Massive Open Online Courses Participants Research Articles

Exploring H5P Interactive Content in Supporting Learning Through Self-Paced MOOCs on Healthy Aging: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study.

The rapidly aging population and the growth of geriatric medicine in the field of internal medicine are not supported by sufficient gerontological training in many health care disciplines. There is rising awareness about the education and training needed to adequately prepare health care professionals to address the needs of the older adult population. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) might be the best alternative method of learning delivery in this context. However, the diversity of MOOC participants poses a challenge for MOOC providers to innovate in developing learning content that suits the needs and characters of participants. The primary outcome of this study was to explore students' perceptions and acceptance of HTML5 Package (H5P) interactive content in a self-paced MOOCs and its association with students' characteristics and experience in using MOOCs. This study used a cross-sectional design, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Participants, predominantly general practitioners from various regions of Indonesia with diverse educational backgrounds and age groups, completed pre-tests, engaged with H5P interactive content, and participated in forum discussions and post-tests. Data were retrieved from the online questionnaire attached to a selected MOOC course. Students' perceptions and acceptance of H5P interactive content were rated on a 6-point Likert scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 6 (strongly agree). Data were analyzed using SPSS to examine demographics, computer literacy, acceptance, and perceptions of H5P interactive content. Quantitative analysis explored correlations, while qualitative analysis identified recurring themes from open-ended survey responses to determine students' perceptions. In total, 184 MOOC participants agreed to participate in the study. Students demonstrated positive perceptions and a high level of acceptance of integrating H5P interactive content within the self-paced MOOC. Analysis of mean ± SD value across all responses consistently revealed favorable scores (greater than 5), ranging from 5.18 ± 0.861 to 5.45 ± 0.659 and 5.28 ± 0.728 to 5.52 ± 0.627, respectively. This finding underscores widespread satisfaction and robust acceptance of H5P interactive content. Students found the H5P interactive content more satisfying and fun, easier to understand, more effective, and more helpful in improving learning outcomes than material in the form of common documents and learning videos. There is a significant correlation between computer literacy, students' acceptance, and students' perceptions. Students from various backgrounds showed a high level of acceptance and positive perceptions of leveraging H5P interactive content in the self-paced MOOC. The findings suggest potential new uses of H5P interactive content in MOOCs, such as interactive videos with pop-up questions, to substitute for synchronous learning. The study underscores the significance of tailored educational strategies in supporting the professional development of healthcare professionals.

Learner Engagement and Demographic Influences in Brazilian Massive Open Online Courses: Aprenda Mais Platform Case Study

This paper explores the dynamics of student engagement and demographic influences in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The study analyzes multiple facets of Brazilian MOOC participation, including re-enrollment patterns, course completion rates, and the impact of demographic characteristics on learning outcomes. Using survey data and statistical analyses from the public Aprenda Mais Platform, this study reveals that MOOC learners exhibit a strong tendency toward continuous learning, with a majority re-enrolling in subsequent courses within a short timeframe. The average completion rate across courses is around 42.14%, with learners maintaining consistent academic performance. Demographic factors, notably, race/color and disability, are found to influence enrollment and completion rates, underscoring the importance of inclusive educational practices. Geographical location impacts students’ decision to enroll in and complete courses, highlighting the necessity for region-specific educational strategies. The research concludes that a diverse array of factors, including content interest, personal motivation, and demographic attributes, shape student engagement in MOOCs. These insights are vital for educators and course designers in creating effective, inclusive, and engaging online learning experiences.

