Journal Articles
Abstract
This paper presents a narrative review of the literature related to the landscape of learning and teaching in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Past reviews of the MOOC literature have primarily focused on identifying trends and categorising MOOC studies. Syntheses of recent empirical contributions on learning and teaching in MOOCs are scarce. This review evaluated 102 academic studies published between 2014 and 2016 on the learning and teaching aspects of MOOCs. These studies were analysed using Biggs’ 3P Model of Teaching and Learning as an organising framework. The analysis examines four key learning and teaching factors: learner factors, teaching context, learner engagement, and learning outcomes. Five important findings emerged from this analysis: (1) evidence-based research on non-mainstream consumers of MOOCs is scarce; (2) the role of learner factors is oversimplified in evidence-based MOOC research; (3) there is no attempt to reconcile different approaches to measuring learner engagement with MOOCs; (4) measures of learning outcomes lack sophistication and are often based on single variables; and (5) the relationships between many of the key learning and teaching factors have not been clarified. It is argued that continuing to study learning and teaching factors in isolation without considering how they interact with each other does not move the research field forward.
Citation
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gannaway, D. (2019). Progress and new directions for teaching and learning in MOOCs. Computers & Education, 129, 48-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2018.10.019
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the complexity of conceptualising and measuring learner engagement in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The paper develops and validates a MOOC engagement scale (MES) to measure learner engagement. The initial questionnaire items of the scale were developed by reviewing existing related literature and validated student engagement constructs. This was followed by a modified scale development process, including two focus group interviews (n = 10), an exploratory survey (n = 12), an expert review (n = 10), a pilot survey (n = 15), an item purification study (n = 590) and a construct validation study (n = 303). The final version of the scale is made up of four dimensions: behavioural engagement, cognitive engagement, emotional engagement and social engagement. The paper concludes with recommendations for how the MES can be used to assess the pattern of engagement in MOOCs and to investigate the relationship between learner engagement and other important MOOC teaching and learning factors.
Citation
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gannaway, D. (2020). Learner engagement in MOOCs: Scale development and validation. British Journal of Educational Technology, 51(1), 245-262. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12810
Abstract
Prior studies of MOOC learners have focused almost exclusively on behavioural and social aspects of engagement. This paper extends the scope of previous studies by adopting a multi-dimensional, person-centred approach to investigate learner engagement in MOOCs. An analysis of 1,452 self-administered survey responses uncovered three prototypical categories of MOOC learners based on patterns of behavioural, cognitive, emotional and social engagement: (a) “Individually Engaged” learners, (b) “Least Engaged” learners and (c) “Wholly Engaged” learners. The study revealed significant differences among the three cohorts of MOOC participants with respect to learner factors (gender, origin, motivation), teaching context (course level, course duration, form of the assessment) and learning outcomes (course completion, perceived quality of instruction). The results of this study suggest that adopting a multi-dimensional, person-centred approach can be useful for researchers and practitioners to classify MOOC learners into subpopulations, design effective educational interventions that best engage different types of learners, and provide support and scaffolding to individuals with idiosyncratic or problematic engagement patterns.
Citation
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gannaway, D. (2020). Linking learner factors, teaching context, and engagement patterns with MOOC learning outcomes. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 36(5), 688-708. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcal.12437
Abstract
Past MOOC research has tended to focus on learning outcomes valued in traditional higher education settings, such as achievement and retention. This study recognises that student ratings are an important alternative outcome measure in MOOCs. This paper adopted a semiautomatic text mining approach to collect and analyse 8,475 ratings and reviews submitted for 1,794 MOOCs. The analysis revealed six important themes that contributed to positive ratings: ‘learning’, ‘understanding’, ‘interesting’, ‘videos’, ‘recommend’, and ‘questions’. The paper then investigated the characteristics of each identified theme based on the proximity of themes, distribution of concepts within themes, and important connections. Based on research findings, the paper presents the following propositions to assist educators and providers to enhance the learning experience in MOOCs: (1) provide realistic learning contexts and instructional conditions in MOOCs to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge that transfers more readily to real-world practices; (2) carefully design the instructional conditions so that some mental challenge and stimulation is required for learners to achieve a full understanding of the content, rather than making MOOCs too simple or effortless to complete; (3) design the course content, materials, and communications to generate interest; (4) allocate sufficient resources to create high-quality video lectures; (5) employ video lectures to elicit positive emotions from MOOC learners and simplify complex, difficult concepts; and (6) incorporate discussion boards in MOOCs and invest in human and digital resources to address learners’ queries.
