How is Learning Fluctuating? FutureLearn MOOCs Fine-grained Temporal Analysis and Feedback to Teachers and Designers

Cristea, Alexandra I.; Alamri, Ahmed; Kayama, Mizue; Stewart, Craig; Alshehri, Mohammad; Shi, Lei

Abstract

Data-intensive analysis of massive open online courses (MOOCs) is popular. Researchers have been proposing various parameters conducive to analysis and prediction of student behaviour and outcomes in MOOCs, as well as different methods to analyse and use these parameters, ranging from statistics, to NLP, to ML, and even graph analysis. In this paper, we focus on patterns to be extracted, and apply systematic data analysis methods in one of the few genuinely large-scale data collection of 5 MOOCs, spread over 21 runs, on FutureLearn, a UK-based MOOCs provider, that, whilst offering a broad range of courses from many universities, NGOs and other institutions, has been less evaluated, in comparison to, e.g., its American counterparts. We analyse temporal quiz solving patterns; specifically, the less explored issue on how the first number of weeks of data predicts activities in the last weeks; we also address the classical MOOC question on the completion chance. Finally, we discuss the type of feedback a teacher or designer could receive on their MOOCs, in terms of fine-grained analysis of their material, and what personalisation could be provided to a student.

Citation

Cristea, A. I., Alamri, A., Kayama, M., Stewart, C., Alshehri, M., & Shi, L. (2018, December). How is Learning Fluctuating? FutureLearn MOOCs Fine-grained Temporal Analysis and Feedback to Teachers and Designers. Presented at 27th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2018), Lund, Sweden

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 27th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2018)
• Acceptance Date: Jun 4, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Aug 22, 2018
• Publication Date: Aug 1, 2018
• Deposit Date: Jul 3, 2019
• Publisher: Association for Information Systems
• Book Title: Information Systems Development: Designing Digitalization (ISD2018 Proceedings)
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1141843
• Publisher URL: http://aisel.aisnet.org/isd2014/proceedings2018/Education/6