MITx Grant Program FAQ

GLOSSARY

• MOOC – Massive Open Online Course. This is a fully online course, open to the world. MITx MOOCs are open, meaning that any learner around the world can enroll and the opportunity to learn is available to anyone for free. Those who wish to earn an MITx certificate must verify their identity and pay a small fee. Earning the credential may require completing summative assessments (exams or the equivalent).
• edX – The platform that many MITx MOOCs are hosted on. edX hosts MOOCs from more than 100 universities.
• MITx Online - A new world-facing site based on Open edX to serve as a platform for some MITx MOOCs.
• MITx – The division of MIT Open Learning that is responsible for supporting MIT faculty and their course teams (see below) as they create, build, run, and revise MOOCs that MIT offers to the world.
• Residential MITx – A local, private copy of the edX platform visible only to members of the MIT community. MIT faculty who develop digital learning content for use in their MIT teaching do so on the Residential MITx platform. Some faculty build digital learning materials (for example, auto-graded interactive online problems) semester-by-semester for their on-campus course before considering whether to develop a MOOC. Some faculty members build a MOOC and then use components from it in their teaching for MIT students. In either case, they use the Residential MITx platform. For more information, please contact the Digital Learning in Residential Education group by emailing ol-residential@mit.edu.

GRANT PROPOSAL QUESTIONS:

• When are the application periods?
  MITx typically accepts grant proposals twice per year, in the fall and in the spring. Please check our website for specific dates. In most years, the calls for proposals are issued in September and February, with proposals due on dates in November and April, and decisions made in December and May.

• Can I submit a proposal outside of the application period?
  Off-cycle proposals are only accepted when you have non-MITx funds available to support the development of the project that you wish to propose.

• How much money should I ask for?
  Generally, an online version of a full semester-length MIT course can be done with a request of $75k for personnel costs and $25k for video costs. If you are doing a course that is half as long, it should be approximately half that cost. Please email mitx-grant@mit.edu to arrange a meeting with MITx, if you would like a consultation as you develop your proposed budget.

• Does the grant proposal have to be submitted by an MIT faculty member?
  An MIT faculty member needs to be associated with the grant proposal and course and is responsible for oversight of the development process, as well as the finished product when running. Faculty participation varies, depending on preference and the team working to develop the course. Some courses are developed by several faculty members.

• Does my proposed MOOC have to be based on an on-campus course?
  Most MOOCs that MITx works with faculty to develop are associated with an on-campus course. While MOOCs do not have to be fully aligned with an on-campus course, we encourage basing its content on a course or courses that faculty members have taught before. The goals of MITx include sharing a cross-section of the best of MIT with the world and developing MOOCs whose components are used by faculty in their on-campus teaching.

• Does my proposal have to have both residential and global components?
  Each proposal will be considered on an individual basis, but proposals with both residential and global components are more likely to receive funding.

• The proposal calls for “research-based learning and teaching practices”. What are those? Can someone help me with that?
  Research-based learning and teaching practices are approaches to instruction and learning that have a grounding in previously published scholarly work in fields such as psychology, learning sciences, Instruction and learning, and other content specific educational fields. Two options to learn more: 1) Research-Based Learning Findings on the Open Learning website. 2) Schedule a time with Aaron Kessler, Senior Learning Scientist (kesslera@mit.edu), to discuss the work and what learning and teaching practices might be appropriate.

• What should I think about in terms of key differences for developing a MOOC vs developing my face to face classes?
  To maximize the effectiveness of a MOOC, the organization and structure of course content is likely to be different from face to face classes. First, the audience is very different in that MOOC students will have a much wider range of experiences and prior knowledge that will need to be considered. Second, the technology used to deliver MOOC courses has its own set of instructional affordances and limitations that are different from a typical classroom. Third, the pace of instruction can often look very different in a MOOC as compared to a face to face course. This is not to suggest that rigor will be sacrificed; rather, to point out that it can take longer to cover the same material at the same level and depth in a MOOC as compared to in a course at MIT.

• What if I have my own funding?
  Faculty at MIT with funding may apply for MITx support out of the grant cycle. Please email mitx-grant@mit.edu to discuss next steps if you do not need additional funding.

• Can I see an example of a grant proposal?
  Yes. Please email mitx-grant@mit.edu.

• Do I need to meet with MITx before submitting my grant proposal?
  If you are submitting an Express Exploration grant, you are required to meet with MITx Staff. For a Modules grant, meeting with MITx is not required, but we strongly encourage it. Faculty members who meet with MITx to discuss a proposed course will be noted when proposals are considered. Email mitx-grant@mit.edu to schedule a meeting at any time – even outside of the application period.

