Abstract
Research on massive open online courses (MOOCs) has tended to focus on outcome indicators valued in traditional higher education settings, particularly achievement and completion. This study highlights the differences between MOOCs and credit-bearing university courses and shifts this focus to an alternative outcome indicator—learner satisfaction. In this study, engagement is identified as an important antecedent of learner satisfaction and is conceptualised and operationalised as a multidimensional construct. This study built three regression models to identify the relative importance of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for learner satisfaction after controlling for personal characteristics unrelated to the criteria of good teaching. The analysis showed that engagement explained approximately 20% of the variance in learner satisfaction with MOOCs. Emotional engagement was more influential for predicting learner satisfaction than cognitive engagement and behavioural engagement. Social engagement had no significant effect on learner satisfaction. Demographics (age, education level, and origin) and motivation were of limited utility in predicting learner satisfaction with MOOCs, accounting for 4% and 2% of variance, respectively. Based on research findings, the article presents the following propositions: (1) configure the MOOC teaching and learning environment in a way that enhances emotional engagement; (2) statistically adjust for age, education level, origin, and motivation when interpreting learner satisfaction results; and (3) monitor the level of emotional engagement and implement educational interventions to provide support for emotional disengagers.
Highlights
The effects of learning for study or work and taking one to three courses on satisfaction were statistically significant in Model 2 but not in Model 3. These results suggested that the effects of education level, motivation, and prior massive open online courses (MOOCs) experience on learner satisfaction may be mediated by engagement
The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of engagement on learner satisfaction with MOOCs
The results indicated that behavioural, cognitive, and emotional engagement reliably predicted learner satisfaction with MOOCs, accounting for 20% of the variance
Summary
The disruptive potential of massive open online courses (MOOCs) has generated increasing scholarly interest in MOOC learning outcomes, in achievement [1,2,3]. Retention [4,5,6]. While these are important measures for evaluating the success of university students, it could be argued that these indicators are less relevant in the context of MOOCs. Compared with credit-bearing university courses, learners have the option to enter and exit the MOOC teaching and learning space without restrictions. Compared with credit-bearing university courses, learners have the option to enter and exit the MOOC teaching and learning space without restrictions They are not required to pay fees, except when they intend to obtain a (paid) certificate of completion
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