The first intensive training on the design of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) at Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), was conducted from August 5 to 7, 2024, as part of the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform Project. This training initiative is a key component in supporting VNU-HCM’s implementation of the “Enhancing Digital Transformation Capacity in Education for the 2023-2027 Period” project.

The “Enhancing Digital Transformation Capacity in Education for the 2023-2027 Period” project at VNU-HCM is progressively being actualized through the development of MOOC courses. While university lecturers acquired some experience in online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, effective online education extends beyond merely uploading PowerPoint presentations, lecture videos, and learning materials to online platforms. A high-quality online course must ensure meaningful interaction with learners, thereby sustaining their interest and motivation to complete the course. Achieving this requires a fundamental shift in perspective and methodology in designing learning activities, materials, and online teaching scenarios, with a strong emphasis on interaction between learners and the program as well as peer-to-peer engagement.

To assist VNU-HCM in developing high-quality and interactive MOOCs, the USAID Partnership for Higher Education Reform project provided a series of technical support activities aimed at enhancing the online course design skills of three groups of lecturers tasked with creating MOOCs. These courses include “General Biology 1” and “Introduction to Artificial Intelligence” (led by the University of Science, VNU-HCM), and “Macroeconomics” (led by the University of Economics and Law, VNU-HCM). The lecturers participate in a series of training sessions and coaching in MOOC development from July to December 2024.

Following a survey to assess the lecturers’ needs for improving online course design skills, project experts organized an intensive training from August 5 to 7, 2024. The objective of the training was to equip lecturers with the necessary skills to design learning outcomes, select appropriate assessment methods, and develop activities and learning materials suitable for the online environment, with the ultimate goal being the creation of high-quality MOOCs.

During the training, lecturers gained a comprehensive understanding of the MOOC design process through hands-on practice in developing learning activities and materials, followed by the creation of online teaching scenarios. They also explored the functionalities of the Learning Management System (LMS) and the Canvas LMS to design appropriate learning activities that enhance learner interaction. Importantly, lecturers had the opportunity to practice refining learning outcomes for online instruction, selecting suitable tools and assessment methods for online learning, as well as experimenting with the design of activities and materials, culminating in the construction of a module scenario on the Canvas platform developed by VNU-HCM.

A highlight of the training was the “Mobile Studio,” equipped with full recording facilities, where lecturers experienced the process of recording lectures and packaging online lessons on the Canvas platform. This experience significantly enhanced their confidence and provided them with a clearer understanding of the tasks required to design a high-quality online course.

Associate Professor Dr. Quach Ngo Diem Phuong, Head of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Science, VNU-HCM, who is responsible for the General Biology course, reflected on the training: “This training exceeded my expectations. Through my participation, I realized that creating online lectures involves much more than producing one-way interaction videos. I have now designed online learning activities that enable learners to engage through group discussions, videos with embedded questions, and short quizzes.”

Following the training, the three groups of lecturers responsible for the courses will continue to design learning activities and materials, develop online teaching scenarios for the remaining modules, and record lecture videos to upload the MOOC to VNU-HCM’s online platform with expert support from the project. The three MOOCs are anticipated to be completed by November 2024, following pilot testing and necessary adjustments at the universities.