While there are issues with massive open online courses’
(MOOCs) with retention rates, students who complete them appear to be
satisfied, according to a study from the University of London International
Programmes.
Ninety-one percent of the students responding to the
survey on university MOOCs hosted on the Coursera platform rated the experience
as good, very good, or excellent. Around 42% of the 210,000 students
participating in the four MOOCs offered were considered active students, those who
downloaded a video lecture, took an online quiz, or posted to the class forum.
“Considering that the courses are free and allow
students to do as much or as little work as they like, the number of students
engaging in the course is considerable,” Mike Kerrison, director of academic
development for the University of London International Programmes, said in an
article for eCampus News, which also reported that just 4% of the students actually
completed the MOOCs.
Research from Stanford University found that super-involved students, known as
SuperPosters, sometimes account for up to a quarter of the total comments
submitted to forums for online classes. The study also showed that SuperPosters
not only participated in the forums, but also achieved high grades.
