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Behind the Scenes with MOOCs:
Berklee College of Music’s Experience
Developing, Running, and Evaluating
Courses...
Article in The Journal of Continuing Higher Education · January 2013
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Behind the Scenes with
MOOCs:
Berklee College of Music’s
Experience Developing,
Running, and Evaluating
Courses through Coursera
Carin Nuernberg
Alex Perrier
BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

O

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higher learning, Berklee College of Music. Key in Berklee’s
decision to join Coursera was the opportunity to provide free
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cators and institutions.
Berklee launched four courses on Coursera in spring 2013, theÀUVWWZRRIZKLFKSongwriting and Introduction to Music Production, began
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Software Developer for Berklee Online, Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA
136

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC’GHYHORSLQJ LPSOHPHQWLQJ DQG HYDOXDWLQJ LWV ÀUVW PDVVLYH RSHQ RQOLQH
courses (MOOCs).
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developers), a video producer, an interaction developer, a copy editor, a
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WKH´²',(µ:HPDGHDQXPEHURIDVVXPSWLRQVDERXWWKHNLQGVRIFRXUVHVWKHLU OHQJWK DQG FKRLFH RI IDFXOW\ ,W PDGH VHQVH WR FKRRVH DUHDV RI WKHFDWDORJXHWKDWZHUHSRSXODUZLWK%HUNOHH2QOLQH·VH[LVWLQJVWXGHQWV,WDOVRPDGHVHQVHWRZRUNZLWKIDFXOW\ZKRZHUHH[SHULHQFHGFRXUVHDXWKRUVIDPLOLDUZLWKRXUSURFHVVDQGZLWKDVWURQJSUHVHQFHLQIURQWRIWKHFDPHUD/DVWO\LWPDGHVHQVHWRGHYHORSFRXUVHVWKDWGLGQRWGXSOLFDWHFRQWHQWLQRXU
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with developing topical outlines for the courses in advance of the video
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BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

students’ concentration would be on the teacher and not on any distracting
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In a typical Berklee Online course project, the course developer’s in
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developer reviewed footage and provided annotations with correspond
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rubrics, and other supporting content. Because we were launching the
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SongwritingYLGHROHFWXUHVWHQGHGWREHORQJHUWKH\LQFOXGHGLQYLGHRTXL]
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Songwriting, Professor Pat Pattison presented new tools each week to help
students write effective songs. Students would then apply these tools in a
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138

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSICUHYLHZHYDOXDWRUVZHUHDVNHGWRUDWHKRZHIIHFWLYHO\DJLYHQDVVLJQPHQW
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DQGTXDOLWDWLYHPHDVXUHV,QFRQWUDVWDVVLJQPHQWVLQIntroduction to Music Production asked stuGHQWVWRGHPRQVWUDWHDFRQFHSWRUWHFKQLTXHFRYHUHGLQWKHOHVVRQWKURXJKDYLGHRSUHVHQWDWLRQDXGLRUHFRUGLQJRUDFRPELQDWLRQRIWH[WDQGJUDSKics. Professor Loudon Stearns felt strongly that it would be challenging for
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set of criteria week to week.
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By March 1, Songwriting had registered about 65,000 students and Introduction to Music Production(DFKFRXUVHLQFOXGHGDGHPRJUDSKLFVXUYH\
WKDWVWXGHQWVZHUHHQFRXUDJHGWRFRPSOHWHZKHQWKHFRXUVHRSHQHG7KH
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and 85 percent in Music Production—SHUFHQWDJHVFRQVLVWHQWZLWKVLPLODUVXEMHFWDUHDVLQ%HUNOHH2QOLQHFRXUVHV DQGDERXWKDOIZHUHQDWLYHVSHDNers of English. Major countries represented outside of the United States
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CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013139

