Massive Open Online Courses Courses Research Articles

The community of inquiry as a tool for measuring student engagement in blended massive open online courses (MOOCs): a case study of university students in a developing country

While massive open online courses (MOOCs) promise to democratise access to education, the literature reveals a nuanced understanding of engagement in these settings, especially in resource-constrained environments. Blended MOOCs combine MOOCs and physical classroom settings of contents and instructions. This study extends this discourse by focusing on blended MOOCs, which remain under-explored in the context of developing countries. The blended MOOC at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana, deals with third-party MOOCs as open educational resources (OERs) integrated with campus-based courses. UCC students have been using such blended MOOCs since 2016, when all level 100 students were mandated to enrol in a course entitled Information Technology Skills (ITS101). ITS101 is aligned to courses in a MOOC platform called Alison as an OER. Students' engagement is key to their continued use and satisfaction with online learning, such as MOOCs. However, among all the e-learning modes, students' engagement is the lowest in MOOCs, leading to high dropout rates. Blended MOOCs are one of the techniques recommended to reverse the undesirability of MOOCs, including engagement. However, few studies have been conducted on students' engagement in blended MOOCs, especially among university students in sub-Saharan Africa using MOOCs as OERs. Thus, this paper aims to measure student engagement in blended MOOCs using the revised Community of Inquiry for university students in a developing country. The rationale is to determine whether factors affect engagement positively or negatively. A two-stage cluster sampling technique was used to determine the participants for this study. A list of blended MOOC classes offered at UCC was obtained from the staff's mailing list. In the first stage, academic levels (100, 200, 300 and 800) were randomly selected from the strata using a lottery sampling technique. In the second stage, another simple random selection of blended MOOC courses or classes was used within each selected academic level. All students in the selected classes were then included in the study. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling was used to validate the model on the predictive relationships existing among the four presences (cognitive, learning, social and teaching) and engagement. Results from the structural model analysis proved a statistically significant predictive relationship among the constructs within the model. Learning presence had the most significant effect on student engagement. Thus, it should be included as one of the presences in the community of inquiry.

THE IMPACT OF GAMIFICATION WITH AN EMPHASIS ON EXTERNAL MOTIVATION IN MOOCS FOR STUDENTS IN EMERGING REGIONS FROM AN UNDERPRIVILEGED GROUP: A CASE STUDY OF THE LEVEL UP COURSE BY GAMELAB KBTU AND UNICEF IN KAZAKHSTAN

This paper examines the impact of gamification and external motivation on the engagement and completion rates of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), with a focus on underprivileged groups in emerging regions. The research centres around the “LEVEL UP” course, a gamified MOOC designed to enhance STEM skills among young women in Kazakhstan, developed by GameLab KBTU in collaboration with UNICEF. Utilizing a combination of quantitative data analysis and literature review, the study investigates the efficacy of gamification strategies in increasing course completion rates, which are traditionally low in MOOCs. The findings indicate that the inclusion of gamification and external motivational elements, such as competitive elements and rewards, can improve completion rates. The LEVEL UP course, for example, achieved a completion rate of 10%, which is higher than the average completion rate of MOOC courses, which 5-8%. However, the study also highlights the complexity of balancing external and internal motivational factors to sustain long-term engagement and deep learning. Limitations encountered, including technical issues and platform constraints, underline the challenges of implementing such strategies effectively. Recommendations for further research include exploring the long-term impact of gamification, the optimal balance of motivational elements, and the customization of gamification to individual learner needs. This paper contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting the use of gamification in education, emphasizing the need for nuanced approaches that enhance both engagement and learning outcomes, particularly in the context of democratizing education for learners worldwide.

Developing and piloting an online course on osteoporosis using a multidisciplinary multi-institute approach- a cross-sectional qualitative study.