• Do I need a complete course plan before applying for a grant?
  No. The grant proposal and required attachments are all that is necessary for proposals to be considered. Any additional information related to the proposed course will be reviewed as part of the proposal, but it is not required.The MITx team will provide support and advice to faculty members with grants that are approved to develop a complete plan for the development of the course.

• What is the review process?
  Once completed proposals are submitted and the application window has closed, they will be reviewed by the MITx Faculty Advisory Committee. The Committee will be looking at the proposal’s impact on student learning, both residentially and globally; any innovations in online learning; and how the proposal aligns with the parent department strategy, as well as wider MIT goals. The Committee will advise the Vice President for Open Learning regarding final funding decisions.

• What percentage of proposals are accepted?
  It will vary depending on the number of proposals received, but in recent years, up to around half of the proposals that we have received have been funded.

• Can I resubmit a proposal that was previously not accepted?
  Yes, but faculty must first meet with MITx (email mitx-grant@mit.edu) to review and discuss updated proposals.

• Do I need to apply for a grant to rerun my course?
  If substantial changes are needed for an existing course’s content or structure, especially ones that would require significant additional funding, then a new grant proposal is required. For standard rerun requests, please email your MITx Project Manager.

MOOC DEVELOPMENT QUESTIONS:

• What happens if my grant is approved?
  On the day decisions are released, teams that are awarded grants will receive an email with information on how much funding has been approved. A few days after that, a newly assigned MITx Project Administrator will reach out to introduce themselves and to schedule an initial meeting, where they will review the next steps.

• How does the course creation process work?
  Your MITx Project Administrator will go over the course creation process in detail. MITx staff will be assigned to courses in a support role; they will work with faculty on the design and structure of the course and offer advice and expertise about online learning and the platform. Faculty are responsible for hiring a course team to create the actual content of the course and to manage it while running. The MITx team will assist with training course team members on their responsibilities and will continue to advise and answer questions throughout the entire process as they arise.

• What is a course team/who do I need on my team?
  Course teams consist of non-MITx personnel with expertise in the subject matter of courses who will create the course content, including appearing on camera, writing textual content, and designing the assessments. There are several roles that can be filled, depending on course plans and known team members. MITx Project Administrators can discuss these roles and how to fill them. In addition to faculty member(s) themselves, course teams may include graduate and/or undergraduate students, postdocs, or staff. If a Digital Learning Lab Fellow or Scientist is available in the department, their participation in course teams brings the benefits that come from their experience working on previous digital learning projects.

• How much work is required of the MIT faculty member?
  The MIT faculty member is responsible for the final content of the course, and their name will be attached to the course when it is public. In many but not all cases, the faculty member features prominently in many videos. Most faculty members assign the day-to-day course creation tasks to other course team members. The level of faculty involvement can vary by situation, but we do strongly recommend at least some participation in content oversight and during the actual course run. MITx learner feedback tells us that learners greatly appreciate and enjoy occasional interactions in the discussion forum with the faculty member(s) they see in the videos. The faculty member is also responsible for general oversight of the grant funding.

• How long does it take to make a MOOC?
  Every course is different, and the development timeline will be dependent on many factors. As course teams begin course development, MITx will work to plan a realistic timeline. The most typical timeline is 8-12 months for a new course.

• Do I need to start development right away?
  Although we encourage beginning development on new courses as soon as possible, if there are schedule conflicts due to pre-existing obligations, MITx Project Administrators will work with the team to plan development.

• What is the role of MITx in the course creation process?
  MITx staff members support course teams in the creation of online courses. Training on the platform, assistance with the creation of videos and other media, and guidance on intellectual property concerns are some of the main services provided. MITx staff are unlikely to be content experts and do not make contributions to the course content.

• Does my MOOC run on the same schedule as on-campus courses?
  Not necessarily. One of the advantages to an online global platform is that MOOCs can be launched at any time during the year. Faculty member(s) may choose to align their MOOC schedules with on-campus schedules, but it is not required. MITx Project Administrators can discuss scheduling options with the team.

• Can my course team include non-MIT personnel?
  Possibly. This is somewhat dependent on circumstances. Faculty members should let their MITx Project Administrator know as soon as possible if they would like to include non-MIT individuals on their course teams.

• After my MOOC has run, what happens next?
  Once a course has run successfully, your MITx Project Administrator will schedule follow up meetings to review the experience and to discuss options. Typically, most faculty choose to rerun their course at least annually.

Have a question that wasn't answered here or want to speak to someone in person? Email mitx-grant@mit.edu.