Pastoralism in Development: a learning journey – free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) | International Institute for Environment and Development

There are two versions of this course.

Tutor-supported

A tutor-supported public edition for the MOOC runs on an occasional basis but is currently unavailable. You can register your interest in a potential future tutor-led course here.

Students work through the online study resources guided by online tutors. There are also regular Zoom meetings and opportunities for networking and exchange with fellow participants.

Self-guided study

Another option is to take the self-guided study edition of the MOOC. Participants work their way through the online materials at their own pace. There is limited interaction with other students. Self-registration and enrolment for the self-study version of the course is available here.

If you are having difficulty registering or would like more information, email [email protected].

Overview: build your skills to navigate the complex knowledge about pastoralism

It’s widely recognised that pastoral development is limited by a poor understanding of pastoralism. Even the knowledge about pastoralism is entangled in misunderstanding and debate.

IIED’s MOOC provides an entry point for understanding pastoralism and a valuable tool for navigating the available knowledge. You will learn why this knowledge is so tricky to navigate and become equipped with the right tools to negotiate it. Crucially, you will be able to apply the practical learning from the course directly to your own work.

Course duration

The MOOC consists of three modules with each module divided into five units. Each unit should take you about an hour to complete.

Design and structure

The course includes a rich range of teaching and learning activities including animation, video, interviews, discussion and interactive exercises as well as practical assessments to track your progress. The course is learner-centred, based on the principle of self-discovery.

Module 1 gives a general overview of the knowledge about pastoralism in the context of economic/international development and alerts you, the ‘traveller’, to the treacherous nature of its landscape. This covers:

What do you already know about pastoralism?
Pastoralism in the world
Pastoralism and development, and
Pastoralists' voices.

Module 2 will provide you with minimalist orientation equipment to enable you to move safely through the landscape. This covers:

Understanding nature and variability
Making variability work
Stable outputs from unpredictable inputs
Mobility, and
Climate change.

Module 3 will take you on a tour of ‘tricky spots’ and hard-to-negotiate passages. It will provide you with a space to test your new equipment and you’ll get familiar with using it. You'll also find out more about some of the most common challenges ‘out there’. This module covers:

Representing pastoralism
All the fault of climate change?
Markets, gender and settlements, and
Modernisation and youth.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you will:

Be aware of the complexity of the knowledge about pastoralism, including gaps and pitfalls
Have identified your own assumptions about pastoralism and their potential impact on your work
Appreciate the underlying logic of pastoralism – based on engaging positively with the high levels of unpredictable variability in the natural environment
Be able to find, critique and navigate information available and use this skill as a compass for your own practice, and
Become more conversant with the political dimensions of pastoralism, and more aware of the relevance of pastoralism to current and future challenges in the face of climate change.

Is this MOOC for you?

The MOOC is designed to appeal to a wide range of people: community development agents, development practitioners, students in technical institutes and universities (and their professors!) as well as administrators, government policymakers and the wider public.

People working with pastoralist civil society organisations, lobbying groups and journalists will also benefit from joining the course.

In addition to offering a space for reflection on pastoral development, tutor-guided MOOCs also offer a great opportunity to network and connect with other likeminded people. In February 2025, a youth edition of the MOOC was run in conjunction with the Youth Working Group of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.

Two learning modes: tutor-assisted or self-learning

A tutor-guided edition of the MOOC ran from 10 March 2025 for five weeks. A global team of volunteer tutors with expertise in pastoralism provided guidance and advice, and facilitated interactive group discussions. There were also regular Zoom meetings to review and discuss the course material, plus occasional Zoom meetings on specific topics of interest.

A self-learning version of the MOOC was launched in early October 2023. It is currently unavailable, but will be accessible from September 2025.

Certification

During the course you will need to complete end-of-module tests, complete all the exercises and participate actively in the course discussions. On successful completion of these requirements, you will receive a digital certificate.

Meet the team

The team behind this course have decades of expertise in drylands and pastoral development, including specialism in pastoral production strategies, policy-oriented research, and design and implementation of policy-oriented training programmes on the dynamics of pastoralism.

To help set the strategic direction, the team has drawn on the expertise of an advisory group comprising scholars and experts in pastoralism from around the world.