The MOOC Phenomenon: Who Takes Massive Open Online Courses and Why?

Christensen, Gayle; Steinmetz, Andrew; Alcorn, Brandon; Bennett, A; Woods, Deirdre; Emanuel, Ezekiel J.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.2350964

Cited by 354 publications

(311 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Among those individuals who were currently working only one-third (30 %) received employer support for professional development activities. The proportion of unemployed/employed for wages in our sample differed from the data available for the US context (Christensen et al 2013) where focusing only on the subsample of learners who were either unemployed or workers for wages, the proportion is 11 % unemployed and 89 % employed.. Figure 4 shows the means for each of the digital competence items. Unsurprisingly, the data showed that our survey respondent's digital competence level was high according to the criteria usually applied for measuring digital competence in the wider population.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Does digital competence and occupational setting influence MOOC participation? Evidence from a cross-course survey

et al. 2016

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While MOOCs are recognized nowadays as a potential format for professional development and lifelong learning, little research has been conducted on the factors that influence MOOC participation of professionals and unemployed in MOOCs. Based on a framework developed earlier, we conducted a study, which focused on the influence of background variables such us digital competence, age, gender and educational level on MOOC participation. Occupational setting was considered as a moderator in the analysis of the impact of digital skills. Results of the study showed that MOOCs were an important tool for unemployed participants who were more likely to enroll in MOOCs than employed learners. MOOCs were also a way for workers who do not received employer support for other training activities to get professional development training. Results of the regression analysis The paper is based on a conference paper presented during the Fourth European MOOCs Stakeholder Summit (eMOOCs2016).The views expressed in this article are purely those of the authors and should not be regarded as the official position of the European Commission. showed that a person's level of digital competence was an important predictor for enrolment in MOOCs and that specifically interaction skills were more important than information skills for participating in the MOOC context.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Does digital competence and occupational setting influence MOOC participation? Evidence from a cross-course survey

et al. 2016

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“…4 Christiansen et al (2013) looked at survey data from over 34,000 participants in 32 MOOCs and found that approximately 80% of the participants had Page 26.1168.2 a college degree and were taking the courses primarily to advance in their jobs or for intellectual curiosity. 5 Low completion rates and high education levels of participants were reported by Belanger et al (2013) for Duke University's first MOOC as well. 6 Those studies primarily focused on participants' demographics, their reasons for enrollment, and usage patterns (e.g., number of people completing each exam) -metrics that are relatively easy to quantify.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 88%

MOOC on a Budget: Development and Implementation of a Low-cost MOOC at a State University

Nissenson

Shih

2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings

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One of the biggest barriers to MOOC development is the large initial cost -sometimes exceeding $100,000 -and the possibility of never recovering that cost through course-related fees. This obstacle prevents many state universities and community colleges from creating their own MOOCs, denying faculty at those institutions the opportunity to help build MOOC content and to gain experience with this new teaching style. This paper presents a successful strategy for primarily undergraduate institutions to create their own MOOCs using local resources at relatively low cost. The authors discuss the development and implementation of Cal Poly Pomona's first MOOC, which was offered for 10 weeks during Spring 2014. The MOOC was an introduction to computer programming course and was open to everyone in the world for free. It was developed in stages over two years at a total cost of approximately $10,000 to the university. Significant savings were achieved by hosting the MOOC on a free platform (Blackboard CourseSites), repurposing existing materials from a hybrid course, hiring student assistants for video production, and utilizing undergraduate student volunteers to help on discussion boards. A total of 2119 participants enrolled in the course with 335 participants (16%) receiving a passing grade. Participants who were still actively engaged in the course by Week 2 had a much higher passing rate of 58%. Discussion boards and surveys provided feedback about the course format, participants' demographics, and participants' attitudes of the course. Most participants possessed at least a bachelor's degree, took the course primarily to enhance job-related skills, and were unaffiliated with the university. Participants' comments about the MOOC were overwhelmingly positive and the MOOC enhanced their attitudes toward the university and subject matter. Based on the success of this first offering, an expanded version of the MOOC will be offered during Spring 2015.

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“…Followings <Table 1> are hypothetical constructs per the fundamental definitions. [4], [8], [15], [19] Emphasizing learning environment focused on interaction away from traditional online education a method of MOOC planning and realizing learning environment [6], [8], [14], [16], [19] Changing and Evolving Education System focused on learners factors needed for learning continuity [2], [3], [6], [8], [11], [14] A role of destructive innovation for existing education system a role of MOOC improving existing education system [7], [18], [19] Providing high quality courses to anyone in the dimension of lifelong education a direction of practice in the national and personal dimension [2], [8], [10], [12], [19] 3. Method…”

Section: Issues Of Mooc Participationmentioning

confidence: 99%