scholarly journals Motivational effects of open badges in MOOCs. A learner perception study in OpenVM Learning Hub and MiriadaX

e-mentor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-35
Author(s):  
Ilona Buchem ◽  
◽  
Oriol Borrás Gené ◽  

Open Badges have become a metadata standard that has been used to transform digital credentialing practices in learning contexts including Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Badges may be designed and used in diverse ways to enhance learner motivation in MOOCs. However, empirical research about the motivational effects of the badging process has been limited to anecdotal evidence. Objective: The goal of this study was to explore the motivational effects of open badges in MOOCs. The primary research question was whether and how open badges motivate participants to: a) learn in MOOCs, b) to complete MOOCs, and c) to use Open Badges outside of the MOOC environment. Method: An exploratory learner perception study was conducted in two platforms: OpenVM and MiriadaX. Both platforms issue Open Badges to recognize learning outcomes in MOOCs. The research sample included 1788 participants with diverse backgrounds, who participated in OpenVM (n = 1412) and in MiriadaX (n = 376) courses. Learner perceptions were self-reported via two online surveys, which included an aligned set of items in English (OpenVM) and Spanish (MiriadaX). Results: The findings show that regardless of the MOOC platform, the topic of the course and the language of instruction, MOOC participants were motivated by open badges, especially by an adequate description of the skills developed in the MOOCs. A regression analysis indicated that an adequate skill description in the open badges had the greatest predictive value for motivation to learn in MOOCs and to complete the course (r2 = 56.3%). The instrument with five items showed high internal consistency (α = 0.92).

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Shrivastava ◽  
Ashish Shrivastava

Purpose This study aims to investigate the attributes of the online programme that are considered and compute their relative importance in the purchase decision. This study aims to identify the most lucrative bundling of these attributes and their levels that can be used by online education companies to craft their product design strategy to attract customers with the most attractive offering. Design/methodology/approach This research paper endeavours to identify the attributes of online education, which customers consider for making a purchase decision. Exploratory factor analysis followed by confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify the key attributes of online education programmes. This paper uses the conjoint analysis technique to identify the most preferred bundling of attributes, which online education companies can package to attract customers. Findings Based on various attributes and their respective levels, it is evident the most lucrative design for attracting customers to buy online education programmes is to provide certification from a reputed international university, which requires an investment to the tune of 3,000–5,000. The duration of four weeks with asynchronous pedagogy and access to course material vial uniform resource locator (URL) is a preferred feature. Access via a mobile application is more preferred over Web access. A phone application is known to be optimised, and most people are using mobile phones to access the internet. Online certification or degrees that are considered as valid employment qualifications were most preferred over other reasons. Originality/value There is a dearth of studies on massive open online courses (MOOCs) from a product design perspective. There is a gap in the context of the features to be included in the MOOCs package so that the customer can find more value in it, and the companies can benefit by expanding their customer base. The research question which this study endeavours to explore is what attributes consumers of MOOCs consider when making a purchase decision. This study will also find the relative importance of these attributes.


Author(s):  
Hasan Uçar ◽  
Alper Tolga Kumtepe

Massive Open Online Courses, aka MOOCs, have become an indispensable part of the online education routine. Many universities and organizations put a lot of effort into designing, developing, and running such courses. However, it still remains to be an under-researched area. One of the most important issues associated with success in MOOCs is the learner motivation. High dropout and low retention rates have been attributed to learners' low motivation. A recipe for these motivational challenges in MOOCs is provided by the ARCS-V motivational theory. This motivation design model provides a frame for analyzing the MOOCs learners, learning environment, and the resources. Based on this analysis, the model provides suggestions for assigning motivational tactics and strategies. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to introduce Keller's ARCS-V motivational design model and discuss it as a potential remedy to motivational issues in MOOCs by administering and delivering motivational strategies based on the model in MOOCs environments.


