MOOC2 – Update of Massive Open Online Course on Extractives (TF0A4887) BASIC DATA TF Number TF0A4887 TF Name Update of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC2) TF Program EGPS TF Managing Unit Infra Energy Extractive Industry (IEEXI) Managing Region/Global Practice Energy and Extractives Global Practice (GEEX) TF Program Manager Sven Renner Supervising Manager Christopher Sheldon KEY DATES TF Effectiveness Date May 15, 2017 TF Closing Date December 31, 2019 TF End Disbursement Date April 30, 2020 Financial Highlights A total amount of US$225,000 was allocated for this activity to carry out the MOOC2 updates through a contract with the Columbia Center for Strategic Investment (CCSI). By the closing date, all activities were completed as agreed and the total amount was completely disbursed. Based on the expenditure report from CCSI, the contract has been fully disbursed, with the following expenditure by category. Direct costs represented 91 percent of total expenditures, and indirect costs only 9 percent of total expenditures. Original Grant Amount 225,000 Expenditures Personnel Total 60,101 Other Direct Costs Total 144,444 Total Direct Costs 204,545 Total Indirect Costs 20,455 Total Costs 225,000 Development Objective and Description of the Activities Funded The massive open online course (MOOC) on Natural Resources for Sustainable Development: The Fundamentals of Oil, Gas and Mining Governance is a free online course that focuses on natural resources as a potential catalyst to achieving sustainable development goals. The development objective of this second phase (MOOC2) is to update the course to include new and revamped content, course assessments, and additional language capabilities, including Spanish, French and Russian translations. The 12-week MOOC outlines the various complex and interrelated aspects of effective natural resource governance and is designed primarily for and has been marketed successfully to civil society, government, and industry stakeholders. The topics addressed include governance and industry fundamentals; development and implementation of robust and transparent legal frameworks; design of optimal fiscal regimes; management of environmental and social risks; engagement with communities; leveraging investments for infrastructure and business links; and management of revenues for economic diversification and development. Key Highlights of Activities and Outputs The course was developed, run, and updated by the Columbia Center for Sustainable Investment, the Natural Resource Governance Institute, and the Sustainable Development Solutions Network since 2015 with support from World Bank trust funds and staff. The initial financial support came from the Extractive Industries Technical Advisory Facility (EI-TAF) for US$100,000. Building on the success of the MOOC1 among professionals, with over 8,000 participants from 130 countries registered in the first year of the course, additional financing of US$225,000 was provided through EGPS for the second phase of the MOOC. The MOOC2 was launched with updated content in the Spring 2018 (February-May) semester. Since then, the course has successfully run three more times in Fall 2018 (September-December), Summer 2019 (May-August), and Fall 2019 (September-December). Additionally, in July 2019, a contextualized, Arabic-language version of the course launched on Edraak, the MENA region’s leading online learning platform. And in October 2019, a Spanish-language version of the course regionalized for the Latin American and Caribbean region launched in partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank. The course team updated the MOOC based on feedback from the first several runs, to include: • New content (e.g. new chapters on “Corruption Trends in the Extractive Sector�; “Environmental Impact Assessments�; and an optional chapter on “Fundamentals of Energy and Petroleum�); • Revamped content (e.g. revised modules on community rights and fiscal regimes); • Updated course assessments, including quiz questions, the final exam and new homework assignments; and • Updated Spanish and French video transcripts, and new Russian transcripts. Some of the course’s most interactive features include; � Question & Answer opportunities with course lecturers and other experts, where learners submit questions on course content to course faculty and receive a video response the following week; � Discussion prompts designed to encourage interaction between learners, facilitate conversation, and discuss current events; � Activities designed to familiarize learners with the Resource Governance Index, ResourceContracts.org, and other important tools and resources; and � A course Facebook page where learners can engage and make professional connections outside of the course. For the Spring 2018 run, the MOOC ran in both English and in Arabic for the first time, garnering 5,762 enrollments in total—almost double the number of enrollments from the previous runs. The Arabic instance of the course attracted 881 enrollees, with learners from Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Yemen. Over 500 learners earned a course certificate, and an estimated 488 learners were likely auditors of the course. The countries with the highest representation included Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, the US, and the UK. More than half of enrollees (55 percent) identified as female. For the Fall 2018 run, the course moved as part of the SDG Academy’s transition from EdCast to edX, one of the largest online learning platforms with more than 24 million users worldwide. This run had 2,156 enrollments, with representation from 145 countries, with the greatest percentage of enrollees from the US, the UK, Nigeria, India, South Africa, and Kenya. Non-native English speakers made up 66 percent of learners, with strong Spanish, French, and Portuguese representation. In this run of the course, nearly half of the enrollees held an advanced degree, including 44 percent with a master’s degree. Most of the enrollees cited professional reasons for their interest in the course content, 33 percent indicated