MOOCs and open education: Implications for higher education
01 Jan 2013-
TL;DR: In this article, a literature review was undertaken focussing on the extensive reporting of MOOCs through scholarly blogs, press releases as well as openly available reports and research papers.
Abstract: This report sets out to help decision makers in higher education institutions gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs) and trends towards greater openness in higher education and to think about the implications for their institutions. The phenomena of MOOCs are described, placing them in the wider context of open education, online learning and the changes that are currently taking place in higher education at a time of globalisation of education and constrained budgets. The report is written from a UK higher education perspective, but is largely informed by the developments in MOOCs from the USA and Canada. A literature review was undertaken focussing on the extensive reporting of MOOCs through scholarly blogs, press releases as well as openly available reports and research papers. This identified current debates about new course provision, the impact of changes in funding and the implications for greater openness in higher education. The theory of disruptive innovation is used to help form the questions of policy and strategy that higher education institutions need to address
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TL;DR: A more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously is provided, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing is provided.
Abstract: The past two years have seen rapid development of massive open online courses (MOOCs) with the rise of a number of MOOC platforms The scale of enrolment and participation in the earliest mainstream MOOC courses has garnered a good deal of media attention However, data about how the enrolment and completion figures have changed since the early courses is not consistently released This paper seeks to draw together the data that has found its way into the public domain in order to explore factors affecting enrolment and completion The average MOOC course is found to enroll around 43,000 students, 65% of whom complete the course Enrolment numbers are decreasing over time and are positively correlated with course length Completion rates are consistent across time, university rank, and total enrolment, but negatively correlated with course length This study provides a more detailed view of trends in enrolment and completion than was available previously, and a more accurate view of how the MOOC field is developing
762 citations
Cites background from "MOOCs and open education: Implicati..."
...In order to succeed in a MOOC environment, higher digital literacy may be required of students (Yuan & Powell, 2013), potentially exacerbating pre-existing digital divides....
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TL;DR: Reputation and openness are the strongest predictors of continuance to use MOOCs, and a research model based on the information systems continuance expectation-confirmation model is proposed and tested with data collected in a large-scale study.
Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are classes delivered in an online environment with several features that are different from previous approaches to online education The effectiveness of MOOCs is an open question as completion rates are substantially less than traditional online education courses The objective of this study is to identify factors that enhance an individual' intention to continue using MOOCs, which a limited amount of research has previously explored A research model based on the information systems continuance expectation-confirmation model is proposed and tested with data collected in a large-scale study The research model explained a substantial percentage of the variance for the intention to continue using MOOCs, which is significantly influenced by perceived reputation, perceived openness, perceived usefulness, perceived, and user satisfaction Perceived reputation and perceived openness were the strongest predictors and have not previously been examined in the context of MOOCs This study explores what influences an individual's intention to continue using MOOCsThis study examines the role of openness and reputation in the context of MOOCsReputation and openness are the strongest predictors of continuance to use MOOCs
477 citations
Cites background from "MOOCs and open education: Implicati..."
...Coursera and Udacity are for-profit companies while edX and Udemy are non-profit organizations (Yuan & Powell 2013)....
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...The emergent popularity of MOOCs has ledmany to declare it as a disruptive technology and a serious threat to institutions of higher education (Lucas, 2013; Mehaffy, 2012; Yuan & Powell, 2013)....
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...…Republic of Korea b College of Business and Economics, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, 800 West Main Street, Whitewater, WI 53190-1790, USA a r t i c l e i n f o Article history: Received 7 May 2014 Received in revised form 11 August 2014 Accepted 13 August 2014 Available online 27 August…...
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01 Jan 2014
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide a meta-analysis of the basic figures on overall dropout rates previously collected to identify relationships between course factors and dropout rate and suggest the most promising avenues for improvement.
