Learner Progress in MOOCs: A Person-Oriented Perspective

• In Event: Marriott Roundtable Session 15

Abstract

In three MOOCs, we examined how learners’ motivational factors of self-efficacy and task-value related to their course progress and achievement, as informed by their initial course completion intention. Learners completed a pre-course survey to report their level of task-value and self-efficacy and to indicate their intention to complete each topic within a MOOC. Using clustering techniques, we identified two distinct groups of learners in three MOOCs based on the variables of self-efficacy and task-value: higher-motivation group and lower-motivation group. In two MOOCs, higher-motivation groups achieved significantly higher grades and adhered significantly more so to their initial completion intention, compared to lower-motivation groups.

Authors

• Hedieh Najafi, University of Michigan

• Laurie Harrison, University of Toronto

• Carol N. Rolheiser, OISE/University of Toronto

• William Heikoop