How might we merge three guided MOOCS (massively open online courses) into one self-paced course? How might we help learners navigate a redesigned platform for reading and interacting with the Divine Comedy?
Background
Prior to my time at Georgetown, our department at the Center for New Designs in Learning and Scholarship had worked with a team of Instructors led by Professors Frank Ambrosio and Eddie Maloney producing three Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCS) guiding learners through a study of “The Divine Comedy”. These courses were comprised of modules in edX containing video lectures and guided assessment where students received guidance from the Instructors and course team. Students were asked to also sign up for an online platform built by CNDLS called “MyDante” where they could engage with the actual text of the Divine Comedy interactively and socially in parallel to the learning content on edX.
As a design team, we were asked to consolidate these three guided courses into one combined and self-paced course – merging the three edX courses into one. As part of this process we also spent time redesigning the user interface for the MyDante platform to better accommodate a self-guided journey rather than one led by an Instructor and CNDLS staff.
My role on the team ended up focusing on three areas:
- Consolidating edX content and quizzes, merging text, video, and assessment content from three courses into one.
- Redesigning the interface for the MyDante Platform as part of the design team, specifically with the idea of using a tabbed interface as a means of breaking up an excessive amount of text and video.
- Designing and developing tutorial content (pages and video) for new users making use of the MyDante platform.
Outcome
In the gallery below are images documenting stages of the interface’s redesign, from conception to final product. I’ve included images from the “Using MyDante” section where I was most focused.
Whiteboard drawing produced in a design session. 
Flat mockup produced by our Graphic Designer 
The “Using MyDante” page containing video and text content.
I’ve also included one of the videos I developed for navigating the texts of the Divine Comedy on the MyDante Platform in guided mode, with other videos going into more detail on other functionalities of the platform as well as guidance for assessments and certification in edX.
You can enroll in the self-enrolled course for “The Divine Comedy: Dante’s Journey to Freedom” by signing into the course on edX.
Alternatively if you just want to read the Divine Comedy without worrying about video lectures or assessments, you can head directly to the MyDante Platform.