Postgraduate medical trainees (PGs) in developing nations face various educational hurdles due to limited access to quality resources and training facilities. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of e-learning, particularly Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), within postgraduate medical education. It involved the development of a customized online course focused on osteoporosis for PGs and an examination of their perspectives and preferences concerning online learning methods like Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) platforms. The study was conducted from January 2018 to December 2020. A multi-institutional, multidisciplinary team was assembled to design an osteoporosis course on the VLE platform. PGs (n = 9) from diverse disciplines and institutions were selected with informed consent. Focus group discussions (FGDs) among these PGs identified their preferences for the online course, which subsequently guided the development of the MOOC. The modular MOOC comprised recorded micro-lectures, flashcards, videos, case challenges, and expert interviews. The educational impact of the VLE was assessed using pre- and post-module tests among the participants, and their perceptions of the PGs and course facilitators were gathered via an online survey. The study identified the involvement of PGs in the course design process as beneficial, as it allowed for content customization and boosted their motivation for peer-to-peer learning. During the FGDs, PGs expressed a strong preference for flexible learning formats, particularly short downloadable presentations, and micro-lectures. They also identified challenges related to technology, institutional support, and internet connectivity. In the subsequently customized MOOC course, 66% of PGs (n = 6) attempted the pre-test, achieving a mean score of 43.8%. Following the VLE module, all PGs (n = 9) successfully passed the end-of-module test, averaging a score of 96%, highlighting its impact on learning. The majority (n = 8, 88.9%) agreed that the course content could be applied in clinical practice, and 66.7% (n = 6) expressed extreme satisfaction with the learning objectives and content. Participants favoured end-of-module assessments and the use of best-choice questions for evaluation. This study highlights the importance of virtual learning, particularly MOOCs, in addressing the educational challenges faced by developing nations. It emphasizes the need for tailored online courses that cater to the preferences and requirements of PGs. The findings suggest that MOOCs can foster collaboration, networking, and opportunities for professional development, and interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty members can be a key strength in course development. This research provides valuable insights for educators, institutions, and e-learning developers seeking to enhance their teaching methodologies and establish accessible educational environments in the digital age.

Macro-level engagement in computer engineering MOOC lectures: comparing a high-rated and a low-rated course

Although digital advances have enabled hundreds of universities to offer massive open online courses (MOOCs) to millions of students worldwide, the high dropout rate on these MOOCs indicates a disjunct between the potential of the offer and the success of its uptake. Many studies point to issues relating to interpersonal connection as a major factor in this disjunct. Interviews with students support the conclusion that lecturers’ interpersonal tone is crucial to shortening psychological distance in pre-recorded videos. However, it is unclear how the interpersonal tone preferred by students can be realised discursively. This paper captures discursive instances by modelling an engagement framework and identifying particularly useful strategies through comparison of a high-rated and a low-rated engineering MOOC course delivered on Coursera. Findings show that in the high rated course the lecturer consistently anticipated students’ state of mind and in response constructed a discourse that performed several interpersonal functions. On the other hand, in the low-rated course the lecturer mostly anticipated and addressed knowledge gaps and issues of difficulty, but not students’ emotional responses, and so deployed far fewer interpersonal strategies in the lecture discourse. These findings shed light on how lecturers can use interpersonal language in pre-recorded lectures to improve student engagement.

Autorregúlate, a Methodology to support self-regulated learning in MOOC courses

Global education is facing major challenges, including the lack of strategies and methods to ensure that students are truly engaged in the learning process, self-regulating their learning, and promoting successful completion of the educational process. In this research, we introduce Autorregúlate, a methodology to support self-regulated learning in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which from the design of the MOOC contributes to maintaining motivation and self-regulation throughout the course. Autorregúlate provides concrete and easy-to-implement guidelines for diverse teams in the creation of MOOCs, based on Zimmerman's self-regulation model. The methodology was validated in real MOOC courses using two evaluation instruments, the Questionnaire OSLQ and the Keller's Motivation Survey. Results show high levels of motivations (M=3,83; SD=0,7). On the other hand, results revel self-regulation strategies adoption by the participants, in particular, Goal setting (M=4,0; SD=0,7), Environmental structuring (M=4,1; SD=0,7), Task strategies (M=3,7; SD=0,7), Time management (M=3,84; SD=0,8), Seeking help (M=4,1; SD=0,8) and Self-evaluation (M=4,0; SD=0,7). Therefore, Autorregúlate support students on self-regulating their learning while achieving a sustained motivation.

