The OER Knowledge Cloud makes use of cookies. By continuing, you consent to this use. More information.
Deconstructing disengagement: analyzing learner subpopulations in massive open online courses
Kizilcec, René F. · Piech, Chris · Schneider, Emily

PublishedApril 2013
ConferenceLAK '13: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge
Pages 170-179
CountryUnited States, North America

ABSTRACT
As MOOCs grow in popularity, the relatively low completion rates of learners has been a central criticism. This focus on completion rates, however, reflects a monolithic view of disengagement that does not allow MOOC designers to target interventions or develop adaptive course features for particular subpopulations of learners. To address this, we present a simple, scalable, and informative classification method that identifies a small number of longitudinal engagement trajectories in MOOCs. Learners are classified based on their patterns of interaction with video lectures and assessments, the primary features of most MOOCs to date.

In an analysis of three computer science MOOCs, the classifier consistently identifies four prototypical trajectories of engagement. The most notable of these is the learners who stay engaged through the course without taking assessments. These trajectories are also a useful framework for the comparison of learner engagement between different course structures or instructional approaches. We compare learners in each trajectory and course across demographics, forum participation, video access, and reports of overall experience. These results inform a discussion of future interventions, research, and design directions for MOOCs. Potential improvements to the classification mechanism are also discussed, including the introduction of more fine-grained analytics.

Keywords MOOC · learner engagement · trajectories of engagement

Published atCalifornia
LanguageEnglish
RefereedYes
DOI10.1145/2460296.2460330
Export optionsBibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar


Viewed by 453 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

Digging deeper into learners' experiences in MOOCs: Participation in social networks outside of MOOCs, notetaking and contexts surrounding content consumption
Veletsianos, George; Collier, Amy; Schneider, Emily
Researchers describe with increasing confidence what they observe participants doing in massive open online courses (MOOCs). However, our understanding of learner activities in open courses is limited by researchers' ...
Match: schneider, emily

MOOCs for professional teacher development
Jobe, William; Östlund, Christian; Svensson, Lars
A MOOC is a trending concept in education that is disrupting traditional methods of learning consumption. The emergence and use of MOOCs for professional teacher development is still uncommon, but on the verge of ...
Match: mooc; united states

MOOCs in a young Applied Sciences University: How to be David among Goliaths?
Salamin, Anne-Dominique; Glassey Balet, Nicole
This paper presents the MOOC experiment conducted by the University of Applied Sciences Western Switzerland (HES-SO) since 2013. It shows how a young institution with a mainly local anchorage has taken hold of this new ...
Match: mooc

Research on MOOCs in major referred journals
Babori, Abdelghani; Zaid, Abdelkarim; Fassi, Hicham Fihri
Over the last decade, several studies have focused on massive open online courses (MOOCs). The synthesis presented here concentrates on these studies and aims to examine the place held by content in these studies, ...
Match: mooc

Do MOOCs contribute to student equity and social inclusion? A systematic review 2014–18
Lambert, Sarah
In recent years, hopes that Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) would make access to education fairer faded in the light of research showing MOOCs favoured the already educated and relatively advantaged. This paper ...
Match: mooc

Learning potentials and educational challenges of massive open online courses (MOOCs) in lifelong learning
Buhl, Mie; Andreasen, Lars Birch
Match: mooc

Massive open online courses: Strategies and research areas
Murphy, Jamie; Kalbaskab, Nadzeya; Williams, Alan; Ryan, Peter; et al.
The latest education revolution, the massive open online courses (MOOCs), is gaining momentum, accolades, and participation across industry and academia. These learning laboratory behemoths host and assess tens to ...
Match: mooc

Exploring the experiences of instructors teaching massive open online courses in tourism and hospitality: A mixed methods approach
Lin, Jingjing; Cantoni, Lorenzo
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) have existed as a disruptive educational phenomenon for nine years. Grounded in the roots of distance education, open education, Open Educational Resources, and OpenCourseWare, MOOCs ...
Match: mooc

Trends in MOOCs Research: Analysis of Educational Technology Journals
Babori, Abdelghani
Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have received a great deal of interest from educational institutions and private enterprises. Hence, several empirical studies and reviews have been produced. They will be at the ...
Match: mooc

Moving forward with TESSA: What is the potential for MOOCs?
Stutchbury, Kris
Teacher Education in sub-Saharan Africa (TESSA) is an educational development project run by The Open University, UK. Working collaboratively with partners in Africa, The Open University published (in 2010) a set Open ...
Match: mooc