Massive Open Online Challenges in Education: Using Various Analytics to Evaluate the Success of a MOOC

Abstract

The world today is witnessing an increasing interest in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). This new form of Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) is in the spotlight, particularly when it comes to the topic of the evolving nature of higher education learning. Advocates of MOOCs propose that open courses are being celebrated because they reach an unlimited number of people and require no fees hence making education accessible by all. Opponents of MOOCs suggest there is no empirical verification that the promised advancement to 21st-century pedagogy is being materialised by TEL courses. They suggest that the scale of pedagogical improvements offered and provided by MOOCs has been modest and that there has been mixed results with regards to their success in meeting the needs of the diverse and changing forms of learning. In this paper, the authors evaluate the overall design, user experience and satisfaction of an MOOC course offered by the United Nations Environment Programme and delivered by Concordia University. Creating a well-designed MOOC is an interdisciplinary effort emanating from several specialities and input from various disciplines. Evaluating an MOOC also requires utilising various analytics such as descriptive, diagnostic, predictive and prescriptive analytics to inspect the plethora of information arising from learners’ interactions with each other, with the system, with the content, to improve user experience, satisfaction and course effectiveness. This paper will benefit faculty members, consultants, analysts, as well as, e-learning service providers who utilise assess and deliver TEL courses.



Author Information
Jihan Rabah, Concordia University, Canada
Anik De St. Hilaire, KnowledgeOne Inc., Canada

Paper Information
Conference: ACTC2017
Stream: Open and distance learning technologies

This paper is part of the ACTC2017 Conference Proceedings (View)
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Posted by James Alexander Gordon