Where is research on massive open online courses headed? A data analysis of the MOOC Research Initiative
Gasevic, Dragan · Kovanovic, Vitomir · Joksimovic, Srecko · Siemens, George

PublishedNovember 2014
Type of workSpecial Issue: Research into Massive Open Online Courses
JournalThe International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning
Volume 15, Issue 5, Pages 134-176
Original PublicationThe International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
EditorsMcGreal, Rory and Conrad, Dianne

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.

Keywords content analysis · education research ·  · MOOC · MOOC research analysis · MOOC Research Initiative

ISSN1492-3831
Other number5
RefereedYes
Rightsby/4.0
URLhttp://www.irrodl.org/index.php/irrodl/article/view/1954
Other informationIRRODL
Export optionsBibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar



AVAILABLE FILES
1954-15545-1-PB.pdf · 966.9KB55 downloads



Viewed by 139 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

MOOCs in Europe: Overview of papers representing a collective European response on MOOCs as presented during the HOME conference in Rome November 2015
Bang, Joergen; Dalsgaard, Christian; Kjaer, Arne; O’Donovan, Maria; et al.
Table of contents Foreword Part 1: Regional MOOC initiatives Building OOC layers on top of existing courses (M)OOCs in Iceland: Language and learning communities EduOpen network in Italy Part 2: Role media ...
Match: siemens, george; mooc

What public media reveals about MOOCs: A systematic analysis of news reports
Kovanović, Vitomir; Joksimović, Srećko; Gašević, Dragan; Siemens, George; Hatala, Marek
One of the striking differences between massive open online courses (MOOCs) and previous innovations in the education technology field is the unprecedented interest and involvement of the general public. As MOOCs ...
Match: siemens, george; analysis

The journey of SWAYAM: India MOOCs initiative
Kanjilal, Uma; Kaul, Pradeep
Under the ‘Digital India’ Initiative of Government of India, one of the thrust area is ‘Massive Online Open Courses (MOOCs)’. Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India has embarked on a major ...
Match: initiative; mooc

Social network analysis of MOOC learners' knowledge building
Xu, Liujie; Wang, Fancong; Yu, Bo; Yu, Shengquan; et al.
With the development of information and communication technology, a variety of online platforms began to provide support for mobile learning. Some MOOC platforms provide terminal apps. Learners can use smart phones, ...
Match: analysis; mooc

Exploring co-studied Massive Open Online Course subjects via social network analysis
Jordan, Katy
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) allow students to study online courses without requiring previous experience or qualifications. This offers students the freedom to study a wide variety of topics, freed from the ...
Match: ; analysis; mooc

Mapping the open education landscape: Citation network analysis of historical open and distance education research
Weller, Martin; Jordan, Katy; DeVries, Irwin; Rolfe, Viv
The term open education has recently been used to refer to topics such as Open Educational Resources (OERs) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Historically its roots lie in civil approaches to education and open ...
Match: analysis

Analyzing the discourse on open educational resources on Twitter: a sentiment analysis approach
Bhagat, Kaushal Kumar; Mishra, Sanjaya; Parida, Ashis Kumar; Samal, Alyal; et al.
This study investigated the sentiment of Twitter discourse on Open Educational Resources (OER). We collected 124,126 tweets containing hashtags related to OER posted from January 2017 to December 2021. We performed ...
Match: analysis

A cluster analysis of MOOC stakeholder perspectives
Yousef, Ahmed Mohamed Fahmy; Chatti, Mohamed Amine; Wosnitza, Marold; Schroeder, Ulrik
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are providing opportunities for thousands of learners to participate in free higher education courses online. MOOCs have unique features that make them an effective ...
Match: analysis; mooc

Output 10 SCORE2020: SWOT analysis / benchmarking regional support centres
SCORE2020
The SCORE2020 project focused on (regional) support structures in the development and delivery of Open Education and especially of MOOCs. In total, thirteen intellectual outputs are ...
Match: analysis

Massive Open Online Courses: Innovation in education?
Siemens, George; McGreal, Rory; Kinuthia, Wanjira; Marshall, Stewart
Match: siemens, george; mooc