As a team we chose to critically review the technology of Massive Open Online Courses, or MOOCs. We chose one specific course to review to achieve the most relevant, comprehensive critical academic reflection on the modern MOOC. The course we are reviewing is The Science of Well Being offered from Yale University, through the host Coursera. Coursera is known as one of the primary MOOC providers, partnering with universities and colleges and offering most everything from online courses, certificates, and even a variety of degrees (Coursera, 2022).
The specific issue I will be exploring through critical inquiry is the engagement, motivation, and retention of students, specifically ‘How do we improve MOOC completion rates by increasing student participation and motivation?’ Although MOOCs have emerged as the golden ticket to providing open access to education, they still seem to fall short of this promise. Enrollment numbers for specific MOOCs can be staggering, however many completion rates sit barely above 10% (Murphy et al, 2014). I hope to evaluate this mismatch between enrollment and completion to determine what factors influence the completion of MOOCs, and in turn, how to improve the success of the MOOC.
To date, my review of The Science of Well Being has been focussed on the strategies in place to encourage students to participate in the course. The course is packed with visual cues and positive reinforcement as you progress through the course: reminder emails, weekly goal charts, progress tracking, and a clear, green check mark that appears when you have finished a section. There is even a disclaimer from the professor directly in the course content that informs the students “You’re not going to have homework in the way of readings or that kind of stuff, but you are going to have homework if you want the stuff to stick” (Santos, 2022, 2:18). Even in my limited exposure to the course so far, I find myself becoming more immune to the bombardment of “atta boys” for completing a section. So, will this approach work? I am interested to see how far Coursera will go to draw my attention back to the course, and whether it will improve my own motivation to engage with the material.
Throughout my continued critical inquiry into The Science of Well Being review, I will aim to shift the focus off shiny new technologies that are offered to students and instead, look at the outcomes of these new methods. Is there a way to decrease the divide and get more students over the finish line of their MOOC education?
References
Coursera. (2022, April 16). https://about.coursera.org
Murphy, J., Williams, A., & Lennox, A. (2014). MOOCs in VET and higher education. 22nd National Vocational Education and Training Research Conference ‘No Frills’: refereed papers. Australian College of Applied Education. 76-82. https://www.ncver.edu.au/__data/assets/file/0025/16765/22nd-no-frills-2728.pdf#page=78
Santos, L. (2022, April 12). The Science of Well Being: Become Happier by Learning and Applying Psychological Science. [Lecture]. Yale University. https://www.coursera.org/learn/the-science-of-well-being/lecture/1SQxW/become-happier-by-learning-applying-psychological-science