MOOCs as a massive research laboratory: opportunities and challenges

• Published in: Distance education Vol. 36; no. 1; pp. 5 - 25
• Main Authors: Diver, Paul, Martinez, Ignacio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Melbourne Routledge 02.01.2015; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Academic achievement; Academic Persistence; achievement; big data subject classification code I21; Business Administration Education; Certification; Classification; College Students; Comparative Analysis; Computer Mediated Communication; Course organisation; Distance Education; Distance learning; Dropout Rate; Educational Technology; effort; Electronic Learning; Forums; History Instruction; Large Group Instruction; Massive open online courses; MOOCs; Nontraditional Education; Online Courses; online education; Online learning; Online teaching; Opportunities; Pedagogy; Procrastination; Scores; Student Behavior; Student motivation; Student Participation; subject classification code I23; Surveys; Teaching Methods; Tests; Use Studies; Video Technology; Virginia; Web based courses; Virginia
• ISSN: 0158-7919; 1475-0198
• DOI: 10.1080/01587919.2015.1019968

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) offer many opportunities for research into several topics related to pedagogical methods and student incentives. In the context of over 20 years of online learning research, we discuss lessons to be learned from observational comparisons and experiments on randomly chosen groups of students. We target two MOOCs for our study. We investigate dropout rates and how students who decide to drop out differ from those who continue courses. We discuss class forums and video lectures and how these interactions correlate with achievement. We explore the strong correlation between procrastination and achievement and implications for MOOC design. We examine the role of certifications offered by MOOCs and how different options can affect outcomes. We also examine the potential of linking data across courses. We discuss survey data in the context of these MOOCs. These research opportunities offer big data challenges, which are addressed with parallel computing techniques.