Deconstructing disengagement: analyzing learner subpopulations in massive open online courses
| Published | April 2013 |
| Conference | LAK '13: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Learning Analytics and Knowledge Pages 170-179 |
| Country | United 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 at | California |
| Language | English |
| Refereed | Yes |
| DOI | 10.1145/2460296.2460330 |
| Export options | BibTex · EndNote · Tagged XML · Google Scholar |
Viewed by 549 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
Emergence and development of MOOCs
Zheng, Qinhua; Chen, Li; Burgos, Daniel
The e-learning has until quite recently been marked by considerable attention paid to MOOCs. One of the disruptive innovations introduced by MOOCs is the open access to the process of teaching and learning. The impact ...
Match: MOOC
Offering cMOOCs collaboratively: The COER13 experience from the convenors’ perspective
Arnold, Patricia; Kumar, Swapna; Thillosen, Anne; Ebner, Martin; et al.
This paper shares the experience of offering the community-oriented MOOC called “COER13.” The focus is on how the convenors perceived the collaborative endeavor of planning and implementing this cMOOC, and on the ...
Match: MOOC
Cloud computing and creativity: Learning on a massive open online course
Kop, Rita; Carroll, Fiona
This paper explores cloud computing and how it might advance learning and teaching, particularly in terms of social creativity and collaborative learning. We present a study of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) – a ...
Match: MOOC
Are MOOCs the long-awaited technological revolution in higher education?
Daniel, John; Uvalić-Trumbić, Stamenka
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are a portent of the potential of online learning and teaching to transform higher education. The University of Manitoba offered the first online course to bear the name MOOC in 2008. ...
Match: MOOC
GamES MOOC - Conceptual ideas and first steps towards implementation of a MOOC for children
Berkling, Kay; El-Husseny, Abdullrahman; Latt, Dennis; Petrov, Christian; et al.
This paper presents conceptual ideas and a first prototype towards establishing a GamES (GAM)ified (E)lementary (S)chool MOOC for children who do not have access to schools. The project is being developed across several ...
Match: MOOC
Characterizing video use in the catalogue of MITx MOOCs
Seaton, Daniel T.; Nesterko, Sergiy; Mullaney, Tommy; Reich, Justin; et al.
Lecture videos intended to substitute or parallel the on-campus experience are a central component of nearly all current Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Recent analysis of resources used in the inaugural course ...
Match: MOOC
Towards fostering quality in open online education through OER and MOOC practices
Ossiannilsson, Ebba; Altınay, Zehra; Altınay, Fahriye
This book chapter offers institutions a roadmap for establishing policies about the quality of open online education. The chapter also describes how institutions can enhance and assure quality through open education ...
Match: MOOC
Enhanced peer assessment in MOOC evaluation Through assignment and review analysis
Alcarria, Ramón; Bordel, Borja; de Andrés, Diego Martín; Robles, Tomás
The rapid evolution of MOOCs in recent years has produced a change in the education of students and in the development of professional skills. There is an increasing pressure on universities to establish procedures for ...
Match: MOOC









