Create a course
About
Thank you for your interest in sharing your expertise! By creating an e-learning course, you can make a real difference in just five easy steps. Your contribution will help strengthen research careers and foster collaboration across at least 11 member institutions of the A4L_BRIDGE project—and beyond.
Alliance4Life is committed to open science and the sharing of knowledge. Our platform is not limited to project members: experts from other academic institutions and research-performing organizations are warmly invited to submit their course ideas. Together, we can build a rich learning environment that benefits the entire research community.
By creating a course, you:
- Support career development for researchers and managers.
- Promote knowledge exchange across Central and Eastern Europe.
- Contribute to a culture of collaboration and excellence.
Guide
This guide explains what you need and why each step matters—so your course is impactful, easy to find, and enjoyable for learners. Thank you for helping us make research stronger and more connected!
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Step 1: Understand What You’ll Need
Creating a course is more than uploading materials—it’s about designing a learning experience that is clear, engaging, and valuable.
Before you start, think about:
- Course Concept: What unique knowledge or skill do you want to share?
- Format Choice:
- Self-paced: Great for flexibility and reaching a wide audience.
- Instructor-led: Perfect for interaction and deeper engagement.
- Type of Certification:
- Microcredentials: Adds formal recognition and boosts learners’ CVs (requires instructor-led and 25+ hours workload).
- Alliance4Life Certificate: Shows commitment to quality learning.
- No certification: Ideal for informal knowledge sharing.
- Audience: Who will benefit most? Researchers, managers, or both?
- Does juniority or seniority matter? Indicate if the course is for early-career, mid-career, or senior professionals.
- Match audience, competence domain, and expert level using RM-Comp and ResearchComp frameworks.
- Learning Objectives: Clear goals help learners know what they’ll achieve.
- Estimated Workload: Helps learners plan their time and stay motivated.
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Step 2: Prepare Your Content
Your content is the heart of the course. You can choose the format that suits your style and topic best—there’s no need to use everything listed below.
Options include:
- Videos: Great for visual explanations and demonstrations.
- Voice recordings (podcast-style): Perfect for storytelling or interviews.
- Slides or PDFs: Ideal for structured information and reference material.
- Readings or Links: Add depth with external resources.
- Quizzes or Assignments: Help learners check their understanding.
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Step 3: Plan the Course Structure
Think about how learners will move through your course:
- Modules/Topics: Breaking content into sections makes it easier to digest.
- Completion Criteria: Clear expectations motivate learners to finish.
- Engagement Elements: Quizzes or discussion prompts keep learners active.
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Step 4: Match Your Course with a Competence Framework
Our goal is to narrow the innovation gap in Europe and develop talent that meets the standards of the European Research Area (ERA). By aligning your course with the RM-Comp (Research Management Competence) and ResearchComp (Researcher Competence) frameworks, you help us achieve this vision.
Why is this important?
- Alliance4Life aims to reduce disparities in research and innovation capacity across Europe.
- By using these frameworks, we create a shared language for competence development, helping researchers and managers in Central and Eastern Europe reach the same standards as their peers in the ERA.
- Your course becomes part of a cohesive learning ecosystem that promotes mobility, collaboration, and excellence.
How does this support our project goals?
- Alliance4Life aims to reduce disparities in research and innovation capacity across Europe.
- By using these frameworks, we create a shared language for competence development, helping researchers and managers in Central and Eastern Europe reach the same standards as their peers in the ERA.
- Your course becomes part of a cohesive learning ecosystem that promotes mobility, collaboration, and excellence.
What does this mean for you?
- Your course will be discoverable and relevant across multiple institutions.
- You contribute to a unified approach to career development, strengthening the European research community.
- You help build a culture of open science and knowledge sharing, which is at the heart of Alliance4Life.
How to do it?
- Select the competence domain that best fits your course content:
- RM-Comp Domains:
(Cognitive Abilities / Personal Attributes, Technical Proficiency, Research Project Oversight, Stakeholder Engagement, Line Management and Talent Development, Communication, Subject Matter Expertise / Specialised Knowledge) - ResearchComp Domains:
(Cognitive Abilities, Doing Research, Managing Research, Managing Research Tools, Making an Impact, Working with Others, Self-Management)
- RM-Comp Domains:
- Choose the level of expertise your course addresses:
(Foundational, Intermediate, Advanced, Expert)
By doing this, you make your course aligned with European best practices, support career development across 11 Alliance4Life member institutions, and contribute to closing the innovation gap in Europe.
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Step 5: Submit Your Course Idea
We will need the following information:
Course foundational information:
- Course Type (Self-paced / Instructor-led)
- Course Title (max 10 words)
- Type of Certification (Microcredential / Alliance4Life Certificate / None)
- Access to Course (public/A4L members only/A4L members plus strategic partners)
- Target Audience (researchers/research managers)
- Competence Domain & Level (RM-Comp or ResearchComp + Foundational/Intermediate/Advanced/Expert)
- Estimated Workload (in hours)
Course details:
- Short Course Description (up to 200 characters)
- Long Course Description (150–200 words: what the co rse covers, why it matters, and format)
- Prerequisites (if any)
- Practical information (if any)
- Learning Objectives (3–5 bullet points)
- Completion & Certification Details
- Instructor Bio (3–4 sentences about your expertise and background)
Organizational details:
- Preferred Start Date
- Additional Note fo E-learning Coordinator
After submitting your proposal for adding a course to the E-learning Platform, the administrator will contact you to collect the course content and discuss the details of its publication.
Ready to start?