Students' learning outcomes in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): Some suggestions for course design

Teaching and Teacher Learning (ICLON

Exploratory study of MOOC learners’ demographics and motivation: The case of students involved in groups

This paper reports preliminary findings on students enrolled in a massive open online course, who were also assigned to work in groups. Part of a larger study on the effect of groups on retention and completion in MOOCs, the paper provides students’ demographics (i.e., location, gender, education level, and employment status), and motivation for taking the course. Findings show that women outnumbered men and that students mostly enrolled into the course because of a friend. Indeed, research on MOOCs demonstrates that men outnumber women and that educational pursuit and professional development are the main motivators for taking MOOCs. Yet, this paper shows that when group work is included in a MOOC, women participate more. Furthermore, for students assigned to groups in a MOOC, friends are the principal incentive for enrolling into the course. These results are discussed in light of previous research, and implications for teaching and learning in online environments addressed

Nurses Perception of Instructional Design Elements of Microlearning for Professional Development Training

Microlearning is a relatively new educational technology that allows students to learn through short, direct segments using various modalities. The nursing profession has used microlearning to provide continuing medical education (CME). The problem addressed through this study was that instructional designers who create microlearning for medical professional development training have yet to readily access nurses’ feedback and preferences for learning in this modality to may improve the training they develop for nurses. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore nurses’ perceptions of the microlearning they participated in for professional development training. The technology acceptance model was the conceptual framework used to answer the research questions of benefits, challenges and suggestions related to microlearning. Twelve U.S. nurses who had participated in microlearning-based CME were purposefully selected. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the transcripts from the semistructured interviews. Results showed that nurses perceived microlearning to be concise and fit their learning styles and be flexible for their busy schedules. Challenges included a lack of interactivity or hands-on elements, limitations related to technology, and suboptimal quality. Nurses believed microlearning could be improved by better appealing to their learning styles and updating content. The insights gained from this study have the potential to influence positive changes at individual and organizational levels, ultimately leading to improved instructional designers’ use of educational technology for improving microlearning that might better support nursing practice and patient outcomes

Influence of employer support for professional development on MOOCs enrolment and completion: Results from a cross-course survey

Although the potential of open education and MOOCs for professional development is usually recognized, it has not yet been explored extensively. How far employers support non-formal learning is still an open question. This paper presents the findings of a survey-based study which focuses on the influence of employer support for (general) professional development on employees’ use of MOOCs. Findings show that employers are usually unaware that their employees are participating in MOOCs. In addition, employer support for general professional development is positively associated with employees completing MOOCs and obtaining certificates for them. However, the relationship between employer support and MOOC enrollment is less clear: workers who have more support from their employers tend to enroll in either a low or a high number of MOOCs. Finally, the promotion of a minimum of ICT skills by employers is shown to be an effective way of encouraging employee participation in the open education ecosystem.JRC.J.3-Information Societ

MOOCs Continuance Intention in Malaysia: The Moderating Role of Internet Self-efficacy

Previous researches have validated that students intention to continue use MOOCs was mainly determined by Usefulness and Enjoyment. This paper takes a different approach from previous studies and postulates that relationship between Usefulness and Enjoyment on MOOCs Continuance Intention are moderated by Internet Self-efficacy. Partial Least Square Path Modelling (PLS-PM) approach has been employed to analyse the data collected. Using online survey data from 251 students registered with Malaysia MOOCs program, the results revealed that Internet Self-efficacy moderates the relationship between Enjoyment and MOOCs Continuance Intention. However, the moderating effect of Internet Self-efficacy showed insignificant result on the path between Usefulness and MOOCs Continuance Intention

Determinants of the Intention to Use MOOCs as a Complementary Tool: An Observational Study of Ecuadorian Teachers

New technological advances and globalization have undoubtedly given rise to new forms of learning. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which are a kind of evolution on e-learning, have the endorsement of prestigious universities around the world, and are transforming the traditional teaching–learning process. In Ecuador, these online courses are based on the Basic General Education system and are neither popular among students nor widely used by teachers in their teaching method, thus, this teaching system is not considered as an official qualification. The inclusion of this tool in the Ecuadorian educational system as a learning resource would expand access to equal opportunities to students and teachers from all over the country. Therefore, our proposal is to use the MOOCs as a source with all the instructional contents of the subject and as classwork based on the flipped-classroom method. In this way, such resources can be an aid to traditional high school classes, and the average grade achieved by students through this platform, as well as the student’s participation, may be part of the formal evaluation system in any institution. With the purpose of measuring the level of confidence in online education and the usage of MOOCs as a tool for teachers’ work, a descriptive and analytical approach has been taken in this study. A quantitative survey was administered to 696 Basic General Education teachers who took used this type of course. The results of this investigation show that 93.9% of the teachers trust the online education; 89% are ready to use MOOCs as a teaching–learning resource and 79% would use MOOCs as part of the final grade. These data prove that MOOCs could be a complementary tool for Basic General Education in Ecuador, so they could contribute to improve learning outcomes and the development of traditional education

MOOCs Continuance Intention in Malaysia: The Moderating Role of Internet Self-efficacy

Previous researches have validated that students intention to continue use MOOCs was mainly determined by Usefulness and Enjoyment. This paper takes a different approach from previous studies and postulates that relationship between Usefulness and Enjoyment on MOOCs Continuance Intention are moderated by Internet Self-efficacy. Partial Least Square Path Modelling (PLS-PM) approach has been employed to analyse the data collected. Using online survey data from 251 students registered with Malaysia MOOCs program, the results revealed that Internet Self-efficacy moderates the relationship between Enjoyment and MOOCs Continuance Intention. However, the moderating effect of Internet Self-efficacy showed insignificant result on the path between Usefulness and MOOCs Continuance Intention

The role of gender and employment status in MOOC learning: An exploratory study

Background Learners in a given massive open online course (MOOC) are usually provided with the same learning materials, guided by the same syllabus, and assessed in the same format. This “one-size-fits-all” approach constrains learners' ability to reap the optimal benefits from online learning. Objectives This study aims to characterize learners' differences in MOOC learning. Specifically, it examines how learners might vary in their enrolment motivation and the development of continuance intention to learn in a MOOC because of their gender and employment status. Methods Data were collected via a questionnaire survey. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to analyse data from 664 learners in a Chinese MOOC. Results and Conclusion The research revealed significant differences in learners' enrolment motivation across groups defined by employment status, but not for gender groups. Learner groups defined by gender and employment status experienced variant psychological processes when deciding to continue to learn in the MOOC. Major Takeaways Working adults stressed the instrumental values derived from MOOC learning; therefore, it is vital to design and integrate additional features into the MOOC to satisfy their needs. Besides, it would be critical to understand female learners' and working adults' expectations of MOOC learning, as they are more sensitive to confirmation in determining their attitudes toward learning in a MOOC. A short pre-course survey of learners' expectations would serve the purpose