OER Knowledge CloudJournal Article2015Xiong, YaoLi, HongliKornhaber, Mindy L.Suen, Hoi K.Pursel, BartonGoins, Deborah D.retentionmotivationMOOCengagementGlobal Education Review2323-332325-663XStudents who are enrolled in MOOCs tend to have different motivational patterns than fee-paying college students. A majority of MOOC students demonstrate characteristics akin more to "tourists" than formal learners. As a consequence, MOOC students’ completion rate is usually very low. The current study examines the relations among student motivation, engagement, and retention using structural equation modeling and data from a Penn State University MOOC. Three distinct types of motivation are examined: intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and social motivation. Two main hypotheses are tested: (a) motivation predicts student course engagement; and (b) student engagement predicts their retention in the course. The results show that motivation is significantly predictive of student course engagement. Furthermore, engagement is a strong predictor of retention. The findings suggest that promoting student motivation and monitoring individual students’ online activities might improve course retention.yeshttp://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/article/view/124http://ger.mercy.edu/index.php/ger/article/view/124124-884-1-PB.pdf