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ContinueUP Development Diary #7 – Reflecting on the co-construction of the CPD MOOC
The ContinueUP development diary is a series of blog posts that explore how a group of European educators involved in initial teacher education and continuous professional development engage in a process of co-construction and co-delivery to build and deliver a joint programme for teacher learning. The diary provides updates on our experiences during key moments of the ContinueUP project, ultimately aiming to strengthen the continuum of learning across the different stages of a teacher’s career.
The story so far
Following the launch of the initial teacher education (ITE) Module in late 2024, the second part of the ContinueUP training programme took shape in the form of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)—targeting in-service teachers. This MOOC builds directly on the foundations laid by the ITE Module, covering the same core topics but with a more practical orientation. It emphasizes the role of the teacher within their school and aims to help educators reach a B1 level of digital competency in Area 1 (Professional Engagement) of the European Framework for the Digital Competence of Educators (DigCompEdu).
Each module of the MOOC includes a “What Do We Know So Far?” section, which revisits key ideas from the ITE Module developed at the A2 level. These sections help bridge the two parts of the training programme by connecting foundational concepts to more advanced, B1-level applications in real school contexts. They also serve as helpful entry points for participants who may not have followed the ITE Module, offering a quick overview of the core ideas before diving into more practice-oriented content.
The MOOC was developed collaboratively by four teacher training organisations working directly with educators in schools: the Spanish National Institute of Educational Technology and Teacher Training, the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Croatia, the Teacher Training Centre Póvoa de Varzim e Vila do Conde, and the Regional Department for Education, Science and Technology of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The European Schoolnet coordinated the effort, ensuring pedagogical and editorial coherence across the modules.
From draft to delivery – An evolving process
The MOOC co-construction process was a new chapter in our collaboration. It started with a collective agreement on the learning outcomes of the course. All partners worked together to ensure these outcomes reflected a shared vision: supporting teachers in becoming digitally confident professionals. Once the foundation was in place, each partner took responsibility for one module, working closely with appointed authors to bring the content to life.
This co-construction process was both structured and dynamic. It involved regular exchanges between partners and authors, with multiple rounds of review and feedback to ensure the course was pedagogically sound, relevant, and engaging for practicing teachers. A particular focus was placed on the video content in each module. From the beginning, we wanted the MOOC to be rooted in real school practices. Whether through school scenes, teacher interviews, or hands-on examples, the videos were designed to highlight the practical application of digital competences and to offer authentic insights into the everyday experiences of teachers in real school settings.
This emphasis on school-based examples helped bridge the gap between theory and practice, turning abstract ideas into relatable strategies. But it also meant extra coordination: filming logistics, aligning scripts with the MOOC and school contexts, and ensuring consistency in tone and approach across modules. These collaborative efforts paid of—the videos now stand as a central feature of the MOOC, making the content more vivid, relevant, and actionable for participants across Europe.
Building coherence
As each module came together, it became clear that we needed to harmonise the narrative across the course. Language, tone, terminology, and structure had to be revised multiple times to ensure the MOOC had cohesion—especially considering the variety of voices, styles, and professionals involved. While this required effort and flexibility, it also led to rich discussions about how to make the content clear and comprehensive.
Another one of our key priorities was designing a final activity for the course participants that would tie everything together—something that could serve as both a reflective conclusion and an assessment of the competences developed throughout the programme. After several iterations, we arrived at an integrated final task that encourages teachers to draw connections across modules and apply their learning to their own school context.
What we’ve learned – and what’s next
Developing the CPD MOOC was a collective learning experience. We were reminded once again of the power and complexity of collaboration across countries, institutions, and professional profiles. Designing a course for experienced educators brought its own challenges—especially in making the content relevant and applicable across diverse local settings, while also balancing theoretical input with practical application. It took some time to align our ways of working, in particular ensuring that the different course design and production processes that existed across countries worked well with each other. Allowing for some flexibility in the final course design was also crucial so that national and regional requirements could be accounted for.
A crucial element of the co-construction experience was also about finding a shared understanding with the ITE partners who approached some of the topics and terms from a more academic and theoretical perspective. While a shared understanding was ultimately achieved, taking more time at the beginning of the co-construction process to establish a shared understanding of all key elements of the programme would have been beneficial.
What we’re most proud of is that the MOOC reflects the real needs and realities of in-service teachers. By building on the ITE Module while adapting to the everyday challenges faced in schools, it provides continuity, but also forward-looking guidance. The MOOC positions the teacher as a digital lifelong learner—someone who is constantly developing their identity, strategies, and networks to meet evolving educational demands.
The MOOC has now been implemented in the partner countries and will soon be available in its European version. We look forward to hearing from teachers engaging with it. Their feedback will be invaluable in the upcoming evaluation phase, where we will assess the impact of the course and identify areas for future refinement and reuse.
If you are interested in exploring the CPD MOOC, the European version launches on May, 5th. You can enrol here.
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