Review of Self-Regulated Learning in Massive Open Online Course

  The research is financed by Chinese Production and Research Project (Project ID: 201901297003); Hubei Provincial Department of Education’s Research Project on Teaching Reform in Colleges and Universities (Project ID:2017376);Chinese University Students’ Project on Innovation and Entrepreneurship  Project ID:S201913256032);Hubei Normal University’s Research Project on Teaching Reform (Project ID: 2019013). Abstract Over the last decade, much attention has been paid the effects of self-regulated learning (SRL) in massive open online courses (MOOCs). However, a systematic understanding of the topic is rather limited. This study drew a general outline of important factors affecting the SRL in MOOCs. The study summarizes two important SRL modes as the theoretical basis. Then, the study analyses the motivational, metacognitive and cognitive regulation strategies, and behavioural regulation strategies which affect SRL in MOOCs. Finally, suggestions for future research in MOOCs are offered. Keywords: self-regulated learning , MOOCs, mode , SRL strategies DOI: 10.7176/JEP/11-8-02 Publication date:March 31st 202

Analysing self-regulated learning strategies of MOOC learners through self-reported data

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) require registered learners to be autonomous in their learning. Nevertheless, prior research studies showed that many learners lack the necessary self-regulated learning (SRL) skills to succeed in MOOCs. This research study aimed to gain insights into the relationships that exist between SRL and background information from MOOC learners. To this end, a series of three MOOCs on computer programming offered through edX were used to collect self-reported data from learners using an adaptation of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. Results show significant differences in general learning strategies and motivation by continent, prior computing experience and percentage of completed MOOCs. Men reported higher motivation than women, whereas pre-university learners needed further guidance to improve their learning strategies.This work was supported in part by the FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades-Agencia Estatal de Investigación, through the Smartlet Project under Grant TIN2017-85179-C3-1-R, and in part by the Madrid Regional Government through the e-Madrid-CM Project under Grant S2018/TCS-4307, a project which is co-funded by the European Structural Funds (FSE and FEDER). Partial support has also been received from the European Commission through Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education projects, more specifically through projects LALA, InnovaT and PROF-XXI (586120-EPP-1-2017-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), (598758-EPP-1-2018-1-AT-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), (609767-EPP-1-2019-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP). This publication reflects the views only of the authors, and funders cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

Understanding Learners' Motivation and Learning Strategies in MOOCs

MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have changed the way in which OER (Open Educational Resources) are bundled by teachers and consumed by learners. MOOCs represent an evolution towards the production and offering of structured quality OER. Many institutions that were initially reluctant to providing OER have, however, joined the MOOC wave. Nevertheless, MOOCs detractors strongly criticize their high dropout rates. The dropout rate is a commonly accepted metric of success for traditional education, but it may not be as suitable when dealing with OER, in general, and with MOOCs, in particular, since learners' motivations to take a course are very diverse, and certain self -regulated learning strategies are required to tackle the lack of personalized tutoring and keep pace in the course . This paper presents an empirical study on the motivation and learning strategies of MOOC learners. Six thousand three hundred and thirty-five learners from 160 countries answered a self report 7- point Likert-type questionnaire based on the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) as part of a MOOC titled Introduction to Programming with Java. Results indicate that learners were highly motivated and confident to do well in the course. Learning strategies, however, can be improved, especially regarding time management.This work has been co-funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, projects MOOC-Maker (561533-EPP-1-2015-1-ES-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), SHEILA (562080-EPP-1-2015-BE-EPPKA3-PI-FORWARD) and COMPETEN-SEA (574212-EPP-1-2016-1- NL-EPPKA2-CBHE-JP), by the Madrid Regional Government, through the eMadrid Excellence Network (S2013/ICE-2715), and by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, project RESET (TIN2014-53199-C3-1-R) and fellowships FPDI-2013-17411 and PTQ-15-07505