Mushroom Cultivation MOOC at Kerala Agricultural University: Garrett Ranking Analysis of Constraints to Enhance Online Agriculture Learning

Participants in this extensive Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on mushroom cultivation will gain a wealth of knowledge and useful skills necessary for cultivating a wide variety of mushrooms. In this study, the Center for e-learning at Kerala Agriculture University will analyse the barriers to mushroom growing as part of a MOOC. 30 participants in the MOOC course were chosen at random to participate in the study as responses. Using the specified sampling size and data collection methodology, an ex post facto research design was employed for the study. The requirements in the MOOC course were prioritized using the Garrett ranking technique after the data were statistically analysed. Results revealed that 55.06 per cent of the respondents have the economic constraint that is the power/ electricity usage costs more to them, of the technological challenges encountered, interacting with the resource person less frequently comes in the rank first with 60.13 per cent, the biggest personal challenge is developing skill-oriented knowledge, which is difficult and it has been ranked first with 67 per cent, Personal commitments, such as employment, family duties, health concerns etc., ranks first with 62.53 in terms of situational limitations and 66 percent of the respondents rranked first that there is more number of theory classes with minimum hands-on experience in psychological challenges

Learning Outcome of Course Plantform, Teacher Ability and Students Satisfaction in Utilizing Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs)

The study assessed the effectiveness of course platforms, teachers’ ability, and students’ satisfaction in utilizing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) for learning, and the research locale is in Hunan Province of China where learners and teachers from over 40 colleges take courses using MOOC learning platform. The study was conducted in the 2023 academic year. The research design is the quantitative approach utilizing the descriptive comparative-correlational research design. The sample size was 350 students who participate in MOOC courses in Hunan Province. And for the interview questions-10 teachers participated in the interview. SPSS22.0 version was used to process and analyze the results of the questionnaire survey. Results showed that there were more male student-respondents who participated in this study. Majority of the respondents are below 20 years old, and most of them have used the platform for at least 3 years. The highest ranked dimension in effectiveness is the effectiveness of the course designs which suggests that the course designs in the MOOC platforms are extremely effective. Meanwhile, the least of the dimensions is the course materials which also suggests that the course materials are extremely effective. Students who are 20 years and below have significantly higher assessment scores for course materials, structure and presentation, and overall effectiveness of course platforms compared to those who are 22 years old. Furthermore, there are no significant differences in the assessment of the students on course design among levels of age and years of use. However, the assessment of female students on course design is significantly higher compared to male students. On the other hand, in teachers’ ability, the highest ranked dimension is the teachers’ ability in interactive learning which suggests that the teachers are extremely competent. The least of the dimensions is the teachers’ ability in their teaching styles which also suggests that the teaching styles of the teachers proved that they are extremely competent. There are no significant differences in the assessment of the students about their teacher’s ability in MOOCs and in terms of interactive learning and knowledge of course content among levels of sex, ge, and years of use. As for students’ satisfaction, he highest ranked dimension is the students’ satisfaction with the learning outcomes which suggests that the students are extremely satisfied. The least of the dimensions is the students’ satisfaction with the attitude towards the use of online courses which suggests that the students are extremely satisfied. There are no significant differences in the level of satisfaction of the students in utilizing MOOCs based on learning outcomes, course engagement, and attitude toward the use of online courses among levels of sex, age, and years of use. Moreover, there are no significant relationships between the effectiveness of MOOC course platforms and the students’ assessment on their teacher’s ability and satisfaction. However, there are significant positive relationships between the student’s assessment of their teachers’ teaching styles and teaching ability and their attitude towards the use of online courses. Some of the challenges experienced by teachers while teaching in MOOC platforms include heavy workload, substantial time commitment, insufficient support and lack of compensation, difficulty in providing individualized feedback, and high rate of course dropouts among others.

Sexuality and gender diversity in children and young people: opportunities, limits and challenges in training for professionals via a MOOC course

ABSTRACT Various studies have demonstrated how the discrimination and violence experienced by LGBT+ children and young people affect their mental health and quality of life. Training for professionals working with children and young people is a key means of helping them provide the necessary support to LGBT+ children and youth people, for handling any violence that may occur in their immediate environment, as well as for empowering them. This article discusses changes in the attitudes, beliefs and practices of professionals working with children and young people following their participation in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) delivered through the online platform of the University of Girona. Two surveys were carried out with the participants – the first at the beginning of the course, and the second at the end – in order to evaluate possible changes. Participants’ attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding sexuality and gender diversity in childhood improved, even when taking into account the fact that many began from an initial position of support. The use of MOOC training has value, given the need to engage with sexuality and gender diversity as part of formal training for a variety of professionals working with children and young people.