Citation
Deng, R., & Benckendorff, P. (2021). What are the key themes associated with the positive learning experience in MOOCs? An empirical investigation of learners’ ratings and reviews. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-021-00244-3
Abstract
Research on massive open online courses (MOOCs) has tended to focus on outcome indicators valued in traditional higher education settings, particularly achievement and completion. This study highlights the differences between MOOCs and credit-bearing university courses and shifts this focus to an alternative outcome indicator—learner satisfaction. In this study, engagement is identified as an important antecedent of learner satisfaction and is conceptualised and operationalised as a multidimensional construct. This study built three regression models to identify the relative importance of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, and social engagement for learner satisfaction after controlling for personal characteristics unrelated to the criteria of good teaching. The analysis showed that engagement explained approximately 20% of the variance in learner satisfaction with MOOCs. Emotional engagement was more influential for predicting learner satisfaction than cognitive engagement and behavioural engagement. Social engagement had no significant effect on learner satisfaction. Demographics (age, education level, and origin) and motivation were of limited utility in predicting learner satisfaction with MOOCs, accounting for 4% and 2% of variance, respectively. Based on research findings, the article presents the following propositions: (1) configure the MOOC teaching and learning environment in a way that enhances emotional engagement; (2) statistically adjust for age, education level, origin, and motivation when interpreting learner satisfaction results; and (3) monitor the level of emotional engagement and implement educational interventions to provide support for emotional disengagers.
Citation
Deng, R. (2021). Emotionally engaged learners are more satisfied with online courses. Sustainability, 13(20), 11169. https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011169
Book Chapter
Abstract
The chapter examines the impact and role of technology on tourism curriculum, pedagogy and assessment. The chapter starts by considering the importance of technology as a content area in the tourism curriculum. The discussion explores contemporary applications of technologies such as simulations, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and mobile learning and their impact on pedagogy. The discussion of assessment practice considers how technologies have provided learners and educators with new tools for assuring and verifying learning gains. Challenges, benefits and future directions are highlighted throughout the chapter. Key themes across the chapter are brought together in the form of a future research agenda for educators and researchers. It is hoped that this chapter will help tourism academics and educators to make informed decisions about the adoption and integration of contemporary educational technologies in their own courses and institutions.
Citation
Deng, R., & Benckendorff, P. (2020). Technology-enabled learning. In Z. Xiang, M. Fuchs, U. Gretzel, & W. Höpken (Eds.), Handbook of e-tourism (pp. 1-27). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05324-6_129-1
Conference Papers
Abstract
This article presents the results of a literature review on key learning and teaching dimensions in MOOCs. 95 studies published from January 2014 to October 2016 were selected for review. Four important learning and teaching dimensions were identified, and relationships between these dimensions were presented. The key dimensions and sub-dimensions reported in this literature review are student factors (education background, country of origin, age, gender , and motivation), teaching context (motivation, challenge, and pedagogical preference), student engagement (emotional, social, behavioural, and cognitive engagement), and learning outcomes (perception, retention, and grade). The review provides evidence of a relationship between student factors and engagement and a relationship between student engagement and learning outcomes.
Citation
Deng, R., Benckendorff, P., & Gannaway, D. (2017). Understanding learning and teaching in MOOCs from the perspectives of students and instructors: A review of literature from 2014 to 2016. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 10254, 176-181. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-59044-8_20
Abstract
This study reviews research methods commonly adopted in scholarly literature on students’ and instructors’ experiences of using Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), published from January 2014 to April 2016. 53 articles were identified through a search of four electronic databases. The findings show that surveys, interviews, and log files extracted from MOOC platforms were the most frequently adopted methods for data collection. The use of other qualitative research methods such as diary studies and focus groups was less common. The majority of identified articles adopt a single research method. Methodological triangulation is observed in studies which collect data from multiple sources. For studies which adopted methodological triangulation, it is observed that surveys are often triangulated with interviews and log files. The ways in which MOOC scholars use the key research methods are discussed, and future research avenues based on the research results are provided.
Citation
Deng, R., & Benckendorff, P. (2017). A contemporary review of research methods adopted to understand students’ and instructors’ use of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). International Journal of Information and Education Technology, 7(8), 601-607. https://doi.org/10.18178/ijiet.2017.7.8.939