학습자 동기 부여 지원을 위한 MOOCs 인터페이스 개발

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 사범대학 교육학과(교육공학전공), 2022.2. Young Hoan Cho.With the development of information and communication technology (ICT), many people get educated not only in traditional classrooms but also online nowadays. As one way of online education, the market of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) has been growing continuously since the first platform was opened to the public in 2012. Today in 2021, the number of MOOCs learners has reached up to 220 million, and MOOCs are playing an irreplaceable role in higher education, lifelong education, corporate education, etc. Although we can expect that MOOCs will become increasingly important in the field of education, with its rapid growth during the last decade, some issues of it have been exposed. One of the issues is the low completion rate. Compared to traditional education, MOOCs learners are reported more likely to drop out, which leads to the average completion rate at around 10%. According to previous studies, one of the reasons that causes this phenomenon is lacking motivation. As a part that interacts directly with users of an application, interface is crucial because it offers affordance and determines the way users use the application. And the interface becomes even more important when it comes to E-learning because motivators, which can affect learners' motivation, can be designed in the user interface. However, studies have shown that the current interface design of MOOCs lacks motivation factors and fails to facilitate interactive communication among MOOCs learners. Therefore, in this research, a MOOCs interface that focuses on improving learners' motivation was designed. To achieve this goal, the research questions considered were: 1) What are the interface design guidelines and interface functions to motivate MOOCs learners to sustain their learning? 2) What is the interface to motivate MOOCs learners to sustain their learning? and 3) What are the learners' responses to the interface? To answer the research questions, the type 1 design and development methodology proposed by Richey and Klein was followed. First, MOOCs interface design guidelines were derived by literature review and followed by 2 rounds of expert review conducted by 4 experts to ensure the internal validity. Second, a prototype of MOOCs interface was designed based on the guidelines by using prototyping tool Figma. Third, the prototype was given to 5 learners along with a series of tasks for learner response tests to ensure the external validity of the design guidelines, and based on the result, both the prototype and the guidelines were revised. The final version of the MOOCs interface design guidelines consists of 3 motivational design principles （Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness）, 12 motivational design guidelines (5 autonomy-supported, 4 competence-supported, and 3 relatedness-supported) along with 34 design guidelines developed for MOOCs interface. Based on these design guidelines, the functions of the MOOCs interface in this research were designed. Based on the autonomy-supported