What are the dates of the course?
This course is self-paced, which means you can study the content anytime. This run of the course will close on August 31, 2024—so be sure to complete all materials by then. You will receive weekly emails for the first 6 weeks, to help you pace your learning experience. These weeks are indicative and you are free to take the course at any time and at any speed that suits you, during the course period.
Are there due dates for the assignments?
For self-paced courses, edX suggests due dates for assignments and exams as a way to help you stay on track. These due dates are suggestions to help you plan and pace your studies. You can submit assignments or take the exams at any time up until the end date of the course. Learn more about edX suggested due dates here.
If you see an assignment you have not completed is Past Due, or you see a message that you have missed a suggested deadline on the course home page or Dates tab, you can shift your due dates. Use the Shift due dates button on the course home page or the Dates tab. This will not affect any of the progress you have made in the course so far.
I see that all the due dates are in UTC. What is UTC?
UTC is Coordinated Universal Time and is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). To convert UTC to your time, use a time-zone converter such as World Time Server.
How long will this course take?
Though it varies by person, each module should take you an average of two hours to view each lecture and the case study videos, plus two to four hours for quiz questions, online engagement, and other activities—a total of four to six hours per module. There are six modules.
You can pace yourself accordingly and work at times that suit you. The mid-term and final exams are required and available only if you want a Verified Certificate, but if you are taking the course as an audit track, you are free to pick and choose the topics that interest you.
How is the course graded?
Learners who take this course as an audit track will not be graded. You can self-assess your knowledge and understanding of the course content using the end-of-module questions.
Learners who choose the Verified Certificate will be graded on:
- The mid-term exam (40 percent)
- The final exam (60 percent)
They will NOT be graded on:
- The end-of-module questions: These questions are solely for testing your knowledge.
- Answering pre- and post-course surveys.
- Participating in the discussion forum.
All questions are weighted equally. You have two attempts for every question. The number of attempts you use does not affect your score. However, the true-or-false questions can only be answered once.
You have until the course closes at 23:59 UTC on August 31, 2022 to complete the mid-term and final exams for credit.
In order to be eligible to receive a Verified Certificate, you will need an average of 70 percent or more in the gradable components of the course.
How do I receive a Certificate?
In order to receive a Verified Certificate, you must register for it via the edX platform and receive a proficiency score of 70 percent or more on the overall course assessments. Find out more about edX Verified Certificates.
Is this course free?
Yes. There is no course fee for this course, and it is open to all.
However, you will be charged a fee for a Verified Certificate. The fee will be used by edX to maintain this course platform. edX offers financial assistance to those who qualify. To apply for financial assistance, complete the edX Financial Assistance Application.
Is there a deadline to upgrade to the Verified Track?
Yes. Because this is a self-paced course, every learner will have a different deadline, depending on the date they enrolled. You can find your Verification Upgrade Deadline on the right-hand side of the course’s home page, under Important Dates. The last day you can upgrade to the Verified Track is ten days prior to the course end date. Find out more about upgrading to a Verified Certificate, and contact the edX Help Center with any questions.
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 best with the platform. No other computer programs or books are necessary. All the reading materials are provided as links. Video files, transcripts, and reading materials are available for download to be read offline.
What kind of background do I need for this course?
The course is open to all and is accessible to learners without any background or experience in the topics. However, the content is dense and complex, so we expect most of our learners either to have had university education, or to have practical experience of the topic.
Can I take this class for university credit?
No. While we encourage any university teachers to incorporate this material into their own courses, you cannot take this course on its own for university credit.
How can I engage with the course beyond the lectures, reading materials, and end-of-module questions?
In addition to the discussion prompts in each module, we encourage you to use the discussion boards to post thoughts, ask questions, and engage in discussion with fellow learners. Additional resources are also provided within each module on the Reading Material page for those who are interested in learning more about specific topics in the course.
Whom do I contact with questions?
For specific questions related to the course, including any questions about the material or the assignments, email courses@sdgacademy.org. This email address is used for multiple courses, so please specify that you are asking about the Governance for Transboundary Freshwater Security course.
For technical questions about the platform, visit the edX Help Center.