MOOCs: Determinants of Enrolment and Completion Rate among Learners of Higher Education Institutions in India

Aims: The advancement and integration of technology in education made a dramatic change in the landscape of the teaching-learning process. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as one of the emerging trends in education removed the barriers of time, space, and pace throughout the world. Diverse lifelong learners irrespective of social, cultural, economic, age and gender identity are participating in the melting pot of MOOC. This study aimed to explore the present landscape of the participation and completion rate in MOOCs by learners from formal educational institutions in the eastern part of India specifically in West Bengal. The research also aimed to identify the underlying causes of the present landscape.
 Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted among the learners who enrolled in different programs in different Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) during the end of 2023.
 Methodology: A self-administered questionnaire in Google Forms was used to collect data from the learners. A total 298 samples have been collected. Collected data have been analyzed by descriptive statistics, independent samples ‘t’ test, ANOVA using SPSS and MS Excel.
 Results: The study depicted poor enrolment as well as completion rates in MOOCs among the learners. Lack of awareness and huge pressure on the present curriculum were the main factors behind non-enrolment. SWAYAM was the most popular MOOC platform among the students of West Bengal. Attaining knowledge, enhancing skills, and earning certificates were the main intentions of the students who enrolled in MOOCs. Lack of time, affordability, in-person proctored examination, non-cooperation of facilitators, length of courses, and uninteresting discussion forum were the major constraints to completing the MOOCs for the enrolled learners.
 Conclusion: Organizing awareness-building programs, institutional policy framing, and incorporating a credit transfer system into enrolled courses may be emphasized as immediate initiatives for re-thinking the present opportunities and challenges in higher education.

Supporting social interactions to improve MOOC participants’ learning outcomes: a literature review

IntroductionThe need for more scalable, accessible and affordable education, coupled with technological advancements in information sharing technology and collaborative platforms has led to the growth of MOOCs (massive open online courses). The growth of MOOCs has resulted in learning becoming increasingly distributed, affordable and flexible compared to traditional classroom education, allowing individuals in disadvantaged groups to access high quality educational materials. However, new challenges emerge, most notably with MOOCs’ low completion rates. Among the reasons for a low completion rate, lack of interaction with peers is cited as a major reason, yet, interventions to promote social interaction has received relatively less attention. From a constructivist perspective, social interactions among peers are essential in helping individuals learn. This systematic literature review aimed to understand social interaction interventions in MOOC settings. This includes constructs measured as learning outcomes and how they were measured.MethodsLiterature articles were sourced from multiple databases and filtered for inclusion using the PRISMA process and its four phases. Twenty articles were included in the final review.ResultsResults of the review showed that social interactions fall into three categories: discussion forums, learning groups and one-to-one interactions with peers. Learning outcomes investigated were grouped into four categories: knowledge, social engagement, learning engagement and learner experience.ConclusionAcross the studies, there were clear positive effects of social interaction on learning outcomes. Intervention strategies include sending prompts for individuals to use discussion boards and also grouping learners by homogeneity based on their learning engagement. However, more experimental studies are necessary to bolster the evidence of a causal impact of social interactions. Also, further research should be done to understand potential mediating factors that contribute to the success of implementing social interactive elements in MOOCs.

What rationale would work? Unfolding the role of learners’ attitudes and motivation in predicting learning engagement and perceived learning outcomes in MOOCs

The aim of this study is to gain insight into the interplay between attitudes, motivation, learning engagement, and perceived learning outcomes in massive open online courses (MOOCs). An online survey was administered to 232 MOOC learners. This study provided comprehensive explanations for individual differences in learning engagement and perceived learning outcomes in MOOCs with a modified model of the expectancy-value theory of achievement motivation. The structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes served as a precursor of participation in MOOCs that significantly influenced self-efficacy, intrinsic value, and task effort cost; self-efficacy and intrinsic value were positively associated with both learning engagement and perceived learning outcomes, while attitudes toward MOOC learning was positively related to perceived learning outcomes only. Furthermore, the mediation analyses highlighted that intrinsic value was a powerful mediator, which positively influenced the effects of attitudes and self-efficacy on learning engagement and perceived learning outcomes. The moderation analyses discovered that task effort cost moderated the effects of attitudes on learning engagement and perceived learning outcomes. Curriculum designers and instructors could benefit from this study to understand what rationales drive individuals to be engaged in MOOC learning and to reach greater perceived learning outcomes in MOOCs.

