Motivation and Knowledge: Pre-Assessment and Post-Assessment of MOOC Participants From an Energy and Sustainability Project

Abstract

Understanding factors promoting or preventing participants’ completion of a massive open online course (MOOC) is an important research topic, as attrition rates remain high for this environment. Motivation and digital skills have been identified as aspects promoting student engagement in a MOOC, and they are considered necessary for success. However, evaluation of these factors has often relied on tools for which the psychometric properties have not been explored; this suggests that researchers may be working with potentially inaccurate information for judging participants’ profiles. Through a set of analyses (t-test, exploratory factor analysis, correlation), this study explores the relationship between information collected by administering valid and reliable pre and post instruments to measure traits of MOOC attendees. The findings from this study support previously reported outcomes concerning the strong relationships among motivation, previous knowledge, and perceived satisfaction factors for MOOC completers. Moreover, this study provides evidence of the feasibility of developing valid assessments for evaluation purposes.

Factors for Success and Course Completion in Massive Open Online Courses through the Lens of Participant Types

“…In this direction, Hew and Cheung (2014) stated that learning is one of the reasons for individuals to participate in MOOCs. Similarly, Vázquez, Ramirez-Montoya, and Gónzalez (2018) expressed that completers in MOOCs have more motivation at the beginning of the course. Therefore, determining the initial motivations of participants can help to prepare remedial interventions.…”

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

“…In response to the general objective of this research, it was found that personal factors [3,4], family factors [8][9][10], social factors [14], instructional design factors [17,18] and labor factors [29] influence both the decision to take a MOOC (expectation-value) and, to a certain extent, engagement in the training program-measured by completion rates-as noted in the review of the state of the art. However, not all factors do so in the same way.…”

“…Familiar factors also have a relation to the commitment of MOOC participants. Several studies have developed instruments that consider the background and demographic data as substantial [8] and literature reviews that highlight the importance of building academic commitment and self-regulation to be effective [9,10]. Self-efficacy takes into account student characteristics to understand why some students do not complete these courses [11], where the theory of self-determination touches on issues and sections such as participants' autonomy, competence, and affinity, and based on this, studies and analyzes the background of MOOC participants [12].…”

Investigating the Effect of Blending MOOCs with Flipped Classroom on Engagement in Learning and Course Grades

“…Engagement is defined as "the behavioral intensity and emotional quality of a person's active involvement during a task" (Reeve, Jang, Carrell, Jeon, & Barch, 2004, 147). Engagement in traditional classroom settings are usually associated with improved course satisfaction, improved motivation, more participation in academic activities, and more success levels success levels (de Barba, Kennedy & Ainley 2016;Valdivia, Ramírez-Montoya, & Valenzuela, 2018).…”