Applied Mobile-Assisted Seamless Learning Techniques in MOOCs

Abstract

As Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are nowadays used in an increasingly ubiquitous manner, the learning process gets disrupted every time learners change context. Mobile-Assisted Seamless Learning (MSL) techniques have been identified to reduce unwanted overhead for learners and streamline their learning process. However, technical implementations vary across the industry. This paper examines existing MSL research and applied techniques in the context of MOOCs. Therefore, we discussed related MSL research topics. Afterward, eleven characteristic MSL features were selected and compared their implementations across five major MOOC platforms. While web applications provide a bigger feature set, mobile clients offer advanced offline capabilities. Based on the findings, a concept outlines how MSL features can enhance the learning experience on MOOC platforms while considering the technical feasibility.