Online course makes waves in sport and development

The course Sport for Sustainable Development: Designing effective policies and programmes was launched in July 2020 and has been embraced by a wide range of individuals and organisations.

This massive open online course (MOOC) is designed to build capacity among individuals and organisations using sport for development in their policies and programmes. It is free and open access and has clearly met an identified need, with instant uptake across the globe.

The course was developed by the International Platform on Sport and Development (sportanddev), the Australian government and the Commonwealth Secretariat in order to maximise the contributions that sport can make to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other development priorities.

Course highlights

In the second half of 2020, more than 3,400 learners from 165 countries across six continents joined the course. Further highlights include:

• 96% of learners surveyed* said the course met or exceeded their expectations
• 95% of learners surveyed* gained new knowledge or skills in the course
• 92% of learners surveyed* said that they were satisfied with the course
• 75% of learners surveyed* have shared learnings with other people
• Excellent learner engagement with 7,534 comments posted to date
• Gender split of enrolled learners: 48% female / 51% male (1% non-binary)**

We are currently soliciting feedback from learners and experts to review and update the course for a second run. We hope to launch the second run in April 2021 – please watch this space!

• Complete the learner survey here (if you participated in the course)

Positive feedback from multiple audiences

The course has attracted a wide range of audiences, including from the public, private and third sectors, prominent sporting institutions, intergovernmental agencies, NGOs and other key stakeholders. Many actors cited the course as filling a crucial gap in the sport and development field.

Learner feedback has been positive, with 62% of learners surveyed* indicating that they have already applied the information, tools and resources from the course in their policies, programmes and projects, meaning the course is having a real-world impact on sport and development.

As one learner commented: “The course was well presented and utilised many experts in the field to provide information and perspective. A brilliant resource for sport and development practitioners, which provides a one-stop shop for information, tools and frameworks to assist in the design and delivery of sport and development (policies and programmes).”

The course features contributions from around the world and was designed in conjunction with an expert reference group and academic team. It empowers learners to explore aspects of programme design and implementation and understand how to measure the impact of policies and programmes. It also explores key concepts on sport and gender equality, disability, human rights, social inclusion, peacebuilding and safeguarding, with practical insights from experts. The course is deliberately interactive and includes engaging video and audio content, as well as encouraging learners to share their on-ground experiences and insights at every stage. 

Registrations for the second run is now open - you can sign up today to start the course from 10 May 2021.

* The post-course survey is optional and has not been completed by all learners
** Gender and demographic information is optional and not provided by all learners