Exploring the impact of chat-based collaborative activities and SRL-focused interventions on students’ self-regulation profiles, participation in collaborative activities, retention, and learning in MOOCs

AbstractDespite their potential to deliver a high-quality learning experience, massive open online courses (MOOCs) pose several issues, such as high dropout rates, difficulties in collaboration between students, low teaching involvement, and limited teacher–student interaction. Most of these issues can be attributed to the large number, diversity, and variation in self-regulated learning (SRL) skills of participants in MOOCs. Many instructional designers try to overcome these issues by incorporating collaborative activities. Others try to scaffold students’ SRL levels by making SRL-focused interventions. However, limited research combines the study of SRL-focused interventions with students’ engagement in collaborative activities, course retention, and learning outcomes of MOOC environments. We deployed a programming-oriented MOOC in which we incorporated chat-based collaborative activities, supported by a learning analytics dashboard. Students were asked to complete SRL-focused questionnaires at the beginning and the end of the course. Based on their score, we calculated an average score that forms their SRL level, creating three groups: (a) control, (b) general intervention, and (c) personalized intervention in which we provided personalized interventions. We compared the students’ learning outcomes, participation in collaborative activities, and retention in the MOOC. These comparisons provided evidence regarding the positive impact of different intervention modes on students’ engagement in collaborative activities and their learning outcomes, with respect to their various SRL profiles. Students allocated to the general and personalized intervention groups displayed increased participation in the collaborative activities and learning outcomes, as compared to students assigned to the control group. We also documented that the SRL interventions positively affected students’ course retention.

Analysis of Chinese College Students' Acceptance of Massive Open Online Courses

Since the pandemic constrained people's movement somehow, more and more Chinese college students have participated in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) learning. Although numerous studies concluded factors affected MOOCs learning, few scholars mentioned academic self-efficacy (ASE) exerting a moderator effect. The study aimed to give institutions and course designers guidance for further greater MOOC application by demonstrating certain students behavior. This research analyzed the factors affecting MOOCs participation based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) theoretical framework, and academic self-efficacys moderating effect on that framework. A questionnaire was designed in this paper according to previous studies and surveyed several Chinese universities. It grew to become out that the result upheld speculations by examining the information, to be specific, students behavioral deliberate have a positive connection with exertion and execution anticipation, social impact, and encouraging conditions individually. Moreover, academic self-efficacy plays a significant moderating role in MOOCs participation. At the end of this paper, the calculation results will be further analyzed and discussed.

Learner readiness for MOOCs in Omani higher education institutions: disparities between projections and reality.

This study investigates the level of readiness for massive open online courses (MOOCs) of students in Oman. It compares the readiness of ordinary students in the Omani higher education institutions (HEIs) and those outside HEIs who took a MOOC from the larger Omani society and tests for the differences between their levels of readiness. Additionally, it tests for the best predictor for future participation in MOOCs. In this study, readiness is defined as the possession of three sets of skills: technological, metacognitive, and motivational. A sequential two-phase research approach was used by first collecting data from 428 students in different HEIs and then collecting the same data from 253 non-HEI students from the general public who were offered and took a MOOC specifically designed for this study. While high levels of the three sets of skills were found in both study samples, the MOOC students were found to have significantly higher motivational and metacognitive skills than the higher education students. In this study, binary regression results indicate that comfort with eLearning is the best predictor for future participation in MOOCs. Given the high student readiness for MOOCs in Oman in this study, some recommendations are provided for higher education institutions to benefit from the fast-moving MOOC phenomenon.

Completion factor in massive open online course in developing countries: A literature review in 2015-2021

Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) has helped develop the education sector since the Covid-19 pandemic, though it causes low retention. This study used a systematic literature review method to analyze the factors affecting the retention level of MOOCs participants in developing countries and worldwide. A total of 89 publications in the Scopus journal during 2015-2021 and 26 published in developing countries were examined. The results showed that the factors affecting the retention level of MOOCs' participants include perceived ease of use, usefulness, social influence, and self-efficacy. However, motivation was an insignificant factor in developing countries despite being significant worldwide. Infrastructure was an internal factor for the retention level among participants, though this study can be further expanded using better methods. 
 