guidelines, functions such as learning mode selection (self-paced, scheduled, premiere), learning group, learning activity, goal setting, dashboard, reminder, recommendation, and feedback were designed. And based on the competence-supported guidelines, functions such as account register, course enrollment, learning path, team activity support, dashboard, and goal setting were designed. Meanwhile, based on the relatedness-supported guidelines, functions such as dashboard, feedback, keyword checklist, learning group, chatting window, group/team activity, course evaluation, team assignment, mind map, and note were designed. The participating learners were satisfied with the design. The survey data showed that learners’ general perceptions of the MOOCs interface reached 4.44, perceived autonomy reached 4.40, perceived competence reached 4.52, and perceived relatedness reached 4.66 (5 points Likert scale). The in-depth interview data was open coded into three categories: 1) Advantages of the MOOCs interface, 2) Problems with the MOOCs interface, and 3) Suggestions for improvement. The advantages include providing choices for autonomy support, providing scaffolding and adaptive learning for competence support, providing interactive learning for relatedness support, and providing novel meanwhile helpful functions that existing platforms don’t have. The problems include lacking tutorials for novel functions, inconsistent icons and choice of words, and improper positioning and interaction. The suggestions for improvement include adding the wiki function, adding the reminder function, and visualizing the timetable. The significance of this research can be summarized as follows: 1) proposed an intrinsic motivation oriented MOOCs interface. 2) introduced three learning modes to the MOOCs learning environment. 3) introduced the learning group and learning team to the MOOCs environment to facilitate learners’ interaction. 4) provided an example of the dashboard for the context of MOOCs. And 5) provided insight into how to help learners achieve personalized learning in the MOOCs environment.정보통신기술(ICT)의 발달로 오늘날 많은 사람이 전통적인 교실에서뿐만 아니라 온라인으로도 교육을 받고 있다. 온라인 교육의 한 방법으로 MOOC(Massive Open Online Courses)의 시장은 2012년 첫 플랫폼이 공개된 이후 지속적으로 성장하고 있으며, 교육학자에게 많은 관심을 받고 있다. 특히 MOOC는 고등교육, 평생교육, 기업교육 등에서 대체할 수 없는 역할을 한다는 연구 결과가 속속히 나오고 있다. 교육 분야에서 MOOC가 점점 더 중요해질 것이라고 예상되지만, 지난 10년 동안 MOOC의 급속한 성장과 함께 MOOC의 문제점들이 일부 발견되었다. 그중 하나는 낮은 이수율로서, 기존 교육에 비해 MOOC 학습자는 평균 이수율이 약 10%에 머무를 정도로 중도 탈락할 가능성이 높은 것으로 보고되었다. 선행 연구에 따르면 이러한 현상을 일으키는 원인 중 하나는 부족한 동기부여 때문이다. 사용자 인터페이스는 애플리케이션에서 사용자와 직접 상호 작용하는 부분으로서 어포던스를 제공하고, 사용자가 애플리케이션을 사용하는 방식을 결정하기 때문에 매우 중요하다고 말할 수 있다. 특히, E-learning 상황에서는 인터페이스가 더욱 중요한데, 이는 동기 부여에 영향을 미칠 수 있는 동기 요소들이 사용자 인터페이스에 설계될 수 있기 때문이다. 그러나 선행 연구에 따르면 현재의 MOOC 인터페이스 디자인은 동기 요소가 부족하고 MOOC 학습자 간의 상호 작용을 촉진하지 못하고 있다. 이에 따라서 본 연구에서는 학습자의 동기부여에 초점을 맞추어 MOOC 인터페이스를 설계하였고, 이를 위해 다음의 연구 문제들을 고려하였다. 1) MOOC 학습자가 학습을 지속하도록 동기를 부여하는 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인은 무엇인가? 2) 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인에 따른 예시적인 인터페이스는 무엇인가? 3) 인터페이스에 대한 학습자의 반응은 무엇인가? 연구 질문에 답하기 위해 Richey와 Klein이 제안한 설계ㆍ개발 방법론 중 유형 1을 따랐다. 