Title: Elements of maintaining high-quality MOOCs at a higher education institution
Course: Digivisio DEMO: Planning and creating a MOOC > Section: Maintenance and support processes of MOOCs

Needs to develop and update a MOOC implementation over time are part of its nature, as good MOOC topics often include content based on the latest research or new and emerging competence needs. Consequently, it is advisable to invest in updating and maintaining MOOCs as soon as the MOOC strategy is created and when working on the curricula and scenario of future MOOC implementations.

When drawing up the maintenance plan, the higher education institution and the resources provided are often in the spotlight. What kinds of resources are available for maintenance, where can the teacher get help for development and responding to feedback, and how does the MOOC evolve in the curriculum work in step with degree programmes and other studies?

Well-planned support processes improve the teachers’ and participants’ experience of the MOOC, as the added value produced by the support processes is often reflected in an implementation that requires independent progress and work. Developing processes in order to support MOOC work and to improve the quality of MOOCs may lead to higher participation and completion rates as well as positive feedback and new course and development ideas. In other words, teachers’ support measures for MOOC production should also be regarded as support activities included in the MOOC that are aimed at learners and, in particular, at promoting their progress.

Key support processes for creating MOOCs and the actors relevant to maintaining them can be categorized as follows.

Higher education institution’s education strategy: The higher education institution’s education strategy guides the production, goals and resources of MOOCs. The education strategy defines what kind of MOOCs the higher education institution wants to produce, why and how. The education strategy also defines how teachers’ competence is complemented in MOOC matters.
Student administration: In MOOCs, student administration is responsible for placing the course in the curriculum and degree structure. Student administration also sees to learners’ enrolments and the registration of credits in cooperation with the teacher and supports the teacher in managing the data of a large and scalable group of learners.
Pedagogical support: Pedagogical support helps the teacher develop the digital pedagogy needed in MOOCs and implement interactive digital pedagogical methods that have been found effective and enhance learning. Pedagogical support provides the teacher with consultations, assistance with creating a MOOC, and peer support and experiences for implementing MOOCs of high quality.
Learning platform support services: The learning platform support services assist the teacher in matters related to LMS platforms and provide the teacher with a workspace in which they can create a scalable MOOC. The learning platform support services also help with the deployment of the learning platform's different features and provide advice related to them.
Support for video and media production: Support for video and media production helps teachers create high-quality, interactive and accessible media for the MOOC. This includes high-quality videos, podcasts, infographics and other multimedia elements of courses

HEI:

The higher education institution is responsible for providing teachers with support and training for creating MOOCs, as well as help with piloting their MOOCs. The higher education institution is also responsible for registering the credits awarded to learners for MOOCs, marketing MOOCs and supporting the long-term maintenance of MOOCs. The higher education institution allocates resources to and maps out the support measures needed by the teacher and ensures that the teacher has the necessary tools for implementing the MOOC.

Teacher:

The teacher creates and teaches their course as well as collects analytics data and feedback on how it works. The teacher prepares the course development cycle and ensures that the learners’ learning path during the MOOC is clear and that the learners know how to enrol for the implementation and how to get their credits registered. The teacher participates in the piloting, dissemination and marketing of the MOOC as set out in their personal work plan.

 Tools:

Knowledge of different tools and the support measures offered for their use are at the center of the maintenance and support processes. A tool strategy should also be developed around maintaining MOOC implementations that addresses the scalability, information security, accessibility, and usability of the tools and the need for them in digital pedagogy. Support for the use and maintenance of tools offered to teachers should also be placed at the center of the strategy.

Fill in the maintenance and development of the MOOC in your pedagogical manuscript. Pay attention to at least the following.
- Where can you get support for creating and maintaining your MOOC?
- What kinds of support functions are available at your higher education institution for the pedagogical planning and marketing of the MOOC and for using the tools?
- What is your long-term plan for updating the MOOC?
- How will you collect feedback for updating your course?
- How does your MOOC respond to competence needs now and in the future?
- How does your MOOC work as part of the curriculum and degree structure in your higher education institution?