> [!summary]+ Summary > This page describes some of my experience creating a MOOC at the IMF. This includes the interests I was balancing and a strategy I took to build collaboration and consensus around module design. (See the bottom of this page for the results of this activity.) # Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDSx) course design A very challenging and fun project. On one hand I was working with a senior subject-matter-expert (SME) who had strong ideas of how the course should be arranged, and on another, a junior SME who was more interested in being sure that his colleagues agreed with the approach. Because of this difference, I ended up being in the middle, as well as striving to create a consistent learning experience through out. I used my whiteboard as the means for helping us see the work. ## Module planning and design The below images is the outline I drew for module 2 of the MDSx course. ![[20170403_MDSx_M02_Final_Dev_Plan.jpeg]] Much of this outline focuses on ordering videos because this was where I had to start to grab my partners attention. By making a visible map of videos and organization, this enticed my partners to talk and hear about all the additional bits that would create a complete course. For example, content learners could read, click on, interact with, and engage with each other. We could also talk about the placement and order of assessments. ## 🎯 Results This activity helped me to get 2 different SMEs on the same page. By visually working out the flow of modules, the SME partners were able to see through me the direction and understand the needs as I spoke to them. The outcome was more about building teamwork than course design and it worked. ## References - Macroeconomic Diagnostics (MDSx) - [Online training course catalog](https://www.imf.org/en/Capacity-Development/Training/ICDTC/Courses/MDSx) - [Listing on edX](https://www.imf.org/en/Capacity-Development/Training/ICDTC/Courses/MDSx)