먼저 문헌검토를 통해 MOOC 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인을 도출하고, 내적 타당성을 확보하기 위해 4명의 전문가가 2차례에 걸쳐 전문가검토를 실시하였다. 다음으로, 프로토타이핑 도구인 Figma를 사용하여 가이드라인에 따라 MOOC 인터페이스의 프로토타입을 개발했다. 마지막으로, 디자인 가이드라인의 외적 타당성을 확보하기 위해 2차례에 걸쳐 사용성 평가를 하고 학습자의 반응을 측정했다. 일련의 과제와 함께 프로토타입을 5명의 학습자에게 제공하고, 그 결과를 바탕으로 프로토타입과 가이드라인을 모두 수정했다. MOOC 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인의 최종 버전은 3가지 동기 부여 디자인 원리 (자율성, 유능성 및 관계성), 12가지 동기 부여 디자인 가이드라인 (5개 자율성 지원, 4개 유능성 지원, 3개 관계성 지원)과 34개의 MOOC 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인으로 구성되었다. 본 연구에서 개발한 MOOC 인터페이스는 이러한 MOOC 인터페이스 디자인 가이드라인에 따른 기능을 포함하고 있다. 자율성 지원 가이드라인을 반영하는 기능으로 학습 모드 선택 (self-paced, scheduled, premiere), 학습 그룹, 학습활동 선택, 학습목표 설정, 대시보드, 리마인더, 추천, 피드백 등 기능이 있었고, 유능성 지원 가이드라인을 반영하는 기능으로 레지스터, 수업 등록, 학습 경로, 팀 활동 지원, 대시보드, 학습목표 설정 등 기능이 있었으며, 관계성 지원 가이드라인을 반영하는 기능으로 대시보드, 피드백, 키워드 체크리스트, 학습 그룹, 채팅창, 그룹/팀 활동, 수업 평가, 팀 과제, 마인드맵, 노트 등 기능이 있었다. 사용성 평가에 참여한 학습자들은 개발한 MOOCs 인터페이스에 만족했으며, 5점 척도 구성한 설문 문항으로 조사한 결과, 인터페이스 전반에 대한 인식 4.44점, 자율성에 대한 인식 4.40점, 유능성에 대한 인식 4.52점, 관계성에 대한 인식 4.66점이었다. 그리고 심층 인터뷰에서 취득한 질적 데이터를 오픈 코딩을 통해서 정리한 결과, 개발한 MOOCs 인터페이스의 장점, 문제점, 개선점을 도출했다. 장점으로 자율성 지원을 위한 선택 제공, 유능성 지원을 위한 스캐폴딩과 적응형 학습, 관계성 지원을 위해서 제공하는 상호작용, 그리고 기존 플랫폼과의 의미있는 차이점 등이 있었다. 문제점으로 기존 플랫폼들이 제공하지 않은 새로운 기능에 대한 가이드가 필요하다는 점, 불일치한 아이콘과 용어, 부적절한 포지셔닝과 인터랙션 등이 있었다. 개선점으로 위키 기능, 알림 메시지 기능을 추가하고 시간표를 시각화 등이 있었다. 본 연구의 의의는 다음과 같이 요약될 수 있다. 1) 내재적 동기부여 지향한 MOOC 인터페이스를 제안하였다. 2) MOOC 학습 환경에 3가지 학습 모드를 도입했다. 3) 학습자의 상호 작용을 촉진하기 위해 학습 그룹과 학습 팀을 MOOC 학습 환경에 도입했다. 4) MOOC 상황에 대시보드의 예시를 제공했다. 그리고 5) 학습자가 MOOC 환경에서 맞춤형 학습을 달성하도록 돕는 방법에 대한 인사이트를 제공했다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 1.1. Problem Statement 1 1.2. Purpose of the Research 4 1.3. Research Questions 8 1.4. Definition of Terms 9 1.4.1. MOOCs 9 1.4.2. Motivation 11 1.4.3. User Interface 12 Chapter 2. Literature Review 14 2.1. MOOCs 14 2.1.1. Characteristics and Meaning 14 2.1.2. History of MOOCs 16 2.1.3. MOOCs Platforms and MOOCs Learners 20 2.1.4. The Critiques and Drop Out Phenomenon 26 2.2. Motivation 35 2.2.1. Motivation in Learning 35 2.2.2. Motivation Theories 37 2.3.1. User Interface Design & Interface Design for Education 45 2.3.2 Motivation Supported User Interface Design 48 Chapter 3. Research Method 54 3.1. Design and Development Methodology 54 3.2. Research Participants 58 3.3. Research Tools 60 3.3.1. Internal Validation Tools 60 3.3.2. Prototyping Tool 60 3.3.3. External Validation Tools 62 3.4. Data Collection and Analysis 65 3.4.1. Expert Review 65 3.4.2. Learners' Responses 66 Chapter 4. Findings 68 4.1. The MOOCs Interface Design Guidelines 68 4.1.1. The Final Version of the MOOCs Interface Design Guidelines 69 4.1.2. The Results of the Expert Review 80 4.2. Prototype of the MOOCs Interface 85 4.3. Learners' Responses to the MOOCs Interface 118 4.3.1. Learners' Response to the MOOCs Interface (First Usability Test) 119 4.3.2. Learners' Responses to the Revised Interface (Second Usability Test) 143 Chapter 5. Discussion and Conclusion 145 5.1. Discussion 146 5.2. Conclusion 151 Reference 154 APPENDIX 1 175 APPENDIX 2 189 APPENDIX 3 197 APPENDIX 4 206 APPENDIX 5 213 APPENDIX 6 220 국문초록 224석

