Creating collaborative groups in a MOOC: a homogeneous engagement grouping approach

Abstract

Collaborative learning can improve the pedagogical effectiveness of MOOCs.Group formation, an essential step in the design of collaborative learning activities, can be challenging in MOOCs given the scale and the wide variety in such contexts. We discuss the need for considering the behaviours of the students in the course to form groups in MOOC contexts, and propose a grouping approach that employs homogeneity in terms of students' engagement in the course. Two grouping strategies with different degrees of homogeneity are derived from this approach, and their impact to form successful groups is examined in a real MOOC context. The grouping criteria were established using student activity logs (e.g., page-views). The role of the timing of grouping was also examined by carrying out the intervention once in the first and once in the second half of the course. The results indicate that in both interventions, the groups formed with a greater degree of homogeneity had higher rates of taskcompletion and peer interactions, Additionally, students from these groups reported higher levels of satisfaction with their group experiences. On the other hand, a consistent improvement of all indicators was observed in the second intervention, since student engagement becomes more stable later in the course.

Informing the Design of Collaborative Activities in MOOCs using Actionable Predictions

“…To support instructional designers in introducing collaboration, the literature has explored algorithmic approaches to group formation that can outperform random pairing. It has been found that groups formed by clustering of students using certain criteria yield less dropouts [15] and more social interactions [12] compared to the groups formed by random matching. [13] set up groups using theory-driven team formation principles (e.g., heterogeneity in knowledge supports creativity in the group), achieving more productive engagement.…”

“…Consequently, peer interaction and support barely exist in MOOCs [9]. engagement and achievement of learners [15,12]. In the research on supporting collaborative learning in MOOCs, most works have focused on offering technological solutions to perform group formation automatically [12,15].…”

“…engagement and achievement of learners [15,12]. In the research on supporting collaborative learning in MOOCs, most works have focused on offering technological solutions to perform group formation automatically [12,15]. While they are valuable in demonstrating the effect of different criteria in different contexts, they do not support instructors to make informed decisions, and thus they continue to set group size and requirements based on their previous teaching experiences in formal non-massive online courses [12].…”

“…In the research on supporting collaborative learning in MOOCs, most works have focused on offering technological solutions to perform group formation automatically [12,15]. While they are valuable in demonstrating the effect of different criteria in different contexts, they do not support instructors to make informed decisions, and thus they continue to set group size and requirements based on their previous teaching experiences in formal non-massive online courses [12]. The prediction of student behavior has also been researched to estimate dropout, engagement and, sometimes, potential for collaboration, but most of the prediction literature uses post-hoc models that do not produce actionable information [6].…”

Determining Factors in MOOCs Completion Rates: Application Test in Energy Sustainability Courses

“…In this regard, the use of "learning analytics" allows the collection, measurement, analysis, and reporting of various MOOCs' learner data [21], and provides design data to have an attractive and interactive interface, problem/situation-based learning and complexity to promote self-efficacy and flexibility. Design is a critical factor in countering dropout [22], as well as integrating teaching strategies such as game-playing, social networking, and collaborative learning which become attractive to users [23][24][25].…”