Impact of MOOCs and Future Trends

From Digital Culture & Society

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Revision as of 15:27, 30 November 2023

1 The emergent role of the MOOC instructor: a qualitative study of trends toward improving future practice
2 Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020

The emergent role of the MOOC instructor: a qualitative study of trends toward improving future practice

Context

In the early phases of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), teachers take on a variety of tasks; these include producer, director, facilitator, subject matter expert, curator, and researcher. These positions are examined in this article. It draws attention to the unique qualities of MOOCs, such as the capacity for a large number of participants and the open format of instruction in a public setting. The investigation explores if MOOC teachers adopt a "star" persona and garner a celebrity fan base. Eight teachers were interviewed for the study in May and June of 2014. The paper concludes that the instructor's role is diminished in both collaborative, community-focused "cMOOC" and more content-broadcast, lecture-focused "xMOOC" pedagogies. During the live MOOC, peer interaction, automated grading, and teaching assistant involvement take center stage, making professors appear less prominent than other participants.

Overview

The Article introduces MOOCs and provides how they relate to online learning as we are evolving from paper assignments to radio, television, and now, online technologies. The article then raises questions about whether MOOCs, as large, as open online courses, require adjustments and revisions to teaching practices for optimal learning at scale. It examines early MOOC research and explores the experiences of eight MOOC instructors to assess the current state of effective teaching at scale in this emerging field. Within MOOCs and online learning, the article discusses the evolution of interactivity in online education over the past two decades, emphasizing practices such as text-based forum discussions, facilitation techniques, and the design of engaging learning challenges. It highlights pedagogical concepts like social knowledge construction and connectivism, which have contributed to a shift in learning control from subject matter experts to collaborative knowledge creation among students. The text introduces MOOCs as a natural extension of distance learning, tracing their development from paper assignments to radio and television programming, and now, online technologies. It raises a crucial question about whether the massive and open nature of MOOCs requires adjustments to teaching practices for effective learning at scale. The article aims to explore this question by examining early MOOC research and investigating the experiences of eight MOOC instructors to assess the current state of effective teaching in this emerging field. The article explores the role of the instructor in a MOOC from early MOOCs to variations and classifications of MOOCS. This article provides two different tables for their methodology. One is the interview protocol and the second is MOOC interviewees and MOOC type classifications. The article analyzes the instructor's role by analyzing future issues and trends and the best practices in MOOCs while ending on the best practices in MOOCS.

Research Design and Hypothesis

This qualitative research aimed to understand the key attributes that contribute to the success of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) instructors. Informational interviews were conducted with MOOC instructors referred by colleagues, representing diverse subject areas and geographical locations. Despite an initial outreach to over 25 potential instructors, the study concluded with insights from eight participants (seven males and one female). An interview protocol, consisting of eight carefully formulated questions, and guided discussions to gather perceptions of the instructional assets necessary for a MOOC instructor to be effective. The interviews, conducted via Skype, phone, or email, lasted over one hour each, with some followed up by clarifying questions. The chosen method of the interview was based on the preferences of the interviewees. These questions include: What compelled you to teach a MOOC? When and where was it offered, how many students enrolled, what was the name of the MOOC class, and what was the timeframe? How long have you been teaching online? What characteristics do you feel made you an effective MOOC instructor? What activities were included in your role as instructor? How would you characterize the interactions you had with the students in your MOOC? How many hours were you/other instructors spending online each week? If you have an opportunity to teach a MOOC again, what might you do differently?

Strengths and weaknesses

This study excels in exploring the factors contributing to MOOC teachers' success. By thoroughly investigating key elements, it aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of educators' experiences and perspectives. The inclusion of MOOC instructors from diverse areas enhances the applicability and generalizability of the findings, emphasizing the importance of diverse representation. In this study, a qualitative approach is crucial since the research's qualitative character enables a more nuanced understanding of instructors' experiences, attitudes, and views while also offering a broader perspective. The interview methodology, which consists of eight well-crafted questions, is another strong point of this study. It guarantees a methodical and thorough approach to data collection. Among the study's weaknesses is the small sample size, which may limit the generalizability of the conclusions and ignore possible differences in experiences among a broader and more diverse group of teachers. The study's conclusion is based on the insights of only eight participants. There is a limited scope of questions because there are only eight in the interview process. This could limit the amount of information that is acquired, especially if some important components of MOOC training are not covered. The study's reliance on self-reported data from instructors may bring subjectivity and bias, as people may describe their experiences favourably or have different ideas about what efficacy is. This is another limitation of the research. There is no exploration of student viewpoints because the focus of this study is only on teacher perspectives. This leads to the omission of important student perspectives, which may offer a more thorough knowledge of MOOC dynamics. Additionally, there is no comparative analysis, which could provide more light on the distinctive features of MOOC training. This study does not compare any MOOCs to one another or traditional teaching techniques. In conclusion, the study offers insightful qualitative information about the viewpoints of MOOC instructors, but it is important to take into account some of its shortcomings, especially the small sample size and possible biases in participant selection and self-reported data.

Assessment

The article is valuable because it explores the unique characteristics of massive online courses and looks at the many roles that teachers played in the early MOOCs. It investigates whether MOOC teachers take on a "star" character through interviews with eight instructors and comes to the conclusion that both collaborative and content-broadcast pedagogies diminish their importance. The study's strengths include a thorough investigation of MOOC instructors' experiences and a qualitative methodology; nevertheless, drawbacks include a small sample size, possible biases, and a restricted range of topics as well as providing details on future trends. The Article offers insightful information about MOOC dynamics and raises important questions about large-scale, successful online learning.

Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 provided 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.

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Impact of MOOCs and Future Trends

From Digital Culture & Society

Revision as of 15:27, 30 November 2023

Contents

The emergent role of the MOOC instructor: a qualitative study of trends toward improving future practice

Context

Overview

Research Design and Hypothesis

Strengths and weaknesses

Assessment

Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020

Context

Overview

Research Design and Hypothesis

Strengths and Weaknesses

Assessment

Views

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 The article is valuable because it explores the unique characteristics of massive online courses and looks at the many roles that teachers played in the early MOOCs. It investigates whether MOOC teachers take on a "star" character through interviews with eight instructors and comes to the conclusion that both collaborative and content-broadcast pedagogies diminish their importance. The study's strengths include a thorough investigation of MOOC instructors' experiences and a qualitative methodology; nevertheless, drawbacks include a small sample size, possible biases, and a restricted range of topics as well as providing details on future trends. The Article offers insightful information about MOOC dynamics and raises important questions about large-scale, successful online learning.
+=== Trends and Future Prospects in MOOC Researches: A Systematic Literature Review 2013–2020 ===
+===== ''' 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.
+===== ''' 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.
+===== ''' 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.
+===== ''' 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.
+===== ''' 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 provided 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.