A different type of publicity for SIF’s conservation efforts - the MOOC platform |11 December 2017

Recently, the Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF) was approached to contribute case study videos to be used as part of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on species conservation in protected areas.

As the name suggests, MOOCs are online courses aimed at unlimited participation and open access for anyone with internet access. Participants on the MOOC are provided with course materials, including filmed lectures, readings, tests, and interactive user forums to facilitate interactions between participants and their course leaders.

The freedom provided by the MOOCs means that users can choose to learn on anything they want, from rocket science to art history, and do these in their own time and at their own pace (including the possibility to pause or restart a filmed lecture if you did not understand the first time!)

With such endless possibilities of learning, and thanks to the increasing availability of faster internet, the MOOC platform had emerged as a powerful new tool of disseminating information.

With the great help of our local media partners, SIF contributed several case study videos for use on an IUCN MOOC platform .

The 3-minute videos showcased tangible success stories from SIF’s conservation of Aldabra and the Vallée de Mai over the past 35 years including the successful re-introduction of the flightless Aldabra rail on Picard Island, the avian eradications on Assumption Island and reversing the unsustainable harvesting trends of coco de mer nuts in the Vallée de Mai.

With similar MOOCs attracting up to 11,000 people, we are pleased to be able to showcase SIF’s role in protected area management globally.

SIF would like to thank the IUCN for this opportunity and the MOOC presenters, Vicky Stravens, Jennifer Appoo, Jessica Moumou, Ella Nancy and Dominic Jean who had the impressive task of presenting memorised scripts in English and French on camera.

Source: SIF