MOOCs: A systematic study of the published literature 2008-2012
Published | July 2013 |
Journal | The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning Volume 14, Issue 3, Pages 203-227 |
Original Publication | The International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning |
Editors | McGreal, Rory and Conrad, Dianne |
ABSTRACT
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) are a recent addition to the range of online learning options. Since 2008, MOOCs have been run by a variety of public and elite universities, especially in North America. Many academics have taken interest in MOOCs recognising the potential to deliver education around the globe on an unprecedented scale; some of these academics are taking a research-oriented perspective and academic papers describing their research are starting to appear in the traditional media of peer reviewed publications. This paper presents a systematic review of the published MOOC literature (2008-2012): Forty-five peer reviewed papers are identified through journals, database searches, searching the Web, and chaining from known sources to form the base for this review. We believe this is the first effort to systematically review literature relating to MOOCs, a fairly recent but massively popular phenomenon with a global reach. The review categorises the literature into eight different areas of interest, introductory, concept, case studies, educational theory, technology, participant focussed, provider focussed, and other, while also providing quantitative analysis of publications according to publication type, year of publication, and contributors. Future research directions guided by gaps in the literature are explored.Keywords | connectivism · · MOOC · systematic review |
ISSN | 1492-3831 |
Other number | 3 |
Refereed | Yes |
Rights | by/4.0 |
URL | http://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1455 |
Other information | IRRODL |
Export options | BibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar |
AVAILABLE FILES
Viewed by 141 distinct readers
CLOUD COMMUNITY REVIEWS
The evaluations below represent the judgements of our readers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Cloud editors.










Click a star to be the first to rate this document
▶ POST A COMMENT
SIMILAR RECORDS
The impact and reach of MOOCs: A developing countries’ perspective
Liyanagunawardena, Tharindu Rekha; Williams, Shirley; Adams, Andrew; Koskinen, Tapio; Mor, Yishay
Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a recent but hugely popular phenomenon in the online learning world. They are hailed by many as a solution for the developing world’s lack of access to education because MOOCs ...
Match: adams, andrew; williams, shirley; connectivism; mooc
A systematic analysis and synthesis of the empirical MOOC literature published in 2013–2015
Veletsianos, George; Shepherdson, Peter; McGreal, Rory; Conrad, Dianne
A deluge of empirical research became available on MOOCs in 2013–2015 and this research is available in disparate sources. This paper addresses a number of gaps in the scholarly understanding of MOOCs and presents a ...
Match: literature; systematic; mooc
MOOCs in China: A review of literature, 2012–2016
Li, Xiaoqin; Chen, Yanyue; Gong, Xiaojing; Ma, Will W.K.; et al.
MOOC has recently been a topic of research. Scholars from home and abroad dedicated their effort to examine the newly emerged matter from various perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to explore the present ...
Match: literature; mooc
The maturing of the MOOC: Literature review of Massive Open Online Courses and other forms of online distance learning
Haggard, Stephen; The Centre for Distance Education (CDE); The Observatory on Borderless Higher Education (OBHE)
Executive Summary
This survey of MOOC and ODL literature aims to capture the state of knowledge and opinion about MOOCs and ODL, how they are evolving, and to identify issues that are important, whether consensual or ...
Match: literature; mooc
Understanding learning and teaching in MOOCs from the perspectives of students and instructors: A review of literature from 2014 to 2016
Deng, Ruiqi; Benckendorff, Pierre; Gannaway, Deanne; Kloos, Carlos Delgado; et al.
This article presents the results of a literature review on key learning and teaching dimensions in MOOCs. 95 studies published from January 2014 to October 2016 were selected for review. Four important learning and ...
Match: literature; mooc
Are MOOCs Open Educational Resources? A literature review on history, definitions and typologies of OER and MOOCs
Stracke, Christian M.; Downes, Stephen; Conole, Grainne; Burgos, Daniel; Nascimbeni, Fabio
Open Education gained more visibility as a result of the emergence of Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This article discusses whether MOOCs should be considered as OER. Open ...
Match: literature; mooc
Evaluation of Student Feedback Within a MOOC Using Sentiment Analysis and Target Groups
Lundqvist, Karsten Ø.; Liyanagunawardena, Tharindu; Starkey, Louise
Many course designers trying to evaluate the experience of participants in a MOOC will find it difficult to track and analyse the online actions and interactions of students because there may be thousands of learners ...
Match: liyanagunawardena, tharindu; mooc
Case study as a research method for analyzing MOOCs
Montes-Rodríguez, Ramón; Martínez-Rodríguez, Juan Bautista; Ocaña-Fernández, Almudena
Educational research is one of the many fields of knowledge that frequently use case studies as a research method, particularly when applying an interpretive approach. Based on literature reviews and a systematic ...
Match: mooc
Identifying the Factors Affecting Student Academic Performance and Engagement Prediction in MOOC using Deep Learning: A Systematic Literature Review
Rizwan, Shahzad; Nee, Chee Ken; Garfan, Salem
The increasing reliance on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) has transformed the landscape of education, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, where e-learning became essential. However, the effectiveness of ...
Match: literature; systematic
Exploring MOOC from education and Information Systems perspectives: a short literature review
Saadatdoost, Robab; Sim, Alex Tze Hiang; Jafarkarimi, Hosein; Mei Hee, Jee
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have gained significance as a new paradigm in education. MOOCs are open to any interested person and provide education products for a scalable number of learners who have access to ...
Match: literature