Author(s):  
Jean-François Colas ◽  
Peter B. Sloep ◽  
Muriel Garreta-Domingo

<p>A new approach for overcoming the language and culture barriers to participation in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) is reported. It is hypothesised that the juxtaposition of English as the <em>language of instruction</em>, used for interacting with course materials, and one’s preferred language as the <em>language of participation</em>, used for interaction with peers and facilitators, is preferable to “English only” for participation in a MOOC. The Hands-On ICT (HANDSON) MOOC included seven teams of facilitators, each catering for a different language community. Facilitators were responsible for promoting active participation and peer tutoring. Comparing language groups revealed a series of predictors of intention to learn, some of which became apparent in the first days of the MOOC already. The comparison also uncovered four critical factors that influence participation: facilitation, language of participation, group size, and a pre-existing sense of community. Especially crucial was reaching a sufficient number of active participants during the first week. We conclude that multilingual facilitation activates participation in MOOCs in various ways, and that synergy between the four aforementioned factors is critical for the formation of the learning network that supports a social dynamic of active participation. Our approach suggests future targets for the development of the multilingual and community potential of MOOCs.</p>


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-190
Author(s):  
Vanessa Da Silva Balbino ◽  
Sérgio Crespo C S Pinto ◽  
Ruth Maria Mariani Braz

Este é um artigo que discute e analisa o uso dos Cursos Online Abertos Massivos - MOOC como ferramenta para docentes de alunos com Transtornos do Espectro do Autismo – TEA. No estudo buscou-se responder de que forma os cursos online, no formato MOOC podem ser utilizados como ferramentas em uma perspectiva inclusiva na capacitação de professores de alunos com TEA. Na presente pesquisa foi adotado o procedimento metodológico de revisão de literatura, com uma abordagem qualitativa e quantitativa. Utilizamos as bases de busca da Biblioteca Brasileira de Teses e Dissertações - BDTD, do Portal de Periódicos da Capes, do Google Acadêmico e da Scientific Eletronic Library Online- SciELO, com o objetivo de levantar os trabalhos publicados sobre a temática nos últimos cinco anos. Apontamos que os cursos MOOC são considerados ferramentas abertas, por serem gratuitos, bem como massivos, pois podem captar um número elevado de pessoas. Estes cursos podem ser divididos em módulos e na plataforma escolhida, são disponibilizados textos, vídeos, fóruns e exercícios. Concluímos que os MOOC, quando utilizados numa perspectiva inclusiva, por meio da formação continuada, podem servir de ferramenta de apoio aos professores que poderão explorar conteúdos e materiais valiosos para a aprendizagem de estudantes com TEA.   Palavras-chave: Cursos Online Massivos. Autismo. Formação Continuada.   Abstract  This is an article that discusses and analyzes the use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) as a tool for teachers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In the study we tried to answer the following research question: How can online courses in MOOC format be used as tools from an inclusive perspective in the training of teachers of students with ASD? We used the search bases of the Brazilian Library of Theses and Dissertations (BDTD), of the Capes Periodical Portal, of Google Scholar and of the Scientific Eletronic Library Online (Scielo), with the objective of to survey the works published on the subject in the last 5 years. In this present research we adopted the methodological procedure of literature review with a qualitative and quantitative approach. As a result, we found that MOOCs courses are considered open tools, as they are free, as well as massive, as they can attract a large number of people. These courses can be divided into modules and on the chosen platform, texts, videos, forums and exercises are available. We conclude that MOOCs, when in an inclusive perspective, through continuing education, can serve as a support tool for teachers who will be able to explore valuable content and materials for the learning of students with ASD.   Keywords: Massive Online Courses. Autism. Continuing Education.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 5817
Author(s):  
Christian M. Stracke ◽  
Giada Trisolini

This paper presents the findings from a systematic literature review on the quality of massive open online courses (MOOCs). The main research question was “How can the quality criteria for MOOCs identified in the analysed studies from the systematic literature review be best organised in a categorisation scheme?” The systematic literature review was conducted using the PRISMA procedures. After conducting the screening and eligibility analysis according the pre-defined criteria, 103 studies were finally selected. The analysis was done in iterative cycles for continuous improvements of the assignments and clustering of the quality criteria. The final version was validated in consensus through the categorisation and assignment of all 103 studies in a consistent way to four dimensions (pedagogical, organisational, technological, and social) and their sub-categories. This quality framework can be re-used in future MOOC research and the discussion of the analysed studies provides a current literature overview on the quality of MOOCs.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-81
Author(s):  
Mukaramatu Tahiru ◽  
Rosemaliza Kamaludeen

The pattern of learning in recent years have been impacted by the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The impact of MOOCs on the field of education have been investigated by many researches. MOOCs, since their inception have attracted a considerable amount of attention within higher education. This study therefore examines the extent of IIUM postgraduate students’ awareness knowledge of MOOCs, how-to knowledge of MOOCs, actual usage of MOOCs, perceived usefulness of MOOCs, attitude towards MOOCs and intention to use MOOCs for academic purposes. The research question concentrated on the extent of the students’ awareness knowledge, how-to knowledge, perceived usefulness, attitude, actual usage, and intention to use MOOCs for academic purposes. One hundred and ninety respondents were involved in this study. The analysis procedure made use of descriptive statistics to find the percentages, frequencies, mean and standard deviation of data. The findings reveal that majority of the respondents do not have awareness knowledge and how-to knowledge of MOOCs. It also shows very few respondents have actual usage of MOOCs. However, majority of the respondents have positive attitude towards MOOCs and majority of them show their intentions to use MOOCs for academic purposes. The study reveals a vital implication on how IIUM ought to scheme policies to increase adequate awareness of MOOCs and more importantly its usefulness to students.