To Schedule or not to Schedule: The Effects of Course Structure on Programming MOOC Performance

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have become hugely popular recently. MOOCs can offer high-quality education for anyone interested and equalize the whole education field. Still, there are different methodologies for running MOOCs. Coming up with the most suitable methodology benefits both students and teachers. In this study, we have limited the methodological focus to observing scheduled and unscheduled instances of similar MOOC courses. While unscheduled MOOC courses can provide flexibility, they also require self-regulated learning strategies for students to succeed. To observe this, we compare the effectiveness of scheduled and unscheduled programming MOOC courses to find the most effective methodology. For this, we compare the pass rates and grade averages of five instances (two unscheduled and three scheduled) of Python and Java programming MOOCs. The results show that while the attendance numbers are higher in the unscheduled versions, in the scheduled instances the pass rate is significantly better, and students’ progression is much swifter. It also seems that the higher proportion of university students enrolled in a MOOC course positively affects the retention rate. Moreover, the students in the recent unscheduled Python version seem to score significantly higher grades than in its scheduled counterpart. Based on our experiments, the scheduled and unscheduled versions complement each other. Hence, we suggest that, whenever feasible, the maximal benefits would be gained if both types of MOOCs are run simultaneously.

Post-Digital Learning for Rural Development: A Case Study of Open Biotec MOOCs in Colombia

This research presents an experience of post-digital learning of biotechnology in rural areas in Colombia by implementing a massive open online course (MOOC) for biotechnology education called Open Biotec. The objective was to improve Colombian rural development by creating learning communities around five topics: waste management, environmental biotechnology, bioprocesses, alternative energies, and bio-entrepreneurship. The study utilized various methods, including a socioeconomic diagnosis of a subregion of the department of Antioquia, Colombia, and the creation of MOOCs using the Action Research methodology. The pilot test of the training route in biotechnology involved the progressive development of the MOOC courses that comprise it. Around 918 students from rural areas were trained, and statistical analysis showed that the average grade of the students increased significantly from 6.13 to 7.53 and the median from 6.15 to 8.00. The study results demonstrate how the learning experience designed in the Open Biotec MOOC increases the degree of knowledge of students in this field of biotechnology, offering an opportunity to establish sustainable learning communities with participation and collaborative action mediated by virtual tools. The study concludes that rural education in Colombia could be strengthened with a training strategy for rural communities supported by MOOCs focused on the responsible use of local biodiversity from a biotechnological perspective.

The Promise of MOOCs Revisited? Demographics of Learners Preparing for University

This paper leverages cluster analysis to provide insight into how traditionally underrepresented learners engage with entry-level massive open online courses (MOOCs) intended to lower the barrier to university enrolment, produced by a major research university in the United States. From an initial sample of 260,239 learners, we cluster analyze a subset of data from 29,083 participants who submitted an assignment in one of nine entry-level MOOC courses. Manhattan distance and Gower distance measures are computed based on engagement, achievement, and demographic data. To our knowledge, this marks one of the first such uses of Gower distance to cluster mixed-variable data to explore fairness and equity in the MOOC literature. The clusters are derived from CLARA and PAM algorithms, enriched by demographic data, with a particular focus on education level, as well as approximated socioeconomic status (SES) for a smaller subset of learners. Results indicate that learners without a college degree are more likely to be high-performing compared to college-educated learners. Learners from lower SES backgrounds are just as likely to be successful as learners from middle and higher SES backgrounds. While MOOCs have struggled to improve access to learning, more fair and equitable outcomes for traditionally underrepresented learners are possible.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): A Perspective from the Engineering Education

The COVID Pandemic was a big hit not only for the education sector but also finance sector, industrial sector etc. Due to this adverse situation the physical classes were abruptly stopped and there was a chaos. During this arduous situation universities switched to E-learning. Students started taking MOOC courses. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) are online courses offered by diverse educators with the goal of enabling everyone to access content at reasonable prices from any location. This paper presents how Universities can influence students to enroll in courses. For this study purpose students at a University in Pune provided the data in the form of Feedback and Suggestions. Students can enroll in a Course for one of two reasons: to learn new things and develop their abilities, or to gain University Credits. The results showed that many students were completing MOOC courses for credit than for personal growth, a strong correlation between enrolling in a MOOC course for university credit and successful completion is observed. A strong need for University teachers to offer their expertise on these platforms to ensure global knowledge sharing was also observed. Keywords— MOOC; Self Learning; MOOC Platforms; Performance.

