The MOOC Survival Chronicles: Understanding Dropout With Learner Personas

• In Event: Persistence in Online Learning Environments

Abstract

This study examines MOOC dropout behavior by analyzing learners' intentions using three personas: Knowledge Seekers, Undecided Explorers, and Goal-Oriented Learners (Authors, 2024). Employing survival analysis, we found that intentions and participation behaviors, such as unique videos watched, problems attempted, and active days, significantly predict lower dropout rates over demographic factors like age and gender identity. Our findings highlight the importance of aligning learner intentions with specific course behaviors to support self-regulation and reduce dropout rates. We identify future research directions that can further explore the relationships between learner intentions and reducing MOOC dropout rates.

Authors

• Rob Moore, University of Florida

• Chuang Wang, University of North Carolina - Charlotte

• Sophia Soomin Lee, University of Florida