UVA Darden Launches New MOOCs, Including First Giving Voice to Values Online Course

The University of Virginia Darden School of Business announces the launch a number of new online courses this fall, including classes on design thinking, the Agile development methodology and the innovative ethics curriculum Giving Voice to Values (GVV), among other courses.

The GVV course marks the first time Darden Professor Mary Gentile’s unique approach to values-driven leadership development in the workplace, classroom and in life will be presented in a massive open online course (MOOC) format. The GVV curriculum developed by Gentile has been widely adopted and taught by educational institutions and businesses around the world.

The new courses add to Darden’s leading suite of distance learning offerings, which include a series of popular MOOCs, online specializations, and courses delivered to support the Darden MBA and Executive Education programs.

New courses include:

• “Designing for the Greater Good: Innovation in the Social Sector” — Taught by Professor Jeanne Liedtka, this course takes the power of design thinking and applies the principles to the social sector. Building on the principles explored in Liedtka’s new book, the course will help nonprofit and social sector organizations solve problems and meet the needs of the people they serve. Through global stories from areas as diverse as government, health care and education, the course will offer the tools, techniques and mindset needed to use design thinking to uncover new and creative solutions in the social sector. The course will launch this fall on Coursera.
• “Ethical Leadership Through Giving Voice to Values” — Taught by Professor Mary Gentile, this action-oriented introduction to GVV offers a “self-defense class for the soul” approach to putting ethical leadership into practice. GVV starts from the premise that most people want to act on their values, and offers a clear roadmap for doing so effectively and successfully. GVV uses real-life examples, pre-scripting, rehearsal and peer coaching to build the skill, confidence and likelihood that learners will act on their values more often and more successfully. The course launches in September on Coursera.
• “Understanding Your Data: Analytical Tools” — Taught by Darden researcher Cristiano Guarana, the course will help students get the most from their data. Students will learn how and when to conduct mediation, moderation and conditional indirect effects analyses, and know how to theorize and test theoretical models. By the end of the course, students will have the tools they need to analyze and interpret the results of the data sets they have encountered and gathered in their research. The course, which is supported by the Behavioral Research at Darden (BRAD) Lab, is now available on Coursera.

Two popular, existing online courses will launch for the first time on FutureLearn, an online platform owned by The Open University:

• “Fundamentals of Project Management” — Taught by Professor Yael Grushka-Cockayne, this entry-level course will introduce learners of all backgrounds to key concepts of planning, managing and completing projects. In addition to an introduction to key principles and methods, the course will cover the language and framework for scoping projects, sequencing activities and minimizing risks. Students will develop an understanding of the four stages of the project life cycle and the role each stage has in the evolution of a project, and be able to identify the most appropriate project management methodology for any given project, including critical path analysis and Agile project management. The course qualifies for professional development units from the Project Management Institute. The course launches 4 September on FutureLearn.
• “Getting Started With Agile and Design Thinking” — Taught by Alex Cowan, the course will give students a practical understanding of how to apply Agile, from concept to execution, with an emphasis on its relationship to design thinking practices and evidence-based innovation. Students will learn to determine what’s valuable to the user early in the development process and be able to focus a team on testable narratives about the user and creating a strong shared perspective. The course qualifies for professional development units from the Project Management Institute. The development of this course was supported by the Batten Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. The course will launch this fall on FutureLearn.