 Keywords: massive open online course; retention; dropout; completion; literature review; developing country

Evaluating the impact of the Understanding Multiple Sclerosis online course on participant MS knowledge, health literacy, resilience, self-efficacy, quality of life, and MS symptom severity

BackgroundLittle is known about the impact of online health education on multiple sclerosis (MS)-related knowledge and other health outcomes in the MS community. ObjectivesTo estimate the impact of participating in a massive open online course (MOOC) about MS on course completer MS-related knowledge, health literacy (HL), self-efficacy, resilience, quality of life, and MS symptom severity. MethodsIn this cohort study, using a single group pre-test/post-test design (n=560), we examined the effects of MOOC participation on MS-related knowledge and other outcomes using a paired t-test. We used regression and structural equation modelling to examine the association between participant characteristics, changes in other outcomes, and changes in MS-related knowledge. ResultsWe found significant increases in MS-related knowledge for people living with MS (PwMS) (+2.13 points, p<0.001) and those without MS (+5.16 points, p<0.001), with larger effect sizes for those with higher educational levels. Among PwMS, there were also significant increases in seven HL subscales and self-efficacy, but no increase in resilience, MS symptoms severity or quality of life. Among people without MS, there were increases in two HL subscales and quality of life, but no increase in resilience or self-efficacy. Changes in MS-related knowledge were not associated with sex or changes in other study outcomes. ConclusionsThere was a significant increase in MS-related knowledge, which was unrelated to the changes in the other study outcomes, both for PwMS and for those not living with MS. Outcome-specific health educational interventions may be needed to effect change in other health outcomes.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Funerals: Experiences of Participants in the 2020 Dying2Learn Massive Open Online Course.

A Massive-Open-Online-Course (MOOC) on death and dying (Dying2Learn) was offered in 2020, designed to build conversations about death as a natural part of life. In week 1, the content focused on how today’s society engages with death through the language we use, humour, public mourning and funerals. This study investigated 2020 MOOC participants’ responses to an online activity reflecting on funerals and memorials during the time of COVID-19. From this activity, n = 204 responses were analysed qualitatively. Themes included the positives and negatives of virtual funeral attendance (e.g. opportunity to have a way to participate when travel barriers existed, versus a sense of impersonal voyeurism); and the challenges related to the inability to physically comfort the bereaved due to physical distancing requirements. Comments made as part of this MOOC activity provide a unique insight into the community’s experience of funeral changes necessitated by COVID-19, with important implications for the grieving process.

Digital accreditations in MOOC-based training on sustainability: Factors that influence terminal efficiency

Digital certificates in massive open online course (MOOC) learning experiences provide alternative credentials linked to lifelong learning. The Bi-National Laboratory on Smart Sustainable Energy Management and Technology Training provided the context for this research. This project was undertaken by Mexican and United States universities, businesses and governmental organisations, having granted 17,776 certifications in sustainability and 10,705 labour competence certificates. The research focused on analysing the factors that promote digital credentials, from the point of view of participant and platform characteristics, in the framework of MOOCs in energy sustainability, through the MexicoX and edX platforms. Using the ex post facto method, two validated instruments were applied to analyse motivation and self-regulation processes. A total of 4,002 useful responses were gathered from participants in 35 MOOC courses. The results account for six determinant factors for digital accreditation: perceived usefulness, self-efficacy, knowledge domain and expertise, group work disposition, achievement drive, and performance strategic thinking. We highlight implications for research on educational innovation and for educational practice in MOOCs. These data may be of interest to academics, researchers and decision-makers interested in training through distance environments. Implications for practice or policy: Digital certifications in MOOCs are motivation for participants to successfully finish their courses, and this can be leveraged for education and research. Course leaders need to consider that effective design and implementation of new models for MOOCs may help improve terminal efficiency. The potential perceived benefits from training on professional performance have the greatest influence on the terminal efficiency of MOOC participants.

