SCOPE OF WORK: Subject Matter Expert(s) for eLearning Content Development

A. About ATIC/Tekwill:
Tekwill is an IT excellence center that contributes to the IT, education and entrepreneurship ecosystem of Moldova. Tekwill’s main activities: Offering educational courses that will answer the needs of a modern economy; Providing space (including offering office and co-working spaces for rent) and resources to enterprises from creative industries; Stimulating entrepreneurial culture in Moldova; Organizing IT & entrepreneurship related events.

Tekwill was implemented by Moldovan Association of Information and Communications Technology Companies, ATIC, promotes the development of the ICT sector in the Republic of Moldova through viable partnerships between the private companies, similar organizations, state institutions, international organizations in order to enhance the competitiveness and development of the sector and company capacities, enlarge the market, attract investments in the country and participate in the decision making and regulatory process on the national and international level. As a next step, ATIC/Tekwill are looking to continue the implementation of the project, continue the fundraising, merge with other existing initiatives like Digital Education in Every School and expand into a future concept of Tekwill in every school by providing qualitative free content, synergizing with other existing projects on the market, revise ATIC/Tekwill available programs suitable for school level.

B. About the TwentyTU initiative:
In May 2018, ATIC/Tekwill announced TwentyTU – one of the most ambitious initiatives in the field of education in Moldova. The project aims to create an e-learning platform for students aged between 13-19 years old. Part of the initiative, students will be provided with free access to high quality and interactive online courses allowing them to acquire the necessary knowledge and skills required by the future jobs’ workplace.

Mission
Our mission is to harness Moldova’s untapped human capital and to help grow a young and innovative generation of scientists, engineers and IT professionals that will create, here at home, products that will meet social challenges at national and global scale.

Objectives
• Growing Moldova’s young generation of IT professionals
• 80,000 students receive quality online education by 2022
• Development of 10 online courses by 2021

The Approach
TwentyTU will be using a blended learning approach: the self-based approach where students are expected to study the course independently and at their own pace; plus the instructor-led approach where students will be receiving technical support, participate in webinars, undertake simulation exercises and prepare a final project.

TwentyTU Online Courses
The first group of online courses aim to increase the students’ awareness and understanding on how machines learn, how we can speak their language through algorithms and programing and ultimately how they can reshape our lives. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the most important change force in the international society, but it remains common for high school graduates to know nothing about how it works and the opportunities it creates. In order, for a student to better understand AI, he/she needs to have the basic skills and knowledge in the below courses first:
1. Procedural Programming in C/C++
2. Algorithms & Data Structures
3. Programming in Python
4. Artificial Intelligence
The second group of online courses will focus on developing the creative and graphic design skills of students. The courses will include hands-on assignments, quizzes, and video tutorials to enhance students’ design skills and teach them on how to create stunning 3D images, animations by using computers, as well as how to create a website and a mobile app in Android.
5. Web Design & Development
6. Graphic Design
7. Video Storytelling
8. Mobile Apps Design & Development
And the third group of online courses will focus on developing the non-cognitive skills of teens such as emotional maturity, empathy, interpersonal skills, and building their entrepreneurial spirit. Studies are showing that investment in the education of children’s emotional intelligence is a cost-effective approach to increasing the quality and productivity of the workforce. Students will also be able to learn about entrepreneurship while building leadership, communication, presentation, and critical-thinking skills.
9. Entrepreneurship
10. Emotional Intelligence

e-Course Components:
Each course will be delivered in up to 20-30 lessons. Every lesson will have the following components:
1. Supportive course text that will be developed by the Subject Matter Expert;
2. Recommended reading and links to online resources, that will also be provided by the Subject Matter Expert.
3. Video lesson, summarizing the main ideas and key points of the lesson. The length of each video should be up to 10-15 minutes each. These videos must be developed by the instructional design company.
4. Simulation exercise will provide the hands-on learning and allow students to test the tasks explained in the video lesson.
5. Interactive quiz at the end of each lesson will be assessing in an interactive form the learnt material. The Subject Matter Expert will provide the quiz information, while the instructional design company will have to integrate these on the platform by its team of programmers.
6. Every course will have a final project Submission at the end. Students will have to submit their final projects reflecting the newly acquired skills and know-how gained in the online course.
The platform will also include:
1. A System of Digital Badges to reward the student efforts and encourage them to collect all existing badges.
2. Online Technical Support will be provided to students that encounter difficulties, questions along the studying course, they will be able to send an email and receive feedback and support.
3. Webinars will be held on a monthly basis on the platform.

C. Scope of Work:
ATIC/Tekwill is searching for Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) that will prepare the courseware design and development of 2 e-courses in Romanian language: Video Storytelling and/or Emotional Intelligence.
1. Define the course structure plan. Formulate the set of learning objectives required to achieve the general, high-level course goal. Also, prepare the course syllabus, by providing the titles, description and learning objectives for each unit and lesson of the course. The SME can use the below format as a reference. The below plan will be offered to the project’s Focus Group for review, feedback and approval.

2. Content development. The SME(s) will have to develop the below list of content materials for each course. They have to be presented in a Word and/or PDF file. The content authored by SMEs will be peer reviewed by other experts in the field and the Focus Group.
a. Develop/write the lessons’ supportive course text;
b. Provide a list of recommended reading and links to online resources for each lesson/unit;
c. Describe the simulation exercise;
d. Develop the unit quizzes;
e. Write the course glossary;
f. Describe the criteria for earning the course badge(s);
g. Define the course final project. Formulate the project description, criteria and requirements for students to follow and submit at the end of the course.

3. Review the storyboards to check that the content has been correctly reworked by the ID company and provide your feedback and suggestions. Collaborate with the instructional designer company in finalizing the storyboard/script needed for the production of video lessons and simulation exercises;

D. Deliverables:
Subject Matter Expert(s) will have to provide the following documents/deliverables in Romanian:
1. A course structure plan document;
2. All lessons’ supportive course text;
3. A list of recommended reading and links to online resources for each lesson/unit;
4. Description of simulation exercises;
5. List of unit quizzes;
6. A course glossary document;
7. Description of the criteria for earning the course badge(s);
8. Description of the course final project, its criteria and requirements;
9. Review storyboards and provide feedback for the development of each video lesson, simulation exercise and quiz

E. Timetable:

F. QUALIFICATIONS
• Bachelor (or higher) Degree in Education or related fields;
• At least 2 years’ proven experience in teaching, pedagogy and/or directly related work experience in the area of expertise;
• Candidates with experience in e-learning content development will have an advantage;
• Ability to deliver within the set timeframe;
• Fluent in Romanian and Russian (written and spoken), English is an advantage.

G. APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

Interested candidates shall submit the following documents:
1. Curriculum vitae & Past Performance Information;
2. Offer and suggested timeline of execution;
3. Concept of delivery of the assignment: suggested course plan.

In your application, please indicate which course are you applying for, out of the following:
1. Video Storytelling
2. Emotional Intelligence

The application package shall be submitted via email to: talexeev@ict.md, copy to achirita@ict.md, with the subject line: „Subject Matter Expert – title of the course(s) you’re applying for”, by January 31st, 2020 (21:00). Only selected persons will be contacted. Incomplete applications will not be considered.