Individuals with strong self-regulated learning (SRL) skills, characterized by the ability to plan, manage and control their learning process, can learn faster and outperform those with weaker SRL ...skills. SRL is critical in learning environments that provide low levels of support and guidance, as is commonly the case in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Learners can be trained to engage in SRL and actively supported with prompts and activities. However, effective implementation of learner support systems in MOOCs requires an understanding of which SRL strategies are most effective and how these strategies manifest in online behavior. Moreover, identifying learner characteristics that are predictive of weaker SRL skills can advance efforts to provide targeted support without obtrusive survey instruments. We investigated SRL in a sample of 4,831 learners across six MOOCs based on individual records of overall course achievement, interactions with course content, and survey responses. We found that goal setting and strategic planning predicted attainment of personal course goals, while help seeking was associated with lower goal attainment. Learners with stronger SRL skills were more likely to revisit previously studied course materials, especially course assessments. Several learner characteristics, including demographics and motivation, predicted learners’ SRL skills. We discuss implications for theory and the development of learning environments that provide adaptive support.
•Goal setting and strategic planning positively predict goal attainment in MOOCs.•Help seeking negatively predicts goal attainment, e.g., earning a certificate.•Self-reported SRL strategies manifest behaviorally in revisiting course content.•Learner characteristics (demographics, motivation, etc.) predict self-reported SRL.
•Most MOOCs use recorded video lectures and discussion forums to engage students.•Students enrol in MOOCs mainly to learn a new topic or increase current knowledge.•However, dropout rate is high; ...only 10–20% of students complete the courses.•Instructors offer MOOCs due to a sense of intrigue, altruism, or egoistic motives.•Quality of MOOC education and MOOC business model are some unresolved issues.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are among the latest e-learning initiative to attain widespread popularity among many universities. In this paper, a review of the current published literature focusing on the use of MOOCs by instructors or students was conducted. Our primary goal in doing this is to summarize the accumulated state of knowledge concerning the main motivations and challenges of using MOOCs, as well as to identify issues that have yet to be fully addressed or resolved. Our findings suggest four reasons why students sign up for MOOCs: the desire to learn about a new topic or to extend current knowledge, they were curious about MOOCs, for personal challenge, and the desire to collect as many completion certificates as possible. Up to 90% drop out due to reasons including a lack of incentive, failure to understand the content material and having no one to turn to for help, and having other priorities to fulfill. Findings suggest three main reasons why instructors wish to teach MOOCs: being motivated by a sense of intrigue, the desire to gain some personal (egoistic) rewards, or a sense of altruism. Four key challenges of teaching MOOCs are also surfaced: difficulty in evaluating students’ work, having a sense of speaking into a vacuum due to the absence of student immediate feedback, being burdened by the heavy demands of time and money, and encountering a lack of student participation in online forums. We conclude by discussing two issues that have yet to be fully resolved – the quality of MOOC education, and the assessment of student work.
In this case study, we present our findings regarding a massive open online Scratch programming course. The course, which followed a project-based learning approach, was delivered from July 4 to 30, ...2022 to 186 students in Brazil. The students were challenged to develop individual coding projects. Our research goal was to investigate teaching and learning course dynamics. We followed a convergent parallel mixed-method approach. We collected quantitative and qualitative data by means of questionnaires. We were able to identify five intertwined feedback loops that drove the educational process. Our main findings are as follows: 1) The development of coding skills was driven by the effort of watching video-lectures, remixing of peers’ codes, and by sharing knowledge between the students. 2) The project-based learning approach created opportunities for the students to collaborate and exchange ideas.
Self-regulated learning (SRL) refers to how learners steer their own learning. Supporting SRL has been shown to enhance the use of SRL strategies and learning performance in computer-based learning ...environments. However, little is known about supporting SRL in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). In this study, weekly SRL prompts were embedded as videos in a MOOC. We employed a sequential pattern mining algorithm, Sequential Pattern Discovery using Equivalence classes (cSPADE), on gathered log data to explore whether differences exist between learners who viewed the SRL-prompt videos and those who did not. Results showed that SRL-prompt viewers interacted with more course activities and completed these activities in a more similar sequential pattern than non SRL-prompt viewers. Also, SRL-prompt viewers tended to follow the course structure, which has been identified as a behavioral characteristic of students who scored higher on SRL (i.e., comprehensive learners) in previous research. Based on the results, implications for supporting SRL in MOOCs are discussed.
•We examined learners' use of self-regulated learning (SRL) prompts in a MOOC.•Using sequential pattern mining, sequences of learner activities were examined.•Students who viewed more prompts interacted with more course elements.•Viewers of SRL-prompts better follow the course structure than non-viewers.•Exploring sequences of learner activities potentially informs the design of MOOCs.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a growing element in strategic decision-making in higher education. However, since only a small percentage of enrollees complete MOOCs, it is important to ...understand participants' preliminary expectations and motivations. This is particularly important for science and engineering MOOCs because they require professional knowledge, analytical skills, and the ability to handle abstract models of physical phenomena. Hence, the goal of this study was to examine the motivating factors of learners who successfully completed a MOOC in nanotechnology and nanosensors, while comparing between university-affiliated students (N=114) and general participants (N=194). Analysis of data, collected via an online survey, forum posts, and email messages, identified three motivational themes: career, personal, and educational. The findings indicated that participants from both groups were motivated by general interest, personal growth, and enrichment. However, while the university-affiliated students were oriented toward improving knowledge and receiving a certificate, the general participants were oriented toward research and professional advancement. Our findings suggest that the design of academic MOOCs should target at both promoting the understanding of new concepts and generating new skillsets.
