Exploring MOOC Learners’ Behavioural Patterns Considering Age, Gender and Number of Course Enrolments: Insights for Improving Educational Opportunities

Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay; Sacip Toker; Kursat Cagiltay

doi:10.55982/openpraxis.16.1.543

Exploring MOOC Learners’ Behavioural Patterns Considering Age, Gender and Number of Course Enrolments: Insights for Improving Educational Opportunities

Open Praxis

Volume 16 (2024): Issue 1

By: Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay , Sacip Toker and Kursat Cagiltay

Open Access

|Feb 2024

Abstract

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) now offer a variety of options for everyone to obtain a high-quality education. The purpose of this study is to better understand the behaviours of MOOC learners and provide some insights for taking actions that benefit larger learner groups. Accordingly, 2,288,559 learners’ behaviours on 174 MITx courses were analysed. The results show that MOOCs are more attractive to the elderly, male, and highly educated groups of learners. Learners’ performance improves as they register for more courses and improve their skills and experiences on MOOCs. The findings suggest that, in the long run, learners’ adaptation to MOOCs will significantly improve the potential benefits of the MOOCs. Hence, MOOCs should continue by better understanding their learners and providing alternative instructional designs by considering different learner groups. MOOC providers’ decision-makers may take these findings into account when making operational decisions.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.55982/openpraxis.16.1.543 | Journal eISSN: 2304-070X

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Language: English

Page range: 70 - 81

Submitted on: Jan 19, 2023

Accepted on: Sep 17, 2023

Published on: Feb 2, 2024

Published by: International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

Keywords:

social implications,

data science applications in education,

lifelong learning,

MOOC,

MITx

© 2024 Nergiz Ercil Cagiltay, Sacip Toker, Kursat Cagiltay, published by International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE)
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 16 (2024): Issue 1