Abstract: Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have received wide publicity and many institutions have invested considerable effort in developing, promoting and delivering such courses. However, there are still many unresolved questions relating to MOOCs and their effectiveness. One of the major recurring issues raised in both academic literature and the popular press is the consistently high dropout rate of MOOC learners. Although many thousands of participants enrolled on these courses, the completion rate for most courses is below 13%. This paper investigates MOOC attrition from several different perspectives. Firstly, we review existing literature relating to MOOC dropout rates, bringing together existing findings on completion rates and analyses of specific courses which identify factors that correlate to likelihood of dropout. We provide a meta-analysis of the basic figures on overall dropout rates previously collected to identify relationships between course factors and dropout rates. In addition, the literature is reviewed from a qualitative perspective drawing together perspectives on reasons for dropout and methods suggested for resolving or reducing the dropout rate. Secondly, using themes emerging from the initial investigation, we provide a preliminary analysis of data gathered from a Computing MOOC run by the University of Warwick, UK and presented using a Moodle platform. Different aspects of students’ demographic data are examined to see if relationships to persistence exist. An important feature of this course is that it has been run in two different parallel modes (“traditional” MOOC mode with peer support, and “supported” mode with real time, tutored programming labs). This allows direct comparison between the dropout figures for the two different modes. Qualitative information from student evaluations is also considered. Finally, we discuss our findings relating MOOC dropout rates, considering what factors are within the control of a MOOC provider and suggesting the most promising avenues for improvement. Our results indicate that many participants who may be classed as dropouts (for example, because they do not complete the necessary components to gain a certificate) are still participating in the course in their own preferred way (either at a slower pace or with selective engagement). This suggests that the structure of “a course” may not be helpful to all participants and supporting different patterns of engagement and presentation of material may be beneficial.
363 citations
Cites background from "MOOCs and open education: Implicati..."
...Keywords: MOOC, massive open online course, dropout rate, reasons for dropout, participants’ engagement, motivation, behavioural patterns, Moodle....
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28 Feb 2015
TL;DR: This study identified learning motivations, learning patterns, and a number of factors that appear to influence student retention, and proposed that the issue of retention should be addressed from two perspectives: retention as a problem but also retention as an opportunity.
Abstract: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have recently experienced rapid development and garnered significant attention from various populations. Despite the wide recognition of MOOCs as an important opportunity within educational practices, there are still many questions as to how we might satisfy students' needs, as evidenced by very high dropout rates. Researchers lack a solid understanding of what student needs are being addressed by MOOCs, and how well MOOCs now address (or fail to address) these needs. To help in building such an understanding, we conducted in-depth interviews probing student motivations, learning perceptions and experiences towards MOOCs, paying special attention to the MOOC affordances and experiences that might lead to high drop rates. Our study identified learning motivations, learning patterns, and a number of factors that appear to influence student retention. We proposed that the issue of retention should be addressed from two perspectives: retention as a problem but also retention as an opportunity.
305 citations
Cites background from "MOOCs and open education: Implicati..."
...For instance, in a MOOC, an instructor acts more as a facilitator [5, 23, 39] fostering a space for learning connections to occur....
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...Specifically, while the instructors are expected to play a hands-on role and to provide personal feedback in VLEs, the learners in MOOCs take a much greater role in shaping their own learning experiences [39]....
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..., an emphasis on connected, collaborative learning)[8, 31, 32]; and contentbased extended MOOCs (xMOOCs), which emphasize a more traditional learning approach by video presentations that are complemented by short quizzes and other testing[8, 31, 32, 39]....
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TL;DR: The results revealed the main research themes that could form a framework of the future MOOC research: i) student engagement and learning success, ii) MOOC design and curriculum, iii) self-regulated learning and social learning, iv) social network analysis and networked learning, and v) motivation, attitude and success criteria.