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSICrun of the courses, noticed a consistent pattern with respect to the weekly
release of each new lesson. Not unlike the lines at an Apple store when a
new version of the iPhone is released, a core group of students awaited the
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available. These students were key to the courses’ success because theyZRXOGRIWHQÁDJDQ\LVVXHVZLWKLQWKHÀUVWIHZKRXUVWKURXJKSRVWVLQWKH
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release of a new lesson and then to pull back and check in daily afterwards.
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course. He also created a screen capture video directing students to the link.
For Songwriting, WKHFRXUVHGHYHORSHUFUHDWHGVXEIRUXPVWKDWPDSSHGWR
the different lessons in the course.
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for each course provided an overview of what would be due when based
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'XULQJWKHFRXUVHVVWXGHQWVFRPPHQWHGTXLWHDELWDERXWWKHSHHUUHYLHZDVVLJQPHQWV6RPHVWXGHQWVLQMusic Production FRPSODLQHGDERXWKDYLQJWRWHDFKRWKHUVWXGHQWVLQVWHDGWKH\ZDQWHGWRFUHDWHDQGVKDUHPXVLF7RSURYLGHVWXGHQWVZLWKDQRSSRUWXQLW\WRVKDUH3URIHVVRU6WHDUQVFUHDWHGDFROODERUDWLYHPXVLFSURMHFWLQZKLFKKHLQYLWHGVWXGHQWVWR
record short audio clips—lyrics, “oohs,” “aahs,” bass tones, percussive
KLWVJURRYHVDQGULIIV³DQGXSORDGWKHPWR6RXQG&ORXG+HWKHQFUHDWHG
VDPSOHGLQVWUXPHQWVIURPWKHVRXQGVWKDWVWXGHQWVLQWXUQFRXOGXVHWRFUHDWHPXVLF
Songwriting VWXGHQWVKDGDQXPEHURIGLVFXVVLRQVUHODWHGWRWKHTXDOLW\RIWKHUHYLHZVWKH\ZHUHUHFHLYLQJIURPIHOORZVWXGHQWV6RPHIHOWWKDW140

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSICWKHLU HYDOXDWRUV GLG QRW XQGHUVWDQG WKH PDWHULDO FRYHUHG LQ WKH OHVVRQZHOOHQRXJKWRDVVHVVWKHZRUNRIRWKHUVRWKHUVIHOWWKDWVRPHVWXGHQWV
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students were not to judge each other’s vocal abilities, but rather use the
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ZRUNWRJHWKHURQ´GD\FKDOOHQJHVµLQYROYLQJWKHXVHRIPHWDSKRULQZULWLQJ6LPLODUWRWKHFROODERUDWLYHPXVLFSURMHFWLQMusic Production, thechallenges provided opportunities for students to engage with each other
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At the courses’ end, the course developers triggered the grading process
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GDWDRIVWXGHQWDFWLYLW\LQWKHFRXUVHVDQGWKHÀQDOFRXUVHVXUYH\UHVXOWVEVALUATING THE FIRST RUN
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in each, which is consistent with other MOOCs. Then began the dialogue
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registration catalogue at a traditional college. In that week,
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LQD022&EHGHÀQHGE\ZKRVWDUWVWKHVHFRQGZHHN7KDW,WKLQNLVDEHWWHUPHDVXUHRIHQUROOPHQWDQGDVWDUWLQJSRLQWWRPHDVXUHUHWHQWLRQ:H GHFLGHG WR WDNH D FORVHU ORRN DW UHWHQWLRQ DPRQJ VWXGHQWV ZKRYLHZHGDWOHDVWRQHOHFWXUHLQZHHNWZRDQGIRUVWXGHQWVZKRFRPSOHWHG
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7DEOH  .H\ ÀJXUHV IRU GLIIHUHQW VWXGHQW SRSXODWLRQV LQ Introduction toMusic Production
Introduction toMusic
Production

