Abstract
<p>In China, microblogging is an extremely popular activity and is proving to be an effective mechanism to gauge perceptions about social phenomena. Between 2010 and 2015 Sina Weibo, China’s largest microblogging website, generated 95,015 postings from 62,074 users referencing the term massive open online courses (MOOCs), a method of online course delivery popularized in North America that has spread globally. Time series analyses revealed distinct patterns in the volume of postings during a four-year period, and subsequently by month, by week, and by the time of day. The volume of postings during the week, for example, peaked on Monday and declined daily to a low point on Saturday. Relative to maximizing learner engagement, the findings may provide insight to parties who deliver MOOCs to employ or test strategies on timing (i.e., time of year to offer/not offer a MOOC, time of week to release/not release new material, time of day to schedule/not schedule chat sessions). The paper also serves to demonstrate a mechanism to retrieve big data from social media sources, otherwise underutilized in educational research.</p>
Highlights
massive open online courses (MOOCs) are no longer a North American phenomenon !144MOOCs are no longer a North American phenomenon
The momentum is far greater than reported, with overseas learners enrolling in a MOOC at a preferred North American institution (Universities UK, 2013)
Newer MOOC providers that are situated outside of North America should continue to leverage their comparative advantage of contextualizing higher learning, and engage more deeply into researching the behaviour of online learners
Summary
MOOCs are no longer a North American phenomenon !144MOOCs are no longer a North American phenomenon. Since 2011, when Stanford University decided to offer several reputable courses online for free, MOOCs have expanded to engage learners around the world. The momentum is far greater than reported, with overseas learners enrolling in a MOOC at a preferred North American institution (Universities UK, 2013). The major challenge facing other providers of MOOCs is the persistent draw to the likes of Stanford or Harvard – unmatched in terms of prestige and perception of quality learning. Newer MOOC providers that are situated outside of North America should continue to leverage their comparative advantage of contextualizing higher learning, and engage more deeply into researching the behaviour of online learners. Considering the socio-economic returns on higher education, MOOCs present an alternative pathway for learning, under conditions around the world where unmet demand persists
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