This is a generic starting place for crafting a MOOC, regardless of the platform that it will eventually reside on.

We will discuss things like:

Learning Objectives
Structure
Engagement
Assessment

as well as consideration for:

Equipment
Software
Employee Resources
Compensation/Funding

 Learning Objectives

The following tips are given in reference to filling out the application to run a specialization with Coursera, but they are useful in general when coming up with your learning objectives:

What will the learner be able to do by the end of the course? We encourage the use of Specific and Operational Verbs. As you may know, the verb “understand” is not quite helpful to a novice learner. Could you please explain how they will demonstrate their understanding? For example, instead of saying “this course will cover…” you could say “after completing this course, you will be able to…” and then fill in with active verbs about the value and benefits to learners of taking this course. Will learners be able to identify, explain or analyze <course content> and the effects of different treatment plans? We recommend listing several concrete abilities learners will gain. For further information, please refer to our Designing Learning Objectives document.

Student Assessments

Again these are recommendations straight from Coursera and are useful when considering any MOOC assessment practices.

We recommend using both formative assessments, such as In-Video Quizzes (IVQs) and Practice Quizzes, as well as summative assessments, such as Graded Quizzes and Peer Reviews. Formative assessments are beneficial to our learners in preparation for summative assessments later on in the course. IVQs are a pause in the video when learners are asked to answer a question checking if they understand the main idea of the video lecture. Instead of “self-assessments,” please consider changing these to peer review assignments so that learners can gain from reviewing others’ work and being graded by their fellow classmates. For more information on IVQs, Quizzes, and Peer Reviews, please consult our Optimizing Assessments document. For an example of successful IVQs, please watch Learning How To Learn. For a high quality Peer Review example, please see the Human-Centered Design course.