Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020
From Digital Culture & Society
Meet, R. K., & Kala, D. (2021). Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020. Contemporary Educational Technology, 13(3), ep312-. https://doi.org/10.30935/cedtech/10986 [1]
Contents |
[edit] Context
In order to compile information about Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from academic publications published between 2013 and 2020, this study undertakes a thorough literature review. 102 articles from peer-reviewed conferences and journals are included in the review; the studies were retrieved from large academic databases. The results are divided into several study themes that address the MOOC studies' geographic distribution, citation patterns, popular research themes, theoretical frameworks, and the methodological rigour of previously published academic publications. The findings show that US universities produce the majority of empirical research, with institutions in China and India coming in second and third. Research mostly focuses on MOOC adoption; low MOOC completion rates, topics connected to instructors, and the democratization of MOOCs receive less attention. The paper also discusses thrust areas in MOOC research and suggests future research directions.
[edit] Overview
This article discusses trends and prospects in MOOC Research as well as provides the reader with a systematic literature review from 2013 to 2020 it gives an introduction to MOOCs as they are viewed as a disruptive innovation in education and as a major force behind the development and change of secondary and postsecondary education. By granting free access to education worldwide, MOOCs are seen as a way to support social inclusion and encourage lifelong learning in line with the Sustainable Development Goals for Quality Education. As evidenced by the "Innovation Pedagogy Report 2014" MOOCs are among the most promising technologies for bringing about a radical transformation in education. MOOCs have come under scrutiny and criticism, despite early hopes that they would be a disruptive force. They have gone from being hailed as groundbreaking inventions to becoming the focus of discussion and government attention. The article later proceeds to discuss the significance of the research which acknowledges previous literature reviews on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and emphasizes the need for an updated systematic review of empirical research on MOOCs, given the significant growth in users and courses, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the article, they provide data analysis and the results of the research questions answered neatly in order while providing tables that include the percentage of articles based on the author's institution by country, the frequency of article themes and sub-themes, research method adopted, sampling method, the use of research instrument, the top twenty data analysis methods used by MOOC researchers and the MOOC scholarship and citation trend by year. The authors continue answering the 5 research questions and move toward a discussion. The article ends with what MOOCs will be like in the future with a ‘future direction and trust areas for MOOC research” subheading.
[edit] Research Design and Hypothesis
The study identifies several reasons for the timeliness and significance of this research, including the diverse impact and reaches of MOOCs, the evolving nature of MOOC research, the digital learning landscape, and the role of MOOCs in education for sustainable development. The paper outlines eight years (2013-2020) as a suitable time frame for analysis, aiming to assist MOOC providers, governments, educators, and policymakers in developing strategies for education democratization. The study sets five research questions to guide the systematic review. The research questions that support scholars, practitioners and policy-makers start with: How empirical MOOC research is geographically distributed? What are the research themes and sub-themes in MOOC research? What are the research methodologies used in MOOC research? What are the citation trends of MOOC research and influential MOOC authors cited most frequently? And which are the most referred theoretical frameworks and models in MOOCs? This review focuses on analyzing and organizing the available literature on Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) from 2013 to 2020. The researchers employed various keywords in selected academic databases, including Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, to identify empirical studies published in prominent peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. The inclusion criteria involved factors such as empirical approach, abstract quality, citation score, and relevance to study objectives. The initial search yielded 296 articles and conference papers, with 92 articles and 10 conference papers meeting the final inclusion criteria. The review indicates a growing interest in MOOC research, with 37 articles published from 2013 to 2016 and 65 articles from 2017 to 2020. The researchers manually analyzed the selected articles to identify key topics, themes, geographical distribution, research methodology, citation trends, and theoretical frameworks.
[edit] Strengths and Weaknesses
When looking into the strengths of this article, they provided a comprehensive Literature Review analyzing 102 articles from peer-reviewed conferences and journals, providing a comprehensive overview of MOOC research from 2013 to 2020. They also had a Diverse Geographic Representation: The study's data collection is varied, reflecting the range of places where MOOC research has been conducted. It notes that most empirical research is produced by US universities, with information about the contributions made by Chinese and Indian institutions as well. The paper included a thorough data analysis. In-depth data analysis results are presented in the paper, along with tables showing the proportion of articles depending on the national institutions of authors, article themes, research methodology, citation trends, and theoretical frameworks. This improves the findings' openness and clarity. Additionally, the article was Current and Pertinent: Given the notable increase in MOOC users and courses, particularly during the COVID-19 outbreak, the research is pertinent. It talks about how MOOC research is changing and how it affects education. Looking into the weaknesses, the study may not fully cover the range of MOOC-related literature because it largely focuses on academic publications, which could leave out important perspectives from non-academic sources. The sample size was also a weakness as the vastness of the MOOC landscape, the study's sample size—102 articles—may be regarded as modest. This can have an impact on how broadly applicable the results are.
[edit] Assessment
This article is valuable because it provides relevant data as the literature review identified eleven research gaps and future directions in the field of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These areas of study are crucial for researchers, course creators, designers, practitioners, and other stakeholders. The article talks about past trends and how MOOCs worked in 2013, and they provide insight from their sample on what MOOCs will look like in the future. These research directions are important because they aim to address gaps in the current understanding of MOOCs and contribute to the improvement and effectiveness of online education.
Er19az 17:23, 7 December 2023 (UTC)
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