Online Sharing Platform for Course Modules: Understanding Materials Use and Effectiveness

Online Sharing Platform for Course Modules: Understanding Materials Use and Effectiveness This paper describes the use and effectiveness of open access course modules shared with faculty from multiple institutions on an online platform. The course modules are centered around the National Academy of Engineering's (NAE) Grand Challenges for Engineering and focus on the development of an interdisciplinary systems perspective of global challenges related to the themes of sustainability, health, security, and joy of living. These course modules were inspired by a course that was developed and offered to students in the NAE Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP) at [Institution] and also used in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) developed and offered through [Institution]'s [Program Name]. Many different types of materials have been developed for these course modules including expert talks, instructor-led videos, application videos that feature voice-over animations and images, case studies, discussions, role play based simulations and games, design activities, mind mapping activities, a debate, a professional digital portfolio, a research assignment and a project. Multiple variations of these materials were shared on the platform such that they can be implemented in different learning modalities including synchronous online, asynchronous online, and in person. To share these course modules with faculty members in and outside of GCSP from other institutions, an online platform was developed and launched in spring 2020. To date, these course modules have been accessed by 82 users from institutions and organizations across the nation and internationally. Two survey instruments were administered to understand the motivations behind users' interest in and use of the course modules, how they are using and/or planning to use the course modules, and the effectiveness of the course modules and the online platform. The first survey was administered when the users first accessed the course and it collects information about the users and their motivations. The second survey was administered in fall 2020 to two groups of users to gain more information about their motivations, their use of the course modules, and the impact and effectiveness of the course modules. The first group includes users who registered to access the course modules but did not access anything beyond the introductory module and did not complete the first survey, and the second group includes users who registered, accessed course modules beyond the introductory module, completed the first survey, and gave permission to be contacted for a follow-up survey. Follow up interviews were also conducted with randomly selected users to better understand how well the course modules have worked for them, their challenges and successes with the use of the course modules, and the usability of the online platform. In this paper, the development of the online platform will be described and insights gained from the surveys and interviews will be shared and discussed.