Title: What roles do different actors play in implementing a virtual learning environment?
Course: Digivisio DEMO: Planning and creating a MOOC > Section: Creating a MOOC in a virtual learning environment

Learner feedback (University of Oulu) shows that one of the key factors in facilitating learners’ course work is creating a clear virtual learning environment. When creating a virtual learning environment, the emphasis is primarily on its clarity, coherence, and good instructions that are as explicit as possible. The tools in the MOOC’s virtual learning environment support the entity that evolves around the interplay of these three key areas.

When creating a MOOC, pay attention to ensuring that its content and the instructions are clear, coherent, and explicit. Focusing on these three areas in a MOOC will facilitate the learner's work as well as reduce dropping out and floods of questions addressed to the teacher springing from uncertainty. For example, it is a good idea to ask a colleague who has never seen the virtual learning environment used for the MOOC to read your instructions or metatext.

Picture only in Finnish.

Creating a MOOC in a virtual learning environment requires cooperation between several actors, as well as simultaneous planning and coordination. When creating a virtual learning environment, you must consider the learner’s enrolment path, registration of credits, assurance of learning and the schedule for completing the course from the perspectives of the higher education institution, teacher, and learner from the word go.

Consequently, several stakeholders whose needs must be addressed early on are involved in the creating phase of the MOOC. The teacher’s or higher education institution’s perspective alone is often narrow, and when starting to create the course, you should take a look at learner feedback on previous courses, test different MOOC features by integrating them into more conventional courses, and focus on the features and pedagogical solutions that have worked well in the past.

When embarking on the process of creating a MOOC, pay attention to the different roles of the following actors, and when creating a descriptor for the progress of the MOOC from enrolment to registration of credits, account for each actor's role.

HEI:

  - Scheduling: The higher education institution is responsible for scheduling the course and making sure that the teaching periods, assignments, and assessments have clear and realistic schedules.
  - Communication channels: The administration’s task is to ensure efficient and multi-channel communication between learners and teachers, offering support and guidance where necessary.
  - Study attainments and registrations: The higher education institution is responsible for administrating the registration of study attainments and enrolments during a MOOC.

Teacher:

  - Online guidance of learners: The teacher provides learners with guidance and support in the virtual learning environment, encouraging active participation and interaction.
  - Stackable structure: The teacher plans a stackable structure for the course that supports progress in learning and focusing on the topic.
  - Delimitation of topic: The teacher defines clear and limited topics for the MOOC content, enabling learners to focus on essential points and develop their competence.
  - Quality criteria for digital pedagogy: The teacher complies with the quality criteria for digital pedagogy produced in the Digivision 2030 project when planning and implementing the course, consequently assuring the quality of learning.
  - Clear learning path: The teacher plans a clear and consistent learning path that helps learners progress in their studies.
  - Workload in online studies: The teacher accounts for learners’ workload in online studies in relation to the study time allocation of the course and plans the assignments and assessment accordingly.
  - Decisions on licences, accessibility, and openness of learning materials: The teacher makes the decisions on the licences, accessibility, and openness of the learning materials, ensuring that they are accessible and usable.

Learner:

  - Online interaction: Learners get actively involved in online interaction with the teacher, the materials, and each other, depending on the MOOC type. Online interaction is supported with pedagogical solutions and by engaging learners in creating their learning process and seeing it as a pathway.
  - Freedom and responsibility: Learners have the freedom to plan parts or modules of their personal learning paths during the course while assuming responsibility for advancing their learning.
  - Virtual learning environment metatexts: Learners read and use the learning platform’s metatexts, including instructions, virtual guidance, and guides, to support their learning process.
  - Different learners and adaptability: In a virtual learning environment, learners can influence their modes of learning and learning paths where applicable. Versatile materials enable the learner to engage in more intensive interaction.
  - Learner’s self-direction: Learners develop and practice their self-direction skills and are responsible for their progress in the MOOC, planning and assessing their learning at the beginning and end of the course as well as during it.

  Tools:

  - Licences: Find suitable licences for the learning materials and tools, ensuring that they can be used lawfully and ethically. Carefully provide for the use and selection of different licences and consider the need for services subject to a licence. Select the required licences and licence services.
  - Visualisation software: Use visualisation software to illustrate the content of the course and to support learning.
AI technology: Use generative AI technology to personalise learning, produce metatexts, motivate learners and adapt content.
  - Copyrights: Respect copyrights and ensure that all materials can be used lawfully.
  - Accessibility tools: Make sure that all learning materials and tools are accessible to all learners. Accessibility must be the starting point for planning every element you decide to use.
  - Interfaces (API, xAPI, SCORM): Use different interfaces to seamlessly integrate different tools and platforms into the course.

When you begin to plan a MOOC and considering which virtual learning environment to use, think about at least the following at the start:
- How can you bring learners to the virtual learning platform in a way that they will find effortless?
- How often are you planning to visit the platform to monitor and assist learners’ progress?
- How will you plan learners’ progress in the virtual learning environment; will they see everything at once, or gradually as they move on?
- How does your virtual learning environment motivate learners to progress in the course?
- How will you maintain and update the virtual learning environment while it is in use?
- How will you archive the course contents and completions at the end of the MOOC?