Abstract: This paper reports on the results of an analysis of the research proposals submitted to the MOOC Research Initiative (MRI) funded by the Gates Foundation and administered by Athabasca University. The goal of MRI was to mobilize researchers to engage into critical interrogation of MOOCs. The submissions – 266 in Phase 1, out of which 78 was recommended for resubmission in the extended form in Phase 2, and finally, 28 funded – were analyzed by applying conventional and automated content analysis methods as well as citation network analysis methods. The results revealed the main research themes that could form a framework of the future MOOC research: i) student engagement and learning success, ii) MOOC design and curriculum, iii) self-regulated learning and social learning, iv) social network analysis and networked learning, and v) motivation, attitude and success criteria. The theme of social learning received the greatest interest and had the highest success in attracting funding. The submissions that planned on using learning analytics methods were more successful. The use of mixed methods was by far the most popular. Design-based research methods were also suggested commonly, but the questions about their applicability arose regarding the feasibility to perform multiple iterations in the MOOC context and rather a limited focus on technological support for interventions. The submissions were dominated by the researchers from the field of education (75% of the accepted proposals). Not only was this a possible cause of a complete lack of success of the educational technology innovation theme, but it could be a worrying sign of the fragmentation in the research community and the need to increased efforts towards enhancing interdisciplinarity.
291 citations
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TL;DR: Bower and Christensen as mentioned in this paper explained what makes a Disruptive technology so dangerous and what current industry leaders can do to compete and keep their consumer base, and how to counter this.
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TL;DR: The Innovator's Solution as discussed by the authors is a must-read for all senior managers and business leaders responsible for innovation and growth, as well as members of their teams, and is a necessary addition to any innovation library.
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2,204 citations
"MOOCs and open education: Implicati..." refers background in this paper
...As Clayton Christensen pointed out, all technologies can be applied to sustain or disrupt any industry’s incumbents (Christensen, 2003)....
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...The existing HE funding model has been considered to be a major barrier to exploring new business models and innovative approaches in institutions (Christensen, 2003)....
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...Christensen (2003) identified two types of innovations that affect organisations and businesses; sustaining and disruptive....
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...Christensen (2003) pointed out that established market leaders are often extremely good at exploiting sustaining innovations in order to achieve the short-term company growth but it is new companies that emerge to exploit disruptive innovations....
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TL;DR: A short history of MOOCs can be found in this article, where the authors explore the paradoxes that permeate the MOOC movement and explode some myths enlisted in its support.
Abstract: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are the educational buzzword of 2012. Media frenzy surrounds them and commercial interests have moved in. Sober analysis is overwhelmed by apocalyptic predictions that ignore the history of earlier educational technology fads. The paper describes the short history of MOOCs and sets them in the wider context of the evolution of educational technology and open/distance learning. While the hype about MOOCs presaging a revolution in higher education has focussed on their scale, the real revolution is that universities with scarcity at the heart of their business models are embracing openness. We explore the paradoxes that permeate the MOOCs movement and explode some myths enlisted in its support. The competition inherent in the gadarene rush to offer MOOCs will create a sea change by obliging participating institutions to revisit their missions and focus on teaching quality and students as never before. It could also create a welcome deflationary trend in the costs of higher education.
1,111 citations
"MOOCs and open education: Implicati..." refers background in this paper
...It has been suggested that one approach could be for them to be evaluated by learners and educators, leading to league tables that rank the courses by the quality of the offering (Daniel, 2012)....
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01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide the background to the current development and future trends around OER aimed at adding to our understanding, stimulating ongoing debate among the JISC community and developing a research agenda.
Abstract: This briefing paper provides the background to the current development of and future trends around OER aimed at adding to our understanding, stimulating ongoing debate among the JISC community and developing a research agenda. The briefing is structured in three sections: discussion on the conceptual and contextual issues of Open Educational Resources; a review of current OER initiatives; their scale, approaches, main issues and challenges; discussion on trends emerging in Open Educational Resources, with respect to future research and activities.
168 citations
Journal Article•
166 citations
"MOOCs and open education: Implicati..." refers background in this paper
...In the last decades, various distance and open learning programmes and online educational delivery models have been developed to address access, affordability, and personalised learning in HE (Hill, 2012)....
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