Premchand’s The Chess Players: A Comparative Analysis of YouTube and MOOC Platforms

YouTube videos are being increasingly viewed as alternate educational resources by a large number of learners. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) also include video lectures from scholars of high-profile universities. This paper aims to give an insight into the question of whether just consuming videos on YouTube is enough to ensure proper learning or hour-long MOOC lectures are necessary to comprehend the nuanced and layered writings of great writers like Mushi Premchand. It presents a comparative analysis of a few video lectures of three Swayam MOOC courses on Premchand’s short story, The Chess Players, along with its various mass-market multimedia renderings on YouTube. While such popular renditions ensure a wide currency for the story, the academic discourse has critically analysed the story in terms of its narrative structure and its gendered power structure. This paper explores whether such analyses are inherently closer to the underlying message of the story. It also examines whether the YouTube videos can make up for a close reading of the text itself. It concludes that Premchand may best be understood in the original Hindi text, then consumed critically through MOOCs, and only much later, should he be watched on YouTube, if necessary.

Adoption and Impact of MOOC Courses in Management Education - A Study in Nagpur

The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that influence people's intentions to use Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and their impact on students pursuing or finishing their management education in the Nagpur region. MOOCs offer self-paced learning, learning while earning money and learning, among other things from any location at all. This study focuses on how MOOCs are being adopted at various educational levels and how they affect the awareness and personality development of management students in the Nagpur region. It has also been observed that participating in MOOCs helps students develop their skills and in some way improves their knowledge. According to the research, postgraduate and MBA students are more aware of MOOCs than undergraduate students. According to new curricula established by Nagpur university in the year 2019, MBA students pursuing degrees are more aware of MOOCs because Swayam is a required component of their academics for earning a degree. Maximum students prefer to do MOOCs during their undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.

Can MOOCs reskill and upskill the Indian Workforce for the Industrial Revolution 4.0?

Industrial Revolution 4.0 is blurring the boundaries between human intellect and technology. It is characterized by technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Blockchain Technology, Robotics, Internet of Things among others. The much-celebrated Industrial Revolution 4.0 will create massive job losses in developing countries including India due to the automation of jobs and processes. Thus, there is a dire need to reskill a vast majority of the workforce for the Industrial Revolution 4.0 which has already begun to be implemented due to its optimization and efficiency in resource usage. According to an estimate by OECD, the nature of 1/3rd of the jobs will transform due to technological interventions. Whereas World Economic Forum has set an ambitious target of reskilling at least 1 billion people by 2030. It believes that the world is undergoing a reskilling emergency. On the other hand, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) were conceived as an online version of distance learning and are increasingly being seen as a medium for filling the skills gap. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are relying on the MOOCs courses along with utilizing the tools of Web 2.0 to cater to the demands of quality, affordable and accessible education to all. MOOCs also caters as a platform for the promotion of lifelong learning. COVID 19 has provided a spurt to the acceptability of MOOCs courses with most Edu Tech start-ups and MOOCs websites registering double-digit growth in the recent past. Coursera's 2020 impact report showcases that India has become the second-largest market for MOOCs with 9.84 million learners after the USA which has 14 million learners. The paper investigates the viability of the MOOCs courses in filling the skill gap as well as the reskilling of the Indian Workforce. It will also delve into whether the MOOCs courses can bridge the digital divide with the country having the world's largest unconnected population. It will critically engage with the question of whether Industrial Revolution 4.0 requires only highly specialized technology-based skills or soft skills or a combination of both for future jobs.
 Keywords: Industrial Revolution 4.0, Reskill, Indian Workforce, MOOCs, Youth

Formation mechanism of popular courses on MOOC platforms: A configurational approach

Popular courses are representative of high-quality courses on MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) platforms. However, current research on the formation mechanism of popular courses is rare. Thus, a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) is adopted to explore configurations of MOOC quality elements for popular courses on MOOC platforms. This study selects courses on the Coursera platform as the research object. Unique datasets of 272 observations and 261 observations before and after the outbreak of pandemic, respectively, are used to investigate for a better understanding of the role of quality elements in forming popular courses. Three key findings are revealed. First, the configurations for MOOC popular courses differ from those of nonpopular courses, suggesting an asymmetric view of causality that underpins MOOC quality. Second, parsimonious configurations emergent from complex interactions among eight MOOC quality elements which are selected from three aspects of MOOC course arrangement, MOOC teaching faculty arrangement, and MOOC learner reviews, suggesting causality of equifinality that produces a popular course both before and after the outbreak of pandemic. Notably, the role of the professional title of MOOCs teachers becomes more important for forming popular courses after COVID-19. Third, although the number of MOOC teachers appears as a peripheral element along with the number of long reviews as a core element in all configurations for popular courses, they need the presence of other quality elements to form popular courses, suggesting a conjunction between quality elements. All findings provide implications not only for MOOC providers to regard popular courses as a result of configurations of MOOCs quality elements, but also for further research on fsQCA in course quality on MOOC platforms.