prior professional experience, and 28 percent prior academic experience in natural resources governance and extractive industries. Throughout the four months of the run, the course maintained 239 active learners who engaged with video content and on the discussion boards. This 11 percent engagement rate is above industry standard. The Summer 2019 run had 2,466 total enrollees, representing 149 countries with 66 percent non-native English speakers. Learners with master’s degrees or higher accounted for 42 percent of enrollees, and 57 percent enrolled with prior professional or academic experience in policy making and sustainable development. Comprehension was high, with test and exam averages around 85 percent. The most learner engagement was seen in the environmental issues and community rights modules. Learners reported the most difficulty with comprehension around modules on legal and financial issues, which is to be expected given the technical nature of these modules. The last run of MOOC2 occurred in Fall 2019, which had 1,218 enrollees from 127 countries. There were 149 active learners engaging with the video content, in conversation on discussion boards, and through Q&A sessions with industry experts. All learners pursuing an edX Verified Certificate passed the final exam after completing each of the modules. The course pulled heavily from highly educated professionals in related sectors; 67 percent of learners had above a master’s degree including 18.6 percent with PhDs, 58 percent were professionals in the field, and 35 percent identified as working in government. Interest was shown in governance and transparency issues at the highest levels of government and civil society, and over 60 percent of learners cited environmental and climate costs as one of their country's most pressing issues. Overview of MOOC2 Participants There were four offerings of the MOOC during the project period: Spring 2018, Fall 2018, Summer 2019, and Fall 2019. Over these four course offerings, an aver of 66 percent of the participants were non-native English speakers. There was an average of 130 countries represented. On average, the percentage of female learners was 45.5 percent. Demographics Overview Spring 2018 Fall 2018 Summer 2019 Fall 2019 Percentage of 61.8 percent 66.0 percent 69.0 percent 67.3 percent non-native English speakers Number of 100 145 149 127 countries represented Percentage of 55.0 percent 37.8 percent 42.2 percent 46.6 percent female learners In Spring 2018, there were 100 countries represented, of which about 11 percent of learners came from the US or UK, about 8 percent from Nigeria, 7 percent from Ghana, and 5 percent from Kenya. In Fall 2018, there were 145 countries represented, of which about 16 percent of learners came from the US or UK, about 4 percent from Nigeria, 3 percent from India, 3 percent from South Africa, and 3 percent from Kenya. In Summer 2019, there were 149 countries represented, of which about 17 percent of learners came from the US or UK, 5 percent from Nigeria, 5 percent from Indonesia, 3 percent from Canada, and 3 percent from India. In Fall 2019, there were 127 countries represented, of which about 19 percent of learners came from the US or UK and 4 percent of learners from Nigeria. Results Natural Resources for Sustainable Development has consistently engaged professionals from a variety of related industries, as is evident in this survey question from Summer 2019: Though overall enrollment numbers have declined in the most recent runs of the course, this is to be expected as the course has run multiple times, with many interested professionals in the space having already participated. The observed drop-off in learner engagement throughout each course run is also standard for MOOCs, particularly if learners prefer to only engage with specific content rather than to complete the entire course. The MOOC course lives on, even now that the EGPS funding has finished. It is still being supported on the SDGAcademy website and is permanently available for learners to attend on a self-paced basis. If further funding is available, CCSI would prepare and offer Natural Resources for Sustainable Development advanced and complementary modules for the course, including on fiscal modeling and/or on natural resource investments in an era of climate change. The MOOC will continue to be a hub for the latest literature and resources, while remaining low-maintenance and easily marketable. Furthermore, the self- paced format allows those who have already participated to refer colleagues to the course on their own schedule, continue a longer-term international conversation in the course’s discussion boards, and use the enormous reach of the edX network to ensure that the information and opportunity for continued self-education is available to anyone. As a unique space for discussion of extractive industries and natural resources governance, the continuation of this course is valuable for those participating, and for the sector at large as a creative, collaborative, and solutions-based approach to education. In light of the current COVID19 pandemic and presumed slow-down of in-country support to extractives sector projects through EGPS until the crisis is resolved, this is an opportunity for EGPS to provide additional financial support NOW for the development of new and/or advanced MOOC modules and prepare stakeholders to be informed and ready for when the recovery can begin. This is also an opportunity that stakeholders can take NOW while they are safe at home, to increase their own understanding of extractives sector issues, and be ready to move forward when the crisis is resolved. Further Enquiries A whole array of donor questions, queries, and need for further information can be met by accessing the World Bank’s “Development Partner Center� portal (DPC) that contains extensive financial and operational information on this trust fund and projects/activities funded by this trust fund. Extractives Global Programmatic Support (EGPS) Program Manager Sven Renner Email address: srenner1@worldbank.org The World Bank Energy and Extractives Global Practice