Systematic Mapping Study of Academic Engagement in MOOC

Abstract

MOOCs are presented as an affordable and easily accessible modality that offers the opportunity to democratize education in our time; however, this convenience training favors a low completion rate of the participants. Faced with this situation, scholars have suggested that it is necessary to deepen the construct of academic engagement, a concept that has been addressed in the study of face-to-face training, to better understand how students participate in this educational modality. This article systematically explores the existing literature, in the period of 2015-2018, about the construct of academic engagement in online, massive and open learning courses, through a Systematic Mapping of Literature, a method which aims to identify the characteristics of production in a given subject. The results show that there is a considerable increase in published articles that associate academic engagement and MOOCs, mainly from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom. Most of the mapped publications employ qualitative methods, with an exploratory approach, although there are several correlational studies. The study of participation patterns and instructional design appear as the main topics of interest in the field. In addition to providing a general overview of production on the subject, the research provides accurate information that will identify works for more in-depth reviews. Thus, it also offers a replicable and flexible literature search method for different research interests.

A bibliometric review on latent topics and trends of the empirical MOOC literature (2008–2019)

“…As both the above reviews analyzed 38 articles within a narrow time frame of about 3–4 years, there was a need to extend current empirical knowledge to explore more findings. Davis et al ( 2018 ) investigated 126 MOOC studies published between 2009 and 2017 from an active learning perspective and found that the three most effective active learning strategies were cooperative learning, simulations and gaming, and interactive multimedia, and Guajardo Leal et al ( 2019 ) focused on MOOC learning engagement and reviewed 176 articles published from 2015 to 2018, finding that most related articles were from the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom and most had employed qualitative exploratory methods.…”

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].…”

Indicators for enhancing learners’ engagement in massive open online courses: A systematic review

“…Henrie, Halverson, and Graham's [48] review examined the current approaches to measuring student engagement in technology-mediated learning, finding that quantitative self-report, qualitative measures, quantitative observational measures, and physiological sensors have been used. Similarly, Guajardo-Leal, Navarro-Corona, and González [45] systematically mapped academic engagement in MOOCs to identify and delineate the construct of academic engagement in MOOCs. Their results show the methodological perspectives, designs, and approaches and the types of instruments used, as well as emerging thematic trends in the study of academic engagement in MOOCs.…”