MOOC Evaluation System Based on Deep Learning

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are open access, Web-based courses that enroll thousands of students. MOOCs deliver content through recorded video lectures, online readings, assessments, and both student–student and student–instructor interactions. Course designers have attempted to evaluate the experiences of MOOC participants, though due to large class sizes, have had difficulty tracking and analyzing the online actions and interactions of students. Within the broader context of the discourse surrounding big data, educational providers are increasingly collecting, analyzing, and utilizing student information. Additionally, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) technology have been applied to better understand students’ learning processes. Questionnaire response rates are also too low for MOOCs to be credibly evaluated. This study explored the use of deep learning techniques to assess MOOC student experiences. We analyzed students’ learning behavior and constructed a deep learning model that predicted student course satisfaction scores. The results indicated that this approach yielded reliable predictions. In conclusion, our system can accurately predict student satisfaction even when questionnaire response rates are low. Accordingly, teachers could use this system to better understand student satisfaction both during and after the course.

Gamification Increases Completion Rates in Massive Open Online Courses

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) aim at unlimited participation and open access via the web. There are concerns about the actual value of such courses. This is predominantly due to higher dropout rates. According to studies, only 7-13% go on to complete these courses. The high dropout rate in MOOCs is a challenge for education providers. This paper aims to explore reasons for high dropout rates within MOOCs and how they can be minimized. With this in mind, two research questions have been set for this study: 1) Why do MOOC participants not complete their courses? 2) How can the course completion rate be increased? Implementation of the strategies investigated in this paper can increase completion rates in MOOCs. In conclusion, after analyzing the collected data, the final results have shown that gamification increased the completion rate of MOOCs.

‘It’s like a wedding planner’: Dying2Learn Massive Open Online Course participants views of the Death Doula role

A Dying2learn Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was held in 2020 with the aim of bringing the community together to talk about death and dying, with participants undertaking activities, contributing comments, and sharing thoughts and feelings. An activity was posed for participants within a compassionate communities’ framework related to the Death Doula role. As we were interested in the views regarding the Death Doula role by those without a professional background in healthcare. We extracted comments from this cohort of course participants (n = 147) and analysed them in NVivo. Eight themes were subsequently generated: (1) It is new to me, and I have no experience with one, (2) I have heard of it, and I have met one, (3) There is a place for it, but what about the role of family and friends, (4) Death doula training, finding the role interesting and wanting to know more, (5) Creating community, supporting the dying and helping loved ones, (6) I am one, I do this informally, or I want to be one, (7) The name, the industry, paying someone (8) Providing an alternative and recognising similar roles. The Dying2Learn community MOOC participants felt that there was value in having a supportive role such as a Death Doula and that it had importance for individuals and society. It was also apparent that the Death Doula role generated considerable interest from participants.

Measuring the Post-Impact of Programming MOOCs: Development and Validation of an Instrument

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) can potentially affect the lives of millions of people, but there is little research on how a programming MOOC could affect participants’ lives after participation. In Estonia, we have organised several programming MOOCs over the years, attended by over 14,000 people. This inspired us to develop and validate a scale for measuring the impact of programming MOOC on participants’ lives. We analysed data from 1261 MOOC participants who had completed at least one of our programming MOOCs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to validate the developed scale. The final model fitted quite well to the data. We found that the factors that influence learners’ lives after a MOOC include acquired learning skills, interest in continuing computer science related studies, learning experience gained from the MOOC, the MOOC’s impact on work and personal life, and new contacts that are established with other participants and organisers. We also compared the means of the factors. The highest-rated factor was related to the learning experience from the MOOC and the lowest-rated was related to finding new contacts through the MOOC.

