Are you ready? Self-determined learning readiness of language MOOC learners

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) made the promise of offering unrestrictive and unselective educational opportunities to learners worldwide. However, the specific learning environment of the MOOC requires high autonomy and flexibility in learning. MOOC learners are extremely diverse in terms of their age, qualifications, background and in the ability of self-regulating their learning. In this study, we aimed at having a better understanding of learners’ readiness for self-determined learning in a Language MOOC context. Our objective was to select and characterize highly self-determined learners and to examine the relationship between self-determined learning characteristics of this specific learner cohort. We applied a battery of instruments measuring self-directed learning readiness, self-reflection and insight, self-efficacy and internet skills. Highly self-determined learners were selected by applying criteria based on the reported level of confidence in learners’ skills on the agreement scales. The Pearson correlation was used to examine the relationship between self-directed learning readiness and self-reflection and insight, self-efficacy and internet skills. Our results showed that only 4.31% of the participants fulfilled our established criteria. The correlation tests revealed that there are significant correlations among the self-determined learning elements: we found significant positive correlation between, self-directed learning readiness and insight, self-efficacy, information navigation internet skill ; between desire for learning and insight, engagement in reflection; desire for learning and need for reflection, information navigation; between self-management and mobile internet skill;and between self-control and self-efficacy. Based on the results, implications and suggestion for MOOC design are provided.