but sometimes learning through doing helps my retention process anyhow. SPOC development has been a continuous learning process for me. In the future, I know not to spend too much time developing custom-coded complex interactions because the system is cloud-based and the support for features can change quite suddenly. I spent too much time forcing certain custom interactions to work when the development could have probably been better spent elsewhere in retrospect. In the future I will better consider how platform limitations might affect development time, not just the end product.
After several sections were completed for SoTL Hong Kong in EdX, the project leader advertised to interested employees for a "first look" open beta. Part of this beta included two face-to-face sessions, walking users through the SoTL content and the SPOC development process. It has been one of the few times I've been able to facilitate in my current position, so it felt good to be able to share my processes and expertise on this emerging technology. As evidence, I have included an advertisement for the first look SoTL sessions aimed at eager SoTL and SPOC learners. I acted as a co-facilitator on the technical side of the two sessions as seen from the presentation's first slide. During that same month, I had the opportunity to speak and showcase the course, processes, and interactions at the monthly MOOC/SPOC workshop. I again spoke on the technical side of designing and developing for a SPOC. Participants learned how I used JavaScript to enhance engagement, the extent to which HTML and CSS could customize their course, and how my organization processes could better maintain structure through standardization. I fielded questions and shared resources with colleagues, which has helped to motivate me to seek outlets for future dissemination since my skills have continuously been growing in the e-learning and learning technologies areas.
I included some feedback from the sharing session in the previous 'Supporting the Deployment of Learning Technologies' section, so this time I will attach screenshots from the post-session surveys below. Overall there were twenty-nine participants and the session as a whole were well-received. My facilitation was specifically related to question "b" about MOOCs and SPOCs. After revisiting the feedback, there are still ways the sessions could be improved the future, such as: showing examples from other SPOCs for inspiration and ideas, provide a comparison to BlackBoard (why should they use one over the other), and include a hand-on exercise for creating or modifying an activity.
Further evidence and explanation on my SPOC creation process can be found in this short video I made which guides you through the first module of the EdX SPOC on SoTL. You can better see how the structure was conceptualized and how videos/interactions work in the flow of the unit. This is very similar to the presentation I delivered in the above "First Look" sessions outlining the technical side of the SoTL SPOC.
Due to my work and experiences with SPOCs, after the SoTL project ended, I was appointed to a new position in the EDC as I was one of few people with such skills. SPOC development has now become my specialty because I have several years of experience with developing on EdX and I have a throughout understanding on the design and technical requirements for building a SPOC. My knowledge of SPOCs and the EdX system were learned through EdX online courses and tutorials, MOOC/SPOC sharing sessions, and self-learned through trial and error. For true mastery, it would be beneficial for me to seek out formal training and/or certification on EdX or SPOC development. I think my experience has given me a very marketable skill, but I still need to improve my knowledge of course administration and facilitation to really round out my specialty.
I have recently used experiences and lessons learned from the SoTL SPOC to produce a better learning experience and overall product with the Blended and Online Learning and Teaching (BOLT) SPOC which I am currently developing. I have been able to develop quicker and more efficiently now due to my prior experience and knowledge. This project is different because much of the content is existing since BOLT was originally a blended course using Coursesites. Some changes I have implemented include a more streamlined and chunked organization using a 3-tier naming convention (1.1.1, 1.1.2, etc), knowledge checks for every knowledge point, and learning outcomes beginning each module.
The BOLT course will have many updated videos, which are crucial for SPOCs as the platform is video-centric. As a result, my video recording and editing skills have greatly improved and added to my SPOC skill set also. I filmed a series of interview videos for a live-action case study within the course, I have created videos using voice-over and animations since there is no formal course facilitator, and I have edited sound, video, animations, and green screen together for a course trailer. I am to the point where I could really use Adobe Premiere Pro training since I am proficient in the basic functions, but I know how powerful the software is and how it could take my videos to the next level. I enjoy doing video work and since it goes hand in hand with SPOC development, it is a very important skill for me to master.
I created a Google Doc on the right which I used during the analysis phase of the BOLT SPOC project. In the first part, I analyzed other courses on the topic of blended learning--each of various platforms such as EdX and Coursera. I interviewed the current BOLT team members in a focus group and complied a list of likes/dislike with the current course, suggested improvements, and feedback on proposed changes when moving the course to an EdX SPOC. I always rely on some form of need analysis before design and development of a course takes place. In this case, I think including prior BOLT participants would have provided very useful insight in the future development too. I will consider contacting these prior students for the BETA test in the near future however.
