IREX - Advancing MOOCs for Development Initiative (AMDI) Reporting for Quarter One – January 30 to April 30, 2015

The initiative began in January 2015 and is led by IREX, in partnership with the Technology and Social Changes Group (TASCHA) and CourseTalk. Activities in the first quarter of the project centered around project start-up and preparations for activities under Objective 1. The project partners met in Washington DC for a kick-off meeting in February, where initial visioning and workplanning took place. The official launch of the AMDI occurred on March 10, 2015, at the SXSWedu conference in Austin, Texas, which was immediately followed by the official AMDI press release and creation of the official fact sheet. IREX finalized subgrants for both TASCHA and the local partner Makaia in Colombia, which will assist with management of local research vendors and provide contextual information for MOOCs use in the Objective 1 report. IREX submitted the Year 1 Workplan, draft Research Plan, Branding and Marketing Strategy, Performance Management Plan, and a revised budget to USAID, which were approved. IREX also participated in key meetings with USAID, CourseTalk, and TASCHA, and non-disclosure agreements were signed between TASCHA and CourseTalk. Research was a particular emphasis in the first quarter, with design of the research plan for Objective 1 in the three countries. TASCHA requested and received data from CourseTalk to begin conducting the initial web analytics, and drafted an initial research plan including draft surveys. IREX launched RFPs in all three countries for local research vendors, selecting Ideacorps in the Philippines and the Manuela Beltrán University (UMB) in Colombia. IREX also conducted an assessment in the Philippines pertaining to registration issues and potential in-country activities. Outreach and communications activities included the official launch at SXSWedu, a presentation at the National Library Conference of the Philippines on March 13, and attendance at UNESCO's Mobile Learning Week in Paris, France. CourseTalk finalized the initial draft of the AMDI landing page, and IREX and CourseTalk worked to better harness potential partnerships coming in about AMDI through the landing page. Partnerships were formed with the Inter-American Development Bank's Inter-American Investment Corporation, RTI International, and Telefonica, which have set the foundation for future collaboration and may lead to joint publication once the program has published its initial reports. It is also possible that in the second quarter, IREX, the University of Washington, IDB, TED, and others will form a MOOCs Committee of Experts to address issues such as how MOOCs impact employment and can benefit Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Despite some challenges, including a delayed donation payment from CourseTalk and the need to finalize a contract with a suitable local researcher in South Africa, the project is progressing as planned. Upcoming activities include meetings with CourseTalk in Menlo Park, California, a presentation at the Nelson Mandela Young African Leaders Initiative Expo in South Africa, and the relocation of the Community of Practice to Manila, Philippines. Local research processes will begin with selected vendors in the Philippines, South Africa, and Colombia.