Author(s):  
Hedieh Najafi ◽  
Carol Rolheiser ◽  
Laurie Harrison ◽  
Will Heikoop

We examined how massive open online courses (MOOC) learners’ motivational factors, self-efficacy, and task-value related to their course progress and achievement, as informed by learners’ initial course completion intention. In three individual MOOCs, learners completed a pre-course survey to report their levels of task-value and self-efficacy and to indicate their intention to complete each course topic. Using clustering techniques, we identified two distinct groups of learners in the three MOOCs based on self-efficacy and task-value variables: higher-motivation group and lower-motivation group. The higher-motivation group achieved significantly higher grades in two of the MOOCs, and also adhered to their initial completion intention significantly more so than the lower-motivation group. We posit that MOOC completion research should consider learners’ topic-level interest as one success criterion. Further research can clarify perceived task-value in relation to learners’ existing knowledge, their learning goals, and learning outcomes related to the MOOC participation.Nous avons examiné comment, dans les cours en ligne ouverts à tous (CLOT), les facteurs de motivation des apprenants, leur autoefficacité et leur valeur tâche étaient reliés à leurs progrès et à leur achèvement du cours selon l’intention initiale d’achèvement du cours des apprenants. Dans trois CLOT, les apprenants ont rempli un sondage avant le début du cours pour indiquer leur degré de valeur tâche et d’autoefficacité, ainsi que leur intention de compléter chaque sujet du cours. À l’aide de techniques agglomératives, nous avons cerné deux groupes distincts d’apprenants dans trois CLOT selon les variables de la valeur tâche et de l’autoefficacité : un groupe à plus forte motivation, et un groupe dont la motivation était plus faible. Le groupe dont la motivation était plus élevée a obtenu des notes considérablement plus élevées dans deux CLOT et, dans deux cours, ont adhéré à leur intention initiale d’achèvement considérablement plus que le groupe dont la motivation était moindre. Nous posons en principe que la recherche sur l’achèvement des CLOT devrait tenir compte de l’intérêt des apprenants sur le plan des sujets comme étant un critère de réussite. De plus amples recherches pourraient clarifier la valeur tâche perçue relativement aux connaissances préalables des apprenants, à leurs objectifs d’apprentissage et aux résultats d’apprentissage liés à la participation aux CLOT.


2015 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Savat ◽  
Greg Thompson

One of the more dominant themes around the use of Deleuze and Guattari's work, including in this special issue, is a focus on the radical transformation that educational institutions are undergoing, and which applies to administrator, student and educator alike. This is a transformation that finds its expression through teaching analytics, transformative teaching, massive open online courses (MOOCs) and updateable performance metrics alike. These techniques and practices, as an expression of control society, constitute the new sorts of machines that frame and inhabit our educational institutions. As Deleuze and Guattari's work posits, on some level these are precisely the machines that many people in their day-to-day work as educators, students and administrators assemble and maintain, that is, desire. The meta-model of schizoanalysis is ideally placed to analyse this profound shift that is occurring in society, felt closely in the so-called knowledge sector where a brave new world of continuous education and motivation is instituting itself.


2013 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol Yeager ◽  
Betty Hurley-Dasgupta ◽  
Catherine A. Bliss

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) continue to attract press coverage as they change almost daily in their format, number of registrations and potential for credentialing. An enticing aspect of the MOOC is its global reach. In this paper, we will focus on a type of MOOC called a cMOOC, because it is based on the theory of connectivism and fits the definition of an Open Educational Resource (OER) identified for this special edition of JALN. We begin with a definition of the cMOOC and a discussion of the connectivism on which it is based. Definitions and a research review are followed with a description of two MOOCs offered by two of the authors. Research on one of these MOOCs completed by a third author is presented as well. Student comments that demonstrate the intercultural connections are shared. We end with reflections, lessons learned and recommendations.


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