Designing to Engage: How Iterative Design Shapes Learners' Perceptions of Massive Open Online Courses

• In Event: Poster Session 8
  In Poster Session: Motivation, Emotion, and Perception in Technology-Based Learning Environments

Abstract

Poor completion rates among learners in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have fueled skepticism of the format. Scholarship has attributed poor completion to a host of factors and suggested solutions centered on additional supports. Curiously, there is less attention to the role of design. This paper explores how one MOOC’s iterative design shaped learners' perceptions. Using survey data from two versions of a MOOC, the study finds learners’ perceptions are similar for both versions. A closer analysis, however, reveals shifts in the emergence of these perceptions. The relative stability of these perceptions suggests that learners may be more attuned to some dimensions of MOOCs than others. The paper concludes with design implications for MOOCs and other online learning spaces.

Authors

• Kimberly Austin, Relay Graduate School of Education

• Cristina Lamas, Relay Graduate School of Education