About MOOCs
The Office of the Vice-Provost, Teaching & Learning (OVPTL) oversees institutional agreements and policies related to design, development and delivery of MOOCs at the University. Over the past 10+ years of MOOC offerings, our institutional strategy remains focused on addressing the following goals:
- Contribute to the education community and the broader public through sharing of institutional expertise and open curriculum content.
- Explore and evaluate a range of pedagogical approaches and open course platforms.
- Leverage the use of open educational resources through integration into U of T degree program courses.
- Showcase U of T’s capacity as a leading institution for teaching, learning and research.
U of T has partnerships with both Coursera and EdX for MOOC delivery.
Support for MOOCs
Digital Learning Innovation provides oversight for MOOC development at U of T, including:
- Faculty development support.
- Consulting on resourcing, team-based planning and design.
- Coordinating institutional research and evaluation activities.
- Acting as a liaison with the OVPTL as required.
Please contact digital.learning@utoronto.ca for more information about MOOCs or to schedule a consultation.
Submit a MOOC Proposal
All instructors looking to create a MOOC must complete a MOOC Proposal Form. You must have approval from the OVPTL for your MOOC before you will be able to post it to Coursera or EdX.
Proposals will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit a MOOC Proposal.
Expectations for MOOC Development
Instructors who are approved for MOOC development are expected to meet the following:
- Course instructors will participate in an initial consultation with Digital Learning Innovation.
- The division will form a design team including instructional design support, media technicians, research assistants, liaison librarians, course builder, technical support and/or others as appropriate.
- Course instructors will participate in regular online course redesign team planning meetings as needed to ensure quality of course materials and instructional design.
- Course instructors will support institutional evaluation processes and support scholarly activity related to research on effective teaching and learning processes within the Open Course sphere.
MOOC Proposal Process
| Step | Details |
| 1. Confirm the eligibility of your MOOC. | Review About MOOCs. |
| 2. Attend a consultation with DLI. | Contact digital.learning@utoronto.ca to schedule a consultation. |
| 3. Submit a MOOC Proposal. | MOOC proposals are accepted on a rolling basis. Within the submitted application, you will be required to upload 1) a letter of endorsement from a Dean or Dean’s designate, and 2) a letter of endorsement from your academic program head / chair (in departmentalized faculties). |
| 4. Receive confirmation. | After MOOC Proposals are reviewed, applicants will receive a letter with the results of the application, including approval of the MOOC. If your MOOC is approved for development, you will receive a revenue sharing template and instructor agreement (for Coursera only) for your completion. |
| 5. Share supplementary information with the OVPTL (if approved) | If your MOOC is approved for development, you will be asked to provide the OVPTL with a copy of the revenue sharing template you’ve completed with your division, and a signed instructor agreement (for Coursera only). |
Contact Us
For more details about MOOC development, please contact digital.learning@utoronto.ca.