Why did they come back? Analysis of learning behaviour and motivation of repeat learners in cMOOCs

Abstract

ABSTRACT Connectionist MOOC (cMOOC) is a type of MOOC, which can provide an online learning space for learners to sustainable connect. This study analyzed the learning behavior and motivation of repeat learners in the cMOOC "Internet + Education: a dialogue between theory and practice" to study the repeat learning needs and characteristics of cMOOC learners. A mixed research method was adopted in this study with collected data from the course platform, a questionnaire, and qualitative interviews. Based on the behavioural data of those repeat learners of three rounds of the cMOOC, four categories of the repeat learners (repeated no-shows, on-demand connectors, continuous observers, and continuous connectors) were classified. There is no significant difference in intrinsic motivation or extrinsic motivation among the four types of learners. In addition, each type of learner has a significantly higher level of intrinsic motivation than the corresponding extrinsic motivation. The interview data were used to understand the learning motivation and behavioural characteristics of various groups. The results of this study show that course designers need to re-understand the completion rate of cMOOC. And suggestions on cMOOC design are proposed from the perspective of repetitive learners.