University of Tasmania, Australia

How much does it cost?

Nothing, it's free!

What is a MOOC?

A MOOC is a massive open online course. Massive, because it attracts a cohort larger than traditional university courses; open, because it's free; online, because you can access it on the Web from anywhere in the world; and course because … it's a course.

Are there any pre-requisites for the course?

No, you do not need any prior level of knowledge. However basic computer skills are required to complete the course as it is fully online.

When did the current course start?

Monday 29 July. Registrations closed on 12 August. The next course offering is scheduled for March 2014.

I've registered, but I can't log in. What's going on?

If you enter an incorrect combination of your username and password when you log in, you'll receive a message stating Invalid Username/Password. You will be taken back to the login page. We've had many people struggle to log in, and discovered that many of the problems are:

• Neglecting to put the dot in the username. Your username is often a combination of your first and last names, separated by a full point (e.g. Joe.Bloggs). Please ensure that you retain the dot.
• Accidentally put a space before the username. This often happens when the username is copied from the registration or from your email. Please ensure that your username, and nothing else, is entered.
• Spelling of username is wrong. Some users have mistyped their names when registering, and so the username that was generated is also spelled incorrectly. Please check your log in details carefully, and contact us if you'd like us to correct your username.
• Neglecting to include a number in the username. Sometimes we have more than one user with the same name registering. To distinguish between usernames, we insert a number. Please check your username carefully to ensure that any numbers are included.
• Entering your email address as your username. Your email address was recorded during your registration, but your username was based on your name. If you have misplaced your username, please contact us.
• Entered password in the wrong case. Please note that passwords are case-sensitive (so that 'ABC' is not the same as 'abc'). Your original password usually has a combination of upper- and lower-case. Do check that your Caps Lock key is not turned on.
• Entered password with extra spaces. This sometimes happens when the password is copied and pasted. Please ensure that the password, and only the password, is entered, which no extra spaces at either end.
• Attempted to log in unsuccessfully more than five times in succession. We lock you out of the system for a minute. Just wait that long before trying again.
• Entered the wrong password entirely. The first password that you receive is often one that is hard to remember. You can change it once you've logged in, but that's not helpful if you can't log in! We have a form set up so that you can be sent an email with a link to reset your password (at Forgot Your Password), but that relies on you receiving the email (which may have been collected in your junkbox, or not received for a variety of reasons. Refer to I registered, but I didn't receive any emails. What happened? below). If you cannot reset your password, please contact us, and we'll manually reset it for you.

Will I need to log on at particular times?

No. There is no live or real-time material, so you can log on and complete the content at any time within the 11-week time frame of the course. Therefore, you can complete the course if you are in a different time zone, or wish to participate at different times of the day.

Who would benefit from doing this course?

Anyone, from carers to health professionals and anyone else interested in dementia.

Is the entire course online?

Yes, the course has been designed to allow participants to complete all content online.

How long does the course go for?

The course includes 9 weeks of content, divided into 3 units. There are 2 x 1 weekly breaks between the units, making a total of 11 weeks.

How many hours a week will I need to dedicate to the course?

Approximately 3 hours/weekly.

How many people will be doing the course at once?

There may be thousands of people from around the world participating in the course with you. You will have an opportunity to discuss a range of important topics on an international scale.

How often does the course run?

The Understanding Dementia MOOC will be released two times annually.

Do I receive a certificate of completion?

Yes, if you complete the entire course (3 units), you may request a free certificate of completion/participation. However, you may wish to gain University accreditation for the MOOC by enrolling in the Negotiated study in Understanding Dementia elective unit through the University of Tasmania (more information is coming soon).

Are there exams or assignments?

There are no exams or assignments. However, we do have weekly quizzes for you to be able to gain insight into your learning.

In the MOOC, how do I upload my profile image?

You can upload a picture of yourself to display to other participants within the MOOC. There are instructions available for you to follow.

I've registered, but I didn't receive any emails. What happened?

A number of problems may have occurred. You may have entered your email address incorrectly while registering. If that's the case, please email Dementia.MOOC@utas.edu.au using the email address you wish to register with and include your name, and we'll correct it for you. It may be the case that you did receive an email, but that it went to your junk box. Another possibility is that your local firewall prevented the email from coming in, treating it as spam. Please contact your local IT support to see whether this was the case.

How do I change my password?

You will be given an automatically-generated password when you register, but you'll probably want to change it to something easier to remember. Follow these instructions on how to change your password.

Can I use a tablet, such as an iPad, to access Understanding Dementia?

Tablets are not the ideal devices to undertake the Understanding Dementia course, although you certainly can participate. The support of the system using browsers on iPads and Androids is under investigation by the University of Tasmania'a IT department.

Flash, which is not on iPads, is used to present videos, however, we tested videos on an iPad2 and it played. We offer a link to YouTube and a text alternative in any case.

The screen size of tablets are not ideal for viewing the content, as our pages do not resize for the smaller screen, however, most content is still legible.

For more information about how to set up your computer (including tablets), please visit our guide on setting up your computer.

Can I use a mobile, such as an iPhone, to access Understanding Dementia?

Smart phones are not the ideal device to undertake the Understanding Dementia course, although you certainly can participate. The system will adapt to the smaller screens, but the content pages will not.

To view the site as it appears on larger screens (keeping in mind that you will have to spread your fingers to magnify the screen), scroll to the bottom of the page after logging in and select Desktop Version.

We have plans for a more mobile-friendly MOOC experience in the future.

How do I contact the Understanding Dementia MOOC team?

If you cannot find the answer to your question here, please contact us by email at Dementia.MOOC@utas.edu.au.