Demographic Indicators Influencing Learning Activities in MOOCs: Learning Analytics of FutureLearn Courses

Shi, L.; Cristea, A.I.

Abstract

Big data and analytics for educational information systems, despite having gained researchers’ attention, are still in their infancy and will take years to mature. Massive open online courses (MOOCs), which record learner-computer interactions, bring unprecedented opportunities to analyse learner activities at a very fine granularity, using very large datasets. To date, studies have focused mainly on dropout and completion rates. This study explores learning activities in MOOCs against their demographic indicators. In particular, pre-course survey data and online learner interaction data collected from two MOOCs, delivered by the University of Warwick, in 2015, 2016, and 2017, are used, to explore how learner demographic indicators may influence learner activities. Recommendations for educational information system development and instructional design, especially when a course attracts a diverse group of learners, are provided.

Citation

Shi, L., & Cristea, A. (2018, October). Demographic Indicators Influencing Learning Activities in MOOCs: Learning Analytics of FutureLearn Courses. Presented at 27th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2018)., Lund

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: 27th International Conference on Information Systems Development (ISD2018).
• Acceptance Date: Jun 11, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Oct 31, 2018
• Publication Date: Oct 31, 2018
• Deposit Date: Aug 2, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 2, 2018
• Publisher: Association for Information Systems
• Book Title: Information Systems Development: Designing Digitalization (ISD2018 Proceedings). Lund, Sweden: Lund University.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1144984
• Publisher URL: https://aisel.aisnet.org/isd2014/proceedings2018/Education/4/