ERIC Number: EJ1036914
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014
Pages: 13
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0892-3647
EISSN: N/A
Understanding MOOCs as an Emerging Online Learning Tool: Perspectives from the Students
Liu, Min; Kang, Jina; Cao, Mengwen; Lim, Mihyun; Ko, Yujung; Myers, Ryan; Schmitz Weiss, Amy
American Journal of Distance Education, v28 n3 p147-159 2014
This study examined participants' learning experiences in the context of a six-week massive open online course (MOOC) in journalism with five thousand students from 137 countries. Three research questions were asked: (1) Who are the students and why are they enrolled in this MOOC?, (2) How much time have the students spent in taking this MOOC and have they completed all the assignments?, and, (3) What have they learned and what aspects of this MOOC do the students find most helpful? Four hundred and nine students responded to a survey and forty-four responded to interview questions. The main findings showed 84% of the participants were working professionals and only 28.9% were from a journalism background. Of those who did not complete the course, lack of time was the top reason. Most participants reported a positive learning experience, but lack of feedback and/or poor quality were reported as negative experiences. The discussion forum was the least liked aspect of the course.
Descriptors: College Students, Assignments, Student Attitudes, Online Courses, Large Group Instruction, Class Size, Student Surveys, Group Discussion, Computer Mediated Communication, Time Management, Time Factors (Learning), Integrated Learning Systems, Interviews, Foreign Countries, Electronic Learning
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A