The impact of online learning technology on self-regulation and student success

The research purpose is to analyse the self-regulation of students who use the massive open online course (MOOC) technology to learn the exact sciences. The sample included 252 students: females were 47%, and males were 53%. The average age of students was 20.08 ± 0.72. The students were divided into two groups: group 1 consisted of students who learnt the Digital singular (nano) optics course online using the MicrosoftTeams platform with teacher’s support; group 2 consisted of students who learnt the MOOC course individually. The relationships between self-regulation and academic success were also analysed. The research found that the overall level of self-regulation of students using MOOCs was 40% higher. In students who learnt online using the MicrosoftTeams, the level of self-regulation was average and amounted to 24.96 ± 1.32. In students who learnt the course based on the MOOC technology, the level of self-regulation was high and amounted to 35.02 ± 1.44 (p < 0.05). The research of self-regulation shows higher results among the students who learnt using MOOCs platforms: flexibility – 46%, planning – 23% and results assessment – 15%; modelling and programming were no different. The average success score of students after learning the course on the MicrosoftTeams platform was 3.83 ± 0.36, and in the MOOC group, it was 4.43 ± 1.89.

To evaluate the performance of machine learning algorithms in predicting student dropout on MOOC platforms

Online learning using Massive Open Online courses(MOOCs) has gained a lot of hype in recent years due to its great potential in having the widest reach in delivering the state-of-the-art resources to the unlimited number of online learners without limiting itself to any geographical boundary. Along with gaining popularity, MOOCs have been facing challenges like high attrition or dropout rate since its birth. The main motivating factor behind the study is to fill the gap which has been there because of very limited literature available there to find the real cause behind these challenges. The current study tries to find the solution of the said challenges by finding the significant contributing factors which highly affect the target variable in the study which is number of certified students in this case. The dataset used in this paper is publicly available in dataverse repository of Harvard university. The dataset is a compilation of student clickstream log data consisting of 641138 instances of enrolled students in various MOOC courses of Harvard and MIT. The study evaluates machine learning models like logistic regression, decision tree, random forest, K-Nearest Neighbor to determine their efficiency in predicting the student dropout. The results of this study can be used to create a framework for recommending necessary actions to the at-risk students to reduce the dropout rate.

Understanding Learners’ Perception of MOOCs Based on Review Data Analysis Using Deep Learning and Sentiment Analysis

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have exploded in popularity; course reviews are important sources for exploring learners’ perceptions about different factors associated with course design and implementation. This study aims to investigate the possibility of automatic classification for the semantic content of MOOC course reviews to understand factors that can predict learners’ satisfaction and their perceptions of these factors. To do this, this study employs a quantitative research methodology based on sentiment analysis and deep learning. Learners’ review data from Class Central are analyzed to automatically identify the key factors related to course design and implementation and the learners’ perceptions of these factors. A total of 186,738 review sentences associated with 13 subject areas are analyzed, and consequently, seven course factors that learners frequently mentioned are found. These factors include: “Platforms and tools”, “Course quality”, “Learning resources”, “Instructor”, “Relationship”, “Process”, and “Assessment”. Subsequently, each factor is assigned a sentimental value using lexicon-driven methodologies, and the topics that can influence learners’ learning experiences the most are decided. In addition, learners’ perceptions across different topics and subjects are explored and discussed. The findings of this study contribute to helping MOOC instructors in tailoring course design and implementation to bring more satisfactory learning experiences for learners.

From the learner's perspective: A systematic review of MOOC learner experiences (2008–2021)

We report the results of a systematic review of learners' experiences and perspectives in massive open online courses (MOOCs). This systematic review includes 51 articles published between 2008 and 2021 that appeared in top educational technology journals. Each article provides insight into the MOOC learner experience, and our analysis identified three themes: motivation, course engagement, and satisfaction and achievement. Our study identifies three implications for MOOC course design – clear course structure, engagement among learners, and learner-centered. Understanding the differences in learner motivations to enroll in a course necessitates careful consideration of learner experiences within MOOCs. This systematic review provides valuable insight into how learners' experiences are captured and used to influence course design and evaluation.