At atingi, we actively encourage the re-use of existing courses to increase efficiency and support sustainability. Creating high-quality learning content takes time and resources, and re-using courses helps make the most of that effort.
In development cooperation especially, it is important that learning content can be used beyond the duration of a single project. Re-using and adapting existing courses allows valuable knowledge to stay available over time and to be tailored to new contexts, audiences, or regions. This makes learning offers more sustainable and impactful.
Re-usable courses that are created with open-source tools and openly licensed content are clearly marked and visible in the course overview for our partners. This makes it easy to find suitable courses and build on existing work instead of starting from scratch.
Re-using courses also helps:
- Save time and development costs
- Ensure consistent quality across learning offers
- Encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing between partners
- Reduce duplication of similar content
By building re-usable courses, you contribute to a more sustainable, collaborative, and efficient learning ecosystem.
Creating Courses That Are Easy to Re-Use
If you plan to create a course that should be re-used by other projects or partners, it is important to design it with re-usability in mind from the beginning. The following aspects should be taken into consideration when designing re-usable courses:
License - Choose an appropriate open license, such as a Creative Commons license, that allows others to legally re-use, adapt, and share the course. Make sure the license information is clearly stated within the course.
Authoring Tool - Use atingi-integrated and open authoring tools that allow content to be edited and updated easily by others such as H5P and moodle activities. This helps ensure that future projects can adapt the course without technical barriers.
Editable Content - Whenever possible, create content using editable elements, such as H5P activities, instead of uploading un-editable files like PDFs or images with embedded text. Editable content makes it easier to adapt, translate, or update the course.
Accessibility - Include accessibility features from the start. This includes adding transcripts for audio and video content, alt text for images, clear headings, and easy-to-read language. Accessible courses can be used by a wider audience and meet inclusive learning standards.
Timeless Topics and Presentation - Try to design courses with long-term relevance. Avoid references to fast-changing facts, dates, project-specific details, or temporary tools whenever possible. A neutral and timeless presentation increases the chances that the course can be re-used in the future.
External Links - Use external links carefully. Make sure they are reliable, openly accessible, and likely to remain available over time. Where possible, avoid linking to content that requires logins or may expire quickly.
Clear Structure - Use a clear course structure and meaningful titles for sections and activities.
By following these best practices, you help ensure that your course is compliant, adaptable, and valuable for many projects to come. This strengthens collaboration and supports sustainable learning on atingi. For any questions, please feel free to reach out to help@atingi.org.