•MOOC participants are motivated by general interest, growth, and enrichment.•University-affiliated MOOCers are oriented toward improving knowledge.•General MOOC participants are oriented toward career benefits.•MOOC design should promote new knowledge and professional skillsets.
Learning is mediated by language of instruction and social engagement. Both factors may play a significant role in understanding motivation to learn in massive open online courses (MOOCs). Therefore, ...the goal of this study was threefold: a. to compare motivation patterns of MOOC participants who study the same course but in a different language of instruction; b. to examine relationships between motivation gain and diverse modes of engagement; and c. to characterize MOOC completers according to their learning motivation. An exploratory case-study was conducted in the settings of a MOOC in Nanotechnology and Nanosensors, delivered in two languages: English and Arabic. The research sample included 325 participants from the English (N = 289) and Arabic (N = 36) MOOCs. The study applied the mixed methods approach, collecting data via pre- and post-questionnaires, forum posts, and email messages. Findings indicated that regardless the language of instruction, MOOC participants were driven to learn by similar goals, emphasizing intrinsic motivation and self-determination. Findings indicated a positive relationship between motivation gain, the number of messages posted to the online forums, and the number of members in the online study groups. Five types of MOOC completers were identified: problem-solvers, networkers, benefactors, innovation-seekers, and complementary-learners.
•Regardless language of instruction MOOC participants are driven to learn by similar goals.•Intrinsic motivation and self-determination are rated high among MOOC participants.•Five types of MOOC participants were identified according to their learning motivation.•Large and small group interactions are significant for MOOC completion.
Abstract
Background
Clinical training during the COVID-19 pandemic is high risk for medical students. Medical schools in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) have limited capacity to develop ...resources in the face of rapidly developing health emergencies. Here, a free Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was developed as a COVID-19 resource for medical students working in these settings, and its effectiveness was evaluated.
Methods
The RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework was utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of MOOC in teaching medical students about COVID-19. The data sources included the student registration forms, metrics quantifying their interactions within the modules, students’ course feedback, and free-text responses. The data were collected from the Moodle learning management system and Google analytics from May 9 to September 15, 2020. The research team analyzed the quantitative data descriptively and the qualitative data thematically.
Results
Among the 16,237 unique visitors who accessed the course, only 6031 medical students from 71 medical schools registered, and about 4993 (83% of registrants) completed the course, indicating high levels of satisfaction (M = 8.17, SD = 1.49) on a 10-point scale. The mean scores of each assessment modules were > 90%. The free-text responses from 987 unique students revealed a total of 17 themes (e.g., knowing the general information on COVID-19, process management of the pandemic in public health, online platform use, and instructional design) across the elements of the RE-AIM framework. Mainly, the students characterized the MOOC as well-organized and effective.
Conclusions
Medical students learned about COVID-19 using a self-paced and unmonitored MOOC. MOOCs could play a vital role in the dissemination of accurate information to medical students in LMIC in future public health emergencies. The students were interested in using similar MOOCs in the future.
Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) are a form of online learning that has become increasingly popular across the globe, yet they often suffer from low completion rates. This study aims to advance ...understanding of the Dropout Phenomenon in MOOCs through a qualitative case study conducted in Pakistan. The purpose of this research is to understand why learners drop out of MOOCs by identifying the factors that influence the decision of learners. Semi-structured interviews with MOOC participants were conducted and analysed who had enrolled in two MOOCs that had a high dropout rate. The responses from the interviews were categorised under three overarching themes: lack of motivation, perception of course content, and inability to manage time. Within those themes, several factors that affect course dropout rates were identified, including perceived rewards, difficulties in comprehension, academic and family commitments, and duration of the course.
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have become innovative open-learning approach in medical education. This study aimed to evaluate the dynamic changes in the construction and application of medical ...MOOCs before and after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China.
The dynamic changes of usages about medical MOOCs before and after 2020 were mainly searched on the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, and the detailed learning profiles and outcome indicators were further analyzed using 40 national first-class medical MOOCs from 'zhihuishu' platform.
A total of 2,405 medical MOOCs were exported from the Smart Education of China Higher Education platform, of which 1,313 (54.6%) were launched since 2020. The total and average numbers of participants of 141 national first-class medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. We further analyzed the dynamic usage of MOOCs from 2018 to 2022 based on 40 national first-class medical MOOCs launched on the 'Zhihuishu' platform. The findings revealed that the number of registered learners (3,240 versus 2,654), questions and answers (27,005 versus 5,116) and students taking the final examination (2,782 versus 1,995) per semester were significantly higher since 2020 compared to these before 2020. Especially, the number of registered learners, registered schools, questions and answers, and students participating in online discussion, taking the unit quiz, taking final examinations and passing final examinations all peaked in the 2020 spring-summer semester. Pearson's correlation analysis found that the number of questions and answers and the number of learners who participated in online discussion were both positively correlated with the number of students who passed the final examination, and the correlation was especially strong since 2020. Moreover, the number of publications on medical MOOC research has soared since 2020 and has maintained a continuous upward trend.
High-quality medical MOOCs have been launched rapidly since the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The number of participants and online interactions of medical MOOCs peaked during the initial spread of COVID-19 in 2020. MOOCs are reliable and valid digital sources that facilitate medical higher education and play irreplaceable roles in emergency management.
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