142

All Registered

Week Two
Viewers

Week Two
Quiz Takers

Statement of
Accomplishment
Earners

Students

55,90825,26812,526

2,735

Retention rate

4.89
percent

10.82
percent

21.83
percent

100.00percent

Quizzes taken

4.95

10.83

20.3

41.5

Submitted
assignments

0.3

0.72

1.75

5.15

Peer evaluations

1.52

3.68

7.37

28.93

Videos

28.52

66.33

84.09

139.87

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC

7DEOH.H\ÀJXUHVIRUGLIIHUHQWVWXGHQWSRSXODWLRQVLQSongwriting
Songwriting

All
Registered

Week
Two
Viewers

Week Two
Quiz Takers

Statement of
Accomplishment
Earners

Students

66,641

32,93816,4083,439

Retention
rate

5.16
percent

10.44
percent

20.96 percent

100.00 percent

Quizzes
taken

4.03

8.54

16.4

31.35

Submitted assignments

0.46

1.06

2.07

5.59

Peer
evaluations

2.18

5.01

9.96

30.33

Videos

16.02

35.61

47.83

86.64


:HWKHQH[DPLQHGHQJDJHPHQWRYHUWLPHZLWKUHJDUGWRDVVLJQPHQWVXEPLVVLRQVIRUXPVSRVWVDQGFRPPHQWVOHFWXUHYLHZLQJDQGTXL]]HVFigure 1: Overall activity for the population of registered students—assign
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TXL]]HVZKLFKVXJJHVWVWKDWVWXGHQWVVWD\HGPRUHHQJDJHGZLWKDVVLJQPHQWVWKDQTXL]]HVWKRXJKERWKFRQWULEXWHGKHIWLO\WRZDUGWKHÀQDOJUDGH)RUXPDFWLYLW\GHFUHDVHGVWURQJO\DVWKHFRXUVHSURJUHVVHGZKHWKHUORRNLQJ DW WKH QXPEHU RI SRVWV DQG FRPPHQWV RU WKH QXPEHU RI XVHUVDFWLYHO\HQJDJHGLQWKHIRUXPGD\E\GD\WKHODWWHURIZKLFKÀJXUHLO
lustrates. The data showed periodic spikes in activity in Songwriting after
WKHFRXUVHHQGHGWKDWZHUHOLNHO\WKHUHVXOWRIWKHGD\FKDOOHQJHVWKDWProfessor Pattison encouraged students to work on together.
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VWXGHQWV HYDOXDWHG RWKHU VWXGHQWV· ZRUN WKH KLJKHU WKHLU ÀQDO JUDGHVDOWKRXJKQRH[WUDFUHGLWZDVJLYHQIRUHYDOXDWLQJPRUHWKDQWKHUHTXLUHG
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CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC)LJXUH)LQDOJUDGHLQFUHDVHVDVWKHVWXGHQWVHYDOXDWHPRUHDVVLJQPHQWV

1H[WZHH[DPLQHGWKHVSUHDGRIWKHJUDGHVJLYHQIRUSHHUUHYLHZVÀJXUH $IWHUZHHNWZRRYHUKDOIRIWKHVWXGHQWVLQMusic Production
HDUQHGWKHPD[LPXPQXPEHURISRLQWVDQGH[FHSWIRUZHHNRQHDOOVWXGHQWVUHFHLYHGVFRUHVDERYHWKHSDVVLQJWKUHVKROG7KHFRQVHQVXVDPRQJHYDOXDWRUVLWVHHPVLVWKDWVWXGHQWVGLGDJRRGMRERIWHDFKLQJFRQFHSWVUHODWHGWRWKHFRXUVHPDWHULDOIn SongwritingWKHÀQGLQJVZHUHPRUHEDODQFHG³RQO\DERXWKDOIRIVWXGHQWV ZHUH JLYHQ SDVVLQJ VFRUHV HDFK ZHHN 7KHUH ZDV PXFK PRUHGLVDJUHHPHQWDERXWZKDWFRQVWLWXWHGJRRGVRQJZULWLQJCONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

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Figure 4: Peer review grade spread 2:KHQZHORRNHGDWWKHUHVXOWVRIWKHÀQDOFRXUVHVXUYH\VDQGLQSDUWLFXODUWKHTXHVWLRQV´:KDWGLG\RXOLNHEHVWDERXWWKLVFRXUVH"µDQG´:KDWGLG
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and about 1,300 for Introduction to Music Production.”The teacher was what
students liked best, by far. Many students answered along the lines of “PatLVDQDPD]LQJDQGJLIWHGWHDFKHUµRU´3DW3DWWLVRQ%HVWLQVWUXFWRU,·YHKDG
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In Music Production, words and phrases like “practical” and “depth of the
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CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC)LJXUH&ORXGRIPRVWIUHTXHQWZRUGVLQWKHDQVZHUVWR´:KDWGLG\RX
OLNHEHVWDERXWWKLVFRXUVH"µIRUSongwriting)LJXUH&ORXGRIPRVWIUHTXHQWZRUGVLQWKHDQVZHUVWR´:KDWGLG\RX
OLNHEHVWDERXWWKLVFRXUVH"µIRUIntroduction to Music Production:KHQDVNHGWKDWWKH\OLNHGOHDVWWKHRYHUZKHOPLQJDQVZHUDPRQJSongwriting students was peer reviewing. The feedback focused on the
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such as not understanding the concepts taught in the course or not being
native English speakers and, therefore, unable to understand what waspresented in a song.

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013147

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC)LJXUH&ORXGRIPRVWIUHTXHQWZRUGVLQWKHDQVZHUVWR´:KDWGLG\RX
OLNHOHDVWDERXWWKLVFRXUVH"µIRUSongwriting

Introduction to Music Production students liked the nature of the assign
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OLNHOHDVWDERXWWKLVFRXUVH"µIRUIntroduction to Music Production

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CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSICLOOKING AHEAD
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lee has offered two other MOOCS through Coursera, an introduction to
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periodically throughout the year.
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Online.
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open online courses: In depth. Educause Review. http://www.educause.edu/ero/article/
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percent range of students’ grades. Finally, the dots are statistical outliers, i.e., the lowest
grades that concern few students.

CONTINUING HIGHER EDUCATION REVIEW, Vol. 77, 2013

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