Utilising a Virtual Learning Assistant as a measurement and intervention tool for self-regulation in learning.

Online learning and massive open online courses are widely used in engineering and technology education. Engineering next-generation learning requires overcoming the potential constraints of online learning environments which necessitate higher levels of self-regulation than traditional classroom settings. This particular requirement demands that learners allocate their cognitive, metacognitive, affective and motivational resources to meet this need. Lack of self-regulation can affect learners' engagement with the course content, resulting in sub-optimal learning outcomes or failure to complete the course. This paper reports on the design of a virtual learning assistant and its implementation in online learning activities. This paper outlines the virtual assistant's use as a data collection tool and, further, proposes that the virtual learning assistant has the potential to be used as an assessment tool for self-regulatory skills, and as an intervention tool to support online learners' self-regulation in online learning

How to design for persistence and retention in MOOCs?

Design of educational interventions is typically carried out following a design cycle involving phases of investigation, conceptualization, prototyping, implementation, execution and evaluation. This cycle can be applied at different levels of granularity e.g. learning activity, module, course or programme. In this paper we consider an aspect of learner behavior that can be critical to the success of many MOOCs i.e. their persistence to study, and the related theme of learner retention. We reflect on the impact that consideration of these can have on design decisions at different stages in the design cycle with the aim of en-hancing MOOC design in relation to learner persistence and retention, with particular attention to the European context

Indicators for enhancing learners’ engagement in massive open online courses: A systematic review

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have paved a new learning path for the 21st-century world. The potential to reach a massive geographically dispersed audience is one of the major advantages of MOOCs. Moreover, they can be offered on a self-paced and self-regulated basis and have become an integral part of lifelong learning, especially in workplaces. However, one persistent problem is the lack of learners’ engagement. A harmonisation of studies providing a holistic view into aggregating indicators for enhancing learners’ engagement in MOOCs is lacking. The coronavirus pandemic has accelerated MOOC adoption, and learners’ engagement in MOOCs has become even more essential for the success of this educational innovation. We examine the existing literature to derive indicators important for enhancing learners’ engagement in MOOC learning environments. Using a systematic approach, 83 empirical studies were examined, and 10 indicators were identified as important considerations for enhancing learners’ engagement while designing MOOCs—from initiatives for individual learners to platform and instructional design perspectives. We also present a table describing these indicators and offer a structured discussion on each one. We believe the results provide guidelines for MOOC designers and instructors, educational policymakers, higher education institutions, and MOOC engagement researchers.Peer reviewe

Shaping the future of distance learning in teacher education: MOOCS during COVID-19

The current research aimed to investigate the perceptions of pre-service students regarding the usefulness and contribution of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in initial teacher education programmes, particularly in times of emergency. Participants comprised 202 second-career pre-service students who enrolled in alternative teacher education programmes during COVID-19. On average, students studied 4–5 courses that were a mandatory component of their programme. Students completed an anonymous, voluntary, self-report questionnaire at the end of their studies. Findings show that students found the MOOCs to be a good teaching model. They were satisfied with their MOOC studies and reported their learning experience to be significantly more rewarding and positive than lonely and stressful. Learning outcomes were ranked high. In terms of the usefulness and contribution of the MOOCs, three student profiles were identified. The “zealous” type is enthralled by the merits of MOOCs including their impact on their future teaching, professional development and lifelong learning. The “guarded” type perceives only some of the MOOCs’ attributes as positive, primarily convenience, independent learning and studying a variety of courses with well-known experts. The “pragmatic” type is highly opportunistic and utilitarian, perceiving MOOCs only as a means to overcoming barriers of time and place. Finally, students who study more MOOCs perceive them as having a positive impact on their future teaching, acknowledge their importance in times of crisis and opt for including a higher proportion of MOOCs in initial teacher education programmes. The favourable impact of studying several MOOCs as part of an initial teacher education programme is one of the main findings of the current research highlighting the importance of students experiencing several such courses during their pre-service studies

Retrieval Practice and Study Planning in MOOCs: Exploring Classroom-Based Self-regulated Learning Strategies at Scale

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are successful in delivering educational resources to the masses, however, the current retention rates—well below 10 %—indicate that they fall short in helping their audience become effective MOOC learners. In this paper, we report two MOOC studies we conducted in order to test the effectiveness of pedagogical strategies found to be beneficial in the traditional classroom setting: retrieval practice (i.e. strengthening course knowledge through actively recalling information) and study planning (elaborating on weekly study plans). In contrast to the classroom-based results, we do not confirm our hypothesis, that small changes to the standard MOOC design can teach MOOC learners valuable self-regulated learning strategies.Teaching and Teacher Learning (ICLON