Scenario
In today’s rapidly evolving industrial landscape, engineers play a pivotal role in addressing one of the most pressing global challenges: decarbonisation of heating and cooling systems. Engineers are tasked with developing cleaner and more efficient technologies; hence Durham University’s academic experts came together to produce a course on the subject. The content of the course focusses on research and the latest developments in this area. The course will be available for engineers in the industry as a Continuous Professional Development learning resource. This initiative was supported by funding from the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre (IDRIC).
Solution
The development of an online CPD course by academic staff at Durham University showcases how academic expertise can be harnessed to create high-quality, engaging, and accessible professional development opportunities. This initiative not only benefits the university by extending its educational reach but also contributes to the university’s financial sustainability by generating revenue.
The course will be hosted in the form of asynchronous e-learning on an external CPD platform that specialises in learning initiatives for the industry. Maintaining consistency with other resources on the platform, the course was developed in Rise Articulate using their templates and will be uploaded as a SCORM package. Genially also came in to enhance the course with engaging and interactive elements.
Design and Development
Using a Word document with scripts that referenced visual resources in Power Point files, the Science Digital Education team created wireframes and storyboards for each module to start the design process. This involved consulting the Project Manager to make sure that the structure worked for the content, reviewing all assets, and designing interactive elements.
The development of the resource took place in Rise Articulate. Developers used the external provider’s templates to maintain consistency in learning offerings on their websites. However, Durham University’s logo and branding were included in graphics, videos and interactive elements created in Genially.
To create an engaging, inclusive, and accessible learner experience, the Science Digital Education team members made full use of Rise Articulate functionality, including various means of delivering knowledge and ensuring that alternative text, captions and transcripts were available for learners using assistive technology. Genially was used for custom visual elements to create interactive and accessible activities (example available to the right – click to see the image in more detail in a new browser window).
After the development of the first iteration, the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) reviewed the modules and provided feedback, and a usability testing session was carried out with a group of Postgraduate students. The feedback was applied to modules by the Project Manager and the Science Digital Education team members.
Quick Tips
- Rise Articulate has limitations in supporting content that includes mathematical equations. Most of symbols are not recognised by the software. To present them within the pages of the module, you can use a workaround: add images of equations followed by a Word document containing alternative text right below the image.
- This issue can also appear when creating End of Module quizzes. As equations are not supported, questions need to be carefully considered and created in text-based format or focused on numerical results (without providing an equation in the question). For multiple-choice or multiple-response type questions, you can upload an image in the question field; however, there is no option to add a Word document as a workaround for alt text.
- For hosting videos, ensure that you create a space where the videos can be embedded from, to not add to the weight of the SCORM package. In this case, a Panopto folder was created to store all videos, and permissions adjusted.
Implementation
The implementation process of the modules began in November 2023. The process started by providing a pilot version of the course to a cluster of UK businesses in the industry, with 11 modules out of the 13 included. Users specified for the pilot run of the course provided feedback, which was implemented in the next iteration of the product in January 2024.
A future step will be to make the whole product available on the external provider’s web site for commercial use, internationally.
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