The Cleantech University Prize supports young innovators in clean energy entrepreneurship. Using world-renowned expertise, the blended learning program prepares participants for a capstone business plan competition via participation in an Open edX course and in-person local cohorts. This presentation explores the design of a MOOC as part of a larger educational experience.
This session will describe an Open edX course that is a component of a novel, large scale, blended learning initiative designed to increase access to elite institutional knowledge on clean energy entrepreneurship and increase the diversity of entries to regional and national energy entrepreneurship competitions. The course was designed and produced by a team at ExtensionEngine on behalf of Spark Clean Energy and the Department of Energy.
The Cleantech UP Program includes:
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A national university entrepreneurship competition preceded by regional competitions
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An Open edX MOOC adapted from MIT’s Energy Ventures course, with expertise from its faculty members: Bill Aulet, director of the Martin Trust Center for Entrepreneurship, Frankie O’Sullivan and Tod Hynes
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Local cohorts of students around the country meeting in person for discussion, feedback, and support
The presentation will focus on the MOOC component of the program and examine the role it plays in connection to the other components.
Innovative aspects of the course to be discussed are:
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Large-scale blended learning curriculum
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Large numbers of students with expected participation for the first run in the thousands
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Co-located groups of students will participate in the course and prepare for the competitions. These are run at universities, incubators, and accelerators around the country and led by Spark fellows. Groups discuss course material, give each other feedback on pitches and proposals in progress, and receive advice from local entrepreneurs.
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Course will also be offered openly online, so participation in a local cohort is not required. This further increases access to the content.
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Project-based course
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The course experience is built around a progression of steps that guide learners through the process of designing a business plan and preparing a presentation for a pitch competition (see below for more information)
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Supporting submissions to the Cleantech UP Prize competition
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The Open edX course is designed to provide the framework for a structured mentorship in the in person setting
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Course is designed to provide students with access to a level of expertise and insight previously only available to attendees of elite universities
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Course video
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First use of an interrotron for a MOOC over an entire course (that we are aware of), which we believe will make for a more engaging video experience
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This course is currently in production with wide release scheduled for Fall 2016. Other ideas are currently under discussion and could be included in the presentation depending on how they evolve in advance of the competitions date. These include:
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Custom UX theming
- Plans for evaluating course impact
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