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PartnerFutureLearn
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Course type
Short course (open)
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Course title
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Course Description
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Week 1Activity
Each 'Activity' should be approx 60 minutes of learning, repeat each activity block as needed for the length of your week		Step Name
Number of steps in an activity is not fixed. Please add/remove as necessary.		Step typeLearning TypeTime (Mins)Content
Write what you will cover in each step here.
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Welcome to the course [Activity]Welcome VideoRead / Watch / Listen5Introduce the topic with an engaging video, setting out the main areas that the course will cover, giving learners a taste of what’s to come.

This is a fantastic opportunity to introduce the course team, including their motivation for building the course/ passion for the subject area. It can also be a good idea to reiterate who the course is for, making learners feel welcome and that they’ve made the right choice by signing up.

A video step type would help the learners identify with the educators, but an article step with photos can also work well.
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Meet the teamArticleRead / Watch / Listen5An introduction to the institution and the team who created the course. This can be text or a video.

We want learners to build a connection with the team and feel trust that the course is from a great partner.
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Study approachVideoRead / Watch / Listen5Introduce the learning outcomes and briefly when & how they will be covered, particularly for the first activity of the courseweek.

Signpost ahead to any active tasks or assessments you might have later in the course, so learners know what to expect.

Mention that this is a course with lots of opportunities for engaging active learning, and call out the value of social learning: learners will get the most out of it by engaging with the content and the other learners through the comments section.

You might like to direct them to this guidance on social learning, too.

Tell them to watch out for discussion prompts throughout the course and get ready to be active in the conversations!
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Assessment ArticleRead / Watch / Listen5A short text explaining the different assessment types of the course, include the opportunity to upgrade for credit etc.
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Introduce yourselfDiscussionDiscuss5Give learners the chance to tell each other who they are, where they're from, and why they're taking this course. This will foster a positive community and promote better peer-to-peer interaction in the comments later in the course.
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Welcome to the week [Activity]Welcome to the weekVideoRead / Watch / Listen10This step is to introduce the topic of the week, let learners know what is coming up in the week, and what will be expected from them. You should include weekly learning outcomes, and a 'big question' for the week.

Big questions are an opportunity for learners to reflect on how their knowledge / opinions have changed through learning new information. They should be simple questions, open enough to create thought and be reflective of what will be covered that week.

EG: In a course about baking, the big question could be "What difference do you think the order in which you make your cake counts?" or for a healthcare course "Do you think a rash on the stomach is reason to call 999?' etc.
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Review prior learningArticleRead / Watch / Listen10An opportunity to reflect on what has been taught in previous weeks/sessions and how it will be relevant to what we are learning today. As this is the first week, you can ask learners what knowledge they already have, what they're excited to learn etc. In other weeks, you will want to briefly go back over what was covered in the week before.
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Assessment reminder ArticleRead / Watch / Listen5This step is to explain what types of formative or summative assessment will happen this week, as well as any exercises that will require pre-planning.
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Learning Check PollPractice5Sense-check or gauge initial impressions with a poll.

This can also be used to present a startling or surprising statistic or fact. Think of it as an ice-breaker or hook! Followed by opportunity to comment, it's a fantastic opportunity for learners to see what others are thinking and get the conversation going.
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Activity 1 (approx 1 hour per activity,duplicate as needed) [title]Introduce the activity ArticleRead / Watch / Listen10A short video / article introducing the subtopic for this activity. Explain the concept at the highest level and then inform what we will be doing through the activity:

Eg: This week we will be baking a cake, to bake a cake you will follow a recipe and make a wet and dry mix using XYZ ingredients. In this activity, we will be covering how to make a basic cake batter.
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In-depth on activityVideoRead / Watch / Listen20The next step should go into more detail on the topic, start to introduce further concepts on the 'how' and 'why' etc.
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Contextulise activity (Case study)VideoRead / Watch / Listen15We should now introduce a specific example or case study that demonstrates the topic, and gives learners the opportunity to reflect on what they would do in that scenario, given what they now know.
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Have a go'ExercisePractice30Now give learners the step by step instructions they need, to practice the topic. This may not always be possible to do in its entirity, but consider how you can have them replicate it.

EG: For a first aid course, learners can't realistically give CPR - but you can ask them to find a song that matches the rhythm needed and practice keeping the beat on a cushion.
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Discussion / reflectionDiscussionCollaborate15Once learners have had a go, we want to bring them back together to reflect on what worked well and didnt, what they learnt etc. This should be a discussion step, but providing solid questions for learners to answer - so that even if they miss out on the peer to peer learning, they still have the reflective opportunity.
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Week 1 Summary [Activity]Quiz of the WeekQuizProduce10After learners have learnt, contextualised, practiced and reflected on the topic, give them a final opportunity to show their understanding. This is usually through a multiple choice quiz, but you could also set it up as a slightly different version of the original 'practice' exercise step. Be aware that there are limited opportunities for direct feedback for learners - so creating solid, signposted feedback for the quiz is important.
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Final ReflectionsDiscussionDiscuss10Ask the learners approximately 3 reflective questions on what they've learnt this week - be specific in the questions, so that they are accurately considering the most important parts of the week.

The comments on this exercise, and the polls are excellent opportunities for you to gather feedback on how the course is going, and where they may be potential gaps in the learning.
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Learning Check PollPractice5Repeat the poll from the start of the week, and see how learners confidence has grown.
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Wrap Up ArticleRead / Watch / Listen5Wrap up what we learnt, what we will learn next week
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Total time =175
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