Descriptive course information includes information such as the course short and long descriptions, as well as information about what learners will learn, the subject, and the difficulty level.
An effective short description follows these guidelines.
The first MOOC to teach positive psychology. Learn science-based principles and practices for a happy, meaningful life.
Given the diversity of online learners, be sure to review your course description to ensure that it clearly communicates the target audience, level, and prerequisites for your course. Use concrete, unambiguous phrasing, such as a prerequisite of “understand eigenvalue decomposition” rather than “intermediate linear algebra”.
An effective long description follows these guidelines.
Note
The first four lines of the course long description are visible when the About page opens. Learners can select “See More” to view the full description.
The following long description is a content-based example.
Want to learn computer programming, but unsure where to begin? This is the course for you! Scratch is the computer programming language that makes it easy and fun to create interactive stories, games and animations and share them online.
This course is an introduction to computer science using the programming language Scratch, developed by MIT. Starting with the basics of using Scratch, the course will stretch your mind and challenge you. You will learn how to create amazing games, animated images and songs in just minutes with a simple “drag and drop” interface.
No previous programming knowledge needed. Join us as you start your computer science journey.
The following long description is a skills-based example.
Taught by instructors with decades of experience on Wall Street, this M&A course will equip analysts and associates with the skills they need to rise to employment in the M&A field. Additionally, directors and managers who have transitioned, or hope to transition, to M&A from other areas such as equities or fixed income can use this course to eliminate skill gaps.
The “what you will learn” information describes the skills and knowledge learners will acquire in the course in an itemized list. EdX recommends that you format each item as a bullet with four to ten words.
A primary subject is required. Optionally, you can select up to two subjects in addition to the primary subject. Only the primary subject appears on the About page.
A particular course might specify the following subjects.
Use the following guidelines to select the level for your course.