Massive Open Online Courses: A Source of Effective Professional Development for In-service Teachers

The ever-changing needs of society justify the necessity for teachers to engage in continuous learning. Teachers are encouraged to participate in professional development activities that will help them develop the knowledge and skills that are required to meet the needs of a 21st century society. It is recognised that access to professional development has increased since Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) became an option for in-service teachers who traditionally found it difficult to access certain professional development activities because of distance and lack of convenience.A survey was administered to 72 respondents to capture the experiences of in-service teachers from the Caribbean, who participated in a MOOC offered by the Inter-American Teacher Education Network (ITEN). The survey explored the MOOC participants’ perception of the MOOC as a source of professional development, as well as the extent to which they applied the content learnt in the ITEN MOOC. The findings of this research show that 95% of the participants perceived the ITEN MOOC to be an effective source of professional development and were able to apply the content to their professional context. The findings further suggest that MOOCs across the globe provide an opportunity for in-service teachers to forge partnerships and establish learning communities that will improve their professional knowledge and skills.

An Empirical Exploration of MOOC Effectiveness Towards Participants’ Intention-Fulfilment and Learners’ Satisfaction

The research studied learner satisfaction and learner intention-fulfilment (IF) with the massive open online courses (MOOCs). Many authors have studied various prospects from the point of view of the developer. Retention and completion rate were studied by the authors but the satisfaction level of the students was untouched. The modern education system is more learner-centred which leads to lifelong learning. Lifelong learning focuses on the learner rather than the developer. The questionnaire was harvested among 177 MOOC participants. Various analyses such as mean, standard deviation, correlation, regression and analysis of variance (ANOVA) were applied with the help of statistical tool SPSS v26.0. The results reveal that the satisfaction level of the learner is affected positively by variables like online self-regulated learning which includes goal setting, behavioural variables and perceived course usability. Further, the satisfaction level of the participant is not dependent upon gender and age. Also, the previous learning experience of the participant does not affect their IF.

The Usefulness of a Massive Open Online Course about Postural and Technological Adaptations to Enhance Academic Performance and Empathy in Health Sciences Undergraduates.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) provide accessible and engaging information for Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy students. The objective of this research was to determine the usefulness in improving academic performance and empathy in health sciences undergraduates, and to test a hypothetical model through structural equation analysis. This research was carried out using a descriptive and quasi-experimental design. It was conducted in a sample of 381 participants: 176 used a MOOC and 205 did not. The results of the Student’s t-test showed statistically significant differences in academic performance between the groups in favor of those students who had realized the MOOC. Participants carried out an evaluation rubric after taking MOOC. Statistically significant differences in empathy were also obtained between the pre (X = 62.06; SD = 4.41) and post (X = 73.77; SD = 9.93) tests. The hypothetical model tested via structural equation modeling was supported by the results. Motivation for the MOOC explained 50% of the variance. The MOOC (participation and realization) explained 58% of academic performance, 35% of cognitive empathy and 48% of affective empathy. The results suggest an association between higher realization and participation in a MOOC and higher levels of academic performance, and cognitive and affective empathy.

CRITICAL FACTORS INFLUENCING MOOCS RETENTION: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

In the current digital era, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are considered as an educational revolution specifically in the current situation of COVID-19. Although students from all over the globe register for MOOCs, only a small proportion of participants complete the online courses. MOOCs at present encounter the problem of low retention rates, thus providing numerous research gaps. This paper investigates the impact of critical factors such as the instructor’s role, course relevancy, learning outcomes on MOOCs retention. This study also analyzes the mediating role of IT (Social Media) between critical factors and MOOCs retention and provides feasible solutions for the improvement of MOOCs retention rates. Data were collected from Pakistani participants who attended, registered, or completed any MOOC. The findings of this study indicate that critical factors such as the instructor’s role, course relevancy, learning outcomes have a positive impact on MOOC participants’ retention. The results also confirm the important mediating role of IT (Social Media). The universities and the instructors who offer MOOCs should consider these critical factors when offering an online course. These critical factors can enhance MOOCs participants’ retention leading them to take the courses until certification.