What are the dates of the course?
The course launches on Monday 24th September 2018. Over the next 6 weeks, one new module will be released on Monday each week. The module consists of lecture videos that can be watched at any time, a weekly quiz and links to supplementary information and interactive tasks. After the final module is released, the whole course will remain open till Sunday, 18th November 2018 after which it will go offline. Once a module is released, it will remain open for the duration of the course.
What resources will I need for this class?
A strong internet connection will be helpful, but we will try to ensure materials are available for slower bandwidths as well. The course is optimized to run on the most recent versions of most browsers, and Google Chrome and Safari have been shown to work the best with the platform. No other computer programs or books are necessary. All the readings will be provided as links.
How many hours a week will this course take?
Though it varies by person, this course should be on average 2 hours of viewing time for the lecture videos plus 2-3 hours per module for quizzes, engagement, and other activities per week. You can pace it accordingly and work at any time suitable to you. None of the course is compulsory - the quizzes are required if you want a Verified Certificate, but if you are auditing the course, you are free to pick and choose the topics that interest you.
What kind of background do I need for this course? Do I need a science background?
The course is open to all and is accessible to learners without prior background in the topics; you do not need a science background.
Can I take this class for university credit?
No. While we encourage teachers and professors to incorporate this material into their own courses, you cannot take this course on its own for university credit.
How will I communicate with the lecturers and other students?
You will communicate mostly in the discussion forum within the course platform. Direct live communication will take place in the Live Q&A sessions that will take place a few times during the course (to be announced on the platform). As a registered participant, you will receive an e-mail at the beginning of each week informing you of what is coming up.
I see that all the due dates are set in UTC. What is UTC?
All of the due dates and times are presented in UTC, which is Coordinated Universal Time, set equivalent to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). To convert this to your time zone, please use a time zone converter, such as World Time Server.
How is the course graded?
Students will receive grades on weekly quizzes. Each module will have an End of Module quiz, consisting of ten questions that are
In order to be eligible to purchase a verified certificate signed by the
How can I engage with the course beyond the lectures, readings, and quizzes?
Since this course is a massive open online course (MOOC), the Course Team will not be able to respond to each individual question. We will be answering questions and holding discussion through two forums:
(1) Course discussion forum: Please check the discussion forums frequently to ask questions and hold discussions with the course lecturers and staff and with your fellow students. The boards will include discussions of the weekly material and quizzes.
(2) Live Q&A Sessions: From time to time, we will hold Live Q&A sessions to answer student questions and discuss relevant topics. Anyone will be able to participate and submit their questions. The times of these sessions will vary in order to accommodate as many students as possible; however, if you have to miss a session, you will be able to watch the video at a later time. All session times will be announced in advanced.
Who do I contact with questions?
Please try to settle your questions through the forum and information in the course platform. If this cannot be done, you can email the course team at oceans@sdgacademy.org.
For